Honor is reportedly bringing back a camera feature it dropped two generations ago, just as the iPhone 18 Pro has made it a talking point. Huawei Central picked up a Weibo leak from tipster Smart Pikachu. The tipster claims the Honor Magic 10 series will return to a variable aperture camera.

Aperture is the opening in a camera lens that controls how much light reaches the sensor. A variable aperture lets the phone widen that opening in dim scenes for brighter shots. It can also narrow the opening for sharper detail across the frame. Apple added one to the main camera on the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max, which it showed off at its September event.

The tipster says the feature is likely to land on the top models, such as a rumored Magic 10 Pro Max. There is no launch date, and Honor hasn’t confirmed anything.

Honor had it first

Honor isn’t borrowing a brand-new idea. The Magic 6 Pro introduced a physical variable aperture on Honor phones, adjustable between f/1.4 and f/2.0. The Magic 7 kept it. Then the Magic 8 switched to a fixed f/1.6 lens, reportedly to save space inside the phone.

Apple wasn’t the first either. Samsung put a variable aperture on the Galaxy S9 back in 2018, and Huawei brought it to its Mate 50 series in 2022. Rumors have also had Samsung bringing it back on its Ultra phones more than once.

The Apple effect

The timing is hard to ignore, even though no report ties Honor’s decision to the iPhone. Phone makers tend to watch what Apple does and follow. A feature can go from niche to must-have once it lands on an iPhone.

It happened with Face ID, when Android brands moved to 3D face unlock soon after. Fingerprint readers spread the same way after Touch ID.

That is closer to following the leader than copying, especially since Honor shipped adjustable apertures before Apple did. Another leaker has also claimed that several Chinese brands are weighing variable aperture setups now that the iPhone 18 Pro is out. Honor may not be the last to return to the idea.

The post Honor Magic 10 Reportedly Gets an iPhone 18 Pro-Style Camera appeared first on Phandroid.