At the launch event for the new iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max smartphones, Apple unveiled a completely redesigned Camera app that will become part of the iOS 27 operating system. The company emphasizes that the updated interface is designed to give users greater manual control both while taking photos and while recording video. In essence, Apple is bringing into the stock app features that previously required installing third-party software.

Redesigned Interface and New Navigation

The key change to the screen layout is the new placement of the menu: the button that hides the remaining settings has now been moved noticeably to the right of the main shutter button. After tapping it, iOS 27 not only lets you select the options you need but also replaces the top row of buttons on the screen. As a result, many features now require a single tap instead of two, and all parameters in the settings panel can be customized to suit your own needs.

Manual Control of Key Frame Parameters

The headline innovation of the updated Camera app is the introduction of a set of tools for precise frame adjustment. During the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max announcement, the developers demonstrated the ability to manually adjust key shooting parameters. Meanwhile, the variable aperture, according to the company's statements, remains an exclusive feature of only the latest flagship smartphones.

Who Has Access to the New Features

It remains unclear on exactly which specific iPhone models all of the listed manual features will be available. What is known is that most of the app's new software capabilities will also be available to owners of older models — from the iPhone 11 to the iPhone 17 Pro — while a portion of the hardware-dependent tools is tied to the flagships.

Contradictory Data

There is an inconsistency here regarding feature coverage. On the one hand, Apple claims that most of the software innovations will be widely available across the lineup from the iPhone 11 to the iPhone 17 Pro. On the other hand, the variable aperture and, presumably, some of the manual tools remain a flagship exclusive, and the company has not disclosed the full list of models with all features. In addition, according to reports from researchers, five camera features have been found in the iOS 27 code that Apple is keeping secret and has not officially confirmed. Thus, the actual set of capabilities on a given model may differ from the demonstration.

iOS 27 Release Date

The official release of the iOS 27 operating system is scheduled for Monday, September 14, for all compatible iPhone models. This means that the redesigned Camera app with its professional features will become available to users within days of the presentation.