When in June 2026 the ransomware group World Leaks published over 204,000 files totaling 630 GB stolen from Apple's Indian manufacturing partner Tata Electronics, most reports focused on the breach itself. But within this dataset, researchers found something more specific: a diagnostic log with technical details about the upcoming iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max.
What's in the log
The main camera will receive a new Sony IMX905 sensor instead of the IMX903 used in the iPhone 17 Pro Max. The pixel size remains the same — 1.22 micrometers — but the log records support for variable aperture. According to NotebookCheck, which was first to analyze the document, the calibration unit reads data from an actuator associated with the aperture mechanism from the sensor's non-volatile memory — meaning this is a real optical mechanism, not software simulation.
"The log confirms support for variable aperture on this sensor, backed by a calibration unit that reads data from an actuator tied to the aperture mechanism"
NotebookCheck, analysis of Tata Electronics leak
For context: on iPhone 15 Pro, 16 Pro, and 17 Pro, the main camera is fixed at f/1.78 — the widest opening, which doesn't change regardless of shooting conditions. Variable aperture allows physically narrowing the opening in bright light and widening it in darkness, providing optical control over depth of field without relying solely on computational photography.
Why the body will get thicker
The variable aperture mechanism requires space. According to the leak and independent sources on Weibo, the enlarged main camera module will make the iPhone 18 Pro approximately 2 mm thicker compared to its predecessor. The telephoto lens is also reported to receive a wider aperture for better low-light performance — though this detail is less well documented.
Modem surprise
Meanwhile, the same leak revealed an unexpected decision regarding communication chips. As NotebookCheck confirmed, board number 820-04340-06 indicates the iPhone 18 Pro logic board for the USA with an mmWave connector and Qualcomm components, while the international version (820-04305-06) has no such connector — and will likely use Apple's own C2 modem. This means the C2, which was considered more powerful and energy-efficient, does not support mmWave 5G, so American users will remain on Qualcomm Snapdragon X80.
Context: who is World Leaks and what else was stolen
World Leaks, according to cybersecurity researchers' assessments, is a rebranding of Hunters International — one of the most active ransomware-as-a-service operators of 2023-2024. Tata Electronics manufactures approximately a quarter of all iPhones in the world — roughly 55 million devices per year. Among the stolen files were also Tesla documents and copies of employee passports. India's CERT-In confirmed the investigation.
- Leak publication date: June 12, 2026
- Data volume: 630.4 GB, over 204,000 files
- Source: World Leaks (probable rebranding of Hunters International)
- Confirmed by Tata Electronics: incident fact — yes, details — no
Important caveat: the documents themselves describe prototype equipment at various stages of development. Apple has officially confirmed none of the specifications, and there are still several months and potential design changes between the diagnostic log and mass production.
If variable aperture makes it to the production iPhone 18 Pro in September without significant compromises in thickness or battery life — it will be the first time Apple has added a mechanical optical element of this magnitude to the main line. The question is not whether the feature will exist: the log is there. The question is how many aperture stops the user will actually get — and whether they'll notice the difference outside of laboratory tests.
