Tom's Guide has published two separate pieces examining what's expected from Apple's upcoming iPhone 18 Pro lineup, one from the perspective of a 15-year Android user weighing a switch, and another examining a rumored camera hardware change through the eyes of professional photographers.
In the first piece, a Tom's Guide editor who has used Android phones for 15 years after starting with an iPhone 3GS says he isn't ruling out a switch back, but lists five iOS shortcomings that would need fixing first. These include inconsistent back-button/gesture navigation across the platform, a Files app he considers too basic compared to Android's full system file access, the absence of a desktop mode (unlike Samsung DeX and other Android implementations), no support for third-party launchers, and no ability to sideload apps outside the App Store. He acknowledges sideloading is unlikely to happen given Apple's walled-garden approach, which he says is partly about security and partly about maintaining control over App Store fees and content rules, and notes that even in the EU, where Apple has opened up to third-party app stores, true Android-style sideloading still isn't allowed.
The same piece notes that Android isn't perfect either, singling out desktop-to-phone connectivity as an area where Google should learn from Apple. He points to Apple's Handoff feature as something he envies, contrasts it with ChromeOS, which he criticizes, and mentions upcoming devices running a new version of Android with promised multi-device support, though details are still unclear. He also expresses hope for better collaboration features between Android and Windows beyond existing tools like Quick Share and Windows Link, while doubting Google and Microsoft would team up effectively.
The second piece focuses on rumors that the iPhone 18 Pro Max will get a mechanical variable-aperture main camera, a feature the standard iPhone 18 Pro reportedly won't have. Apple's current Pro lineup uses a fixed f/1.78 aperture on its 48MP main sensor. The article recalls Samsung's earlier attempt at this with dual-aperture lenses (f/1.5 and f/2.4) on the Galaxy S9 and S10, which it says had subtle real-world impact before Samsung moved to computational photography instead. The Pro Max is also rumored to get an extended 6x optical telephoto zoom, another possible reason to choose it over the standard Pro.
Photographers Ken Braswell (ShoreGrafx) and Frank Filiatrault (Curbside Captures) are quoted on the potential benefits: a physical variable aperture could let users control depth of field and shutter speed optically, rather than relying on computational tricks like face-tuning or Google's Remix feature, potentially enabling authentic bokeh and effects such as motion blur without software processing. However, both photographers say they wouldn't add a variable-aperture iPhone to their professional gear, viewing smartphones instead as tools for behind-the-scenes content, travel vlogging, social content, or documenting studio setups rather than primary image capture.
Both photographers also questioned whether average consumers would understand or care about aperture as a marketing term, with Braswell suggesting Apple could use the feature to build broader public awareness of the concept and inspire more creative photography, while Filiatrault suggested it could help inspire a new generation of visual storytellers even if many consumers don't need flagship-level hardware. The article speculates Apple will likely brand the feature in consumer-friendly terms rather than technical language, similar to how it named FaceTime, AirDrop, and True Tone.