Apple Brings Spatial Video Capture For ‘Magical’ 3D Filming On The iPhone 15 Pro

Image via Apple

Apple sees your Instagram Reels and raises them to the next dimension with the introduction of spatial video capability on the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max. This feature, now available with iOS 17.2, ushers in a new realm of reliving memories—most particularly via the soon-to-be-released mixed-reality headset, the Vision Pro.

Greg Joswiak, the tech giant’s senior vice president of worldwide marketing, explains that the addition brings even more depth to the flagship models’ best-in-market video quality.

“And now, we’re setting a new bar for what’s possible, enabling users to record special moments just as they happened,” Joswiak elaborates. “Spatial videos are magical, and we can’t wait for users to experience them on Apple Vision Pro early next year.”

Image via Apple

Shooting spatial videos is as easy as capturing regular footage on your smartphone. Users just need to switch to landscape mode in the Camera app, activate the spatial video function, and start recording, says Apple.

The iPhone 15 Pro uses both the Main and Ultra Wide cameras to capture video, blending the two perspectives into a single file. These videos are shot in 1,080p at 30 frames per second, employing advanced computational videography and HEVC compression to create high-quality, compact files. All spatial videos are organized in a dedicated Spatial album in the Photos app and are conveniently synced across devices with iCloud.

Image via Apple

Although spatial videos are taken in three dimensions, they can be viewed as regular 2D videos on the iPhone and other devices. They can also be shared and watched through usual channels like Messages.

The real magic of spatial videos unfolds with the Apple Vision Pro. Here, users can immerse themselves in their videos at life-size scale, experiencing moments like festive celebrations and intimate family gatherings in vivid color and detail.

Video via Apple

iPhone users can start experimenting with spatial video now, giving them time to transport films to the Apple Vision Pro with ease as soon as it launches in early 2024.

[via TechCrunch, ZDNet, Apple, images via Apple]