Highlights
- HONOR Magic 10 series could reuse a physical variable aperture main camera.
- HONOR used variable aperture in Magic 6 Pro and Magic 7 series.
- The Magic 10 series is expected to launch in late 2027.
The upcoming HONOR Magic 10 series will reportedly get a major camera upgrade next year by bringing back physical variable aperture technology. HONOR first introduced this hardware feature on the Magic 6 Pro and carried it over to the Magic 7 series, before dropping it on the Magic 8 and Magic 9 lineups in favour of fixed lenses and ultra-high-resolution sensors. Now the fresh leaks reveal that the company is looking to revive the technology for its 2027 flagship smartphones to refresh its mobile photography experience and compete directly with brands like Huawei and Apple.
HONOR Magic 10 Series Could Get Variable Aperture Cameras
As per the tipster SmartPikachu and Rock Leaks, HONOR is currently testing a physical variable aperture lens mechanism for the upcoming HONOR Magic 10 series. The company has not officially confirmed the details, but if the reports are true, the move would see the return of adjustable camera lenses to HONOR’s flagship phones, likely on the top-tier model such as Magic 10 Pro or Magic 10 Pro Max, when the series launches in 2027.
What Is Variable Aperture in Smartphone Cameras?
The aperture is a small hole in the camera lens that controls how much light can reach the sensor. A variable aperture camera has tiny mechanical blades inside the lens that physically open and close that aperture depending on what you are shooting. Smartphone cameras have a variable aperture, meaning they have a wide aperture (f/1.4), which allows more light to enter for brighter, cleaner night photos along with automatically blurring the background behind your subject.
You can also control the amount of light that enters the camera so that bright scenes don’t look washed out and keep the front and back of the photo in focus by using a narrow aperture (like f/2.0 or f/4.0).
How Variable Aperture Could Improve HONOR Magic 10 Photography
Bringing a physical variable aperture back to the Magic 10 series could solve various problems that software just cannot address. When the lens opens up wide at night, it picks up more real light naturally, cutting down on grainy noise without over-smoothing details. Large phone camera sensors often have too shallow a focus area, meaning the edges of group shots or food pictures can blur.
Using a smaller aperture ensures that every person’s face or the whole object is clean from one side to the other. Instead of just using portrait mode software, a wide physical aperture optically creates smooth, realistic background separation.
HONOR Magic 10 Series Expected Camera Specifications
The HONOR Magic 10 series is still in the early stages of development, so exact specifications are not released yet. It is important to distinguish between current rumours and confirmed specifications. Honor is said to be bringing back a physical variable aperture main camera but has not officially announced the Magic 10 series, so details such as megapixel count, sensor size, telephoto zoom lens or chipset remain unconfirmed. HONOR used a variable aperture on the Magic 6 Pro and Magic 7 series, then moved to a fixed lens on the Magic 8 and a fixed 200MP sensor on the Magic 9.
HONOR Magic 10 Series Launch Timeline and Availability
HONOR typically launches the Magic series as its flagship devices on an annual release cycle, with new models launching in China first in the fourth quarter of the year, October or November, followed by a global launch early the following year. The HONOR Magic 10 series is expected to launch in late 2027, following the Magic 9 series launch in 2026, and might go on sale globally in early 2028.
