The iPhone 18 Pro camera system adds four selectable aperture settings to control lighting and depth of field. Its main camera supports apertures of f/1.48, f/1.8, f/2.8 and f/4.0. The system also includes 48-megapixel Ultra Wide and Telephoto cameras. New Pro controls allow adjustments to aperture, shutter speed and white balance inside the Camera app. Users can also view a histogram while composing photos or videos.

The United States is expanding domestic battery production as it works to reduce dependence on China. The larger challenge sits deeper in the supply chain. China still dominates battery materials, processing and key manufacturing technologies used worldwide. U.S. factories have added capacity, but many depend on imported components and refined minerals. That gap has placed graphite, cathodes, anodes and lithium iron phosphate materials at the center of Washington’s battery push. China produced more than 80% of the world’s battery cells in 2025. It also produced about 85% of cathode active material and more than 90% of anode active material. The United States has increased battery manufacturing capacity faster than China in percentage terms, but remains heavily exposed to imported materials. Federal funding now targets those upstream weaknesses as well as battery assembly, with technology partnerships adding another layer to the U.S. battery debate.