iPhone 18 might get a big camera upgrade from an unexpected source

The iPhone 17 isn’t even out yet, but we already have early rumors about the iPhone generations that will follow it. The iPhone 18 series might feature a foldable device next year, and the iPhone 19 could bring in a big design change, Apple’s first zero-bezel screen.

It’s not just the big changes that have started leaking, as some reports also mention key iPhone components that most people will not consider. The iPhone camera module is one such feature, and Apple is said to go for a significant upgrade with the iPhone 18 series.

Apparently, Apple is going to replace Sony sensors with ones made by Samsung. The Korean giant has a well-documented love-hate relationship with Apple. On the one hand, Samsung has never been able to really top the iPhone, which is its fiercest rival in the mobile business. On the other hand, Samsung’s other divisions supply key components to Apple without which the iPhone wouldn’t be possible.

The switch from Sony isn’t necessarily surprising, having been featured in some reports last summer. Ming-Chi Kuo said in mid-July that the iPhone 18 series would get a new 48-megapixel sensor made by Samsung.

The insider did not provide additional details about the purported deal over the iPhone 18’s ultra-wide camera:

Samsung is expected to begin shipping 1/2.6-inch 48MP ultra-wide CMOS image sensors (CIS) to Apple for iPhones as early as 2026, breaking Sony’s years-long monopoly on supplying CIS to Apple. To this end, Samsung has established a dedicated team to serve Apple.

We’re now getting an idea of what Samsung might be working on for Apple thanks to an update from reliable leaker Jukanlosreve on X:

Exclusive: Samsung is currently developing a “3-layer stacked” image sensor in a PD-TR-Logic configuration for Apple.

This sensor is more advanced than Sony’s existing Exmor RS, and I believe it cannot be ruled out as a potential candidate for the main sensor.

Samsung is working on a 3-layer stacked image sensor for Apple while simultaneously developing a 500MP sensor for its own Galaxy devices.

The “3-layer stacked” image sensor features a pixel array (PD), the logic layer, and a temporary storage chip (TR). The latter is the novelty, compared to sensors that only feature the former two.

Then again, the tech isn’t as new, as Samsung introduced a 3-stack Isocell camera sensor in early 2018. At the time, Samsung focused on slowing down time with the 3-layer stacked image sensor. That’s capturing better slow-motion video. The TR layer would allow the sensor to handle high-speed data, the kind that suits such shooting modes.

Sony has its own 3-layer stacked sensors. It’s unclear why Apple would switch to Samsung or for what purpose. Smooth slow-motion video can’t be it, of course.

Separately, another big camera upgrade is supposedly coming to the iPhone 18 series. According to an early November report from Kuo, the iPhone 18 Pro models will feature a camera with variable aperture. The analyst didn’t mention Samsung’s camera sensor in the same report.

But if both these claims are correct, the iPhone 18 series might feature a wide-camera with a Samsung-made sensor and a variable-aperture lens.