I previously tested the difference the wider aperture of the iPhone 18 Pro makes when it comes to depth of field . The executive summary is that the difference is small, but definitely present.

I said at the time that I’d intended to test the difference it made to Night mode shots when an unmissable night video opportunity had me write about that instead. So belatedly, let me turn my attention to Night mode photos …

Once the ship had passed through the bridge, I stuck around to return to plan A: testing Night mode still photos. The new variable aperture lens offers two complementary advantages for night photography: allowing us to either increase or reduce the shutter speed depending on the effect we’re looking for.

Faster shutter speed

The widest aperture is boosted from f/1.8 to f/1.48. The wider the aperture, the more light captured for any given period of time. That should mean that Night mode shots have a shorter duration, meaning we don’t have to hold the phone still for quite so long.…