iPhone 15 Pro owners will be able to shoot 3D video for the Vision Pro headset
With the release of Apple’s iOS 17.2 update, which is still in beta and is expected to be released in December, the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max will be able to capture spatial video with depth data and be viewed on the Vision Pro mixed reality headset. Some journalists were lucky enough to try the new product in practice.
The spatial video recording function is activated in the camera settings: when the option is enabled, an additional button appears on the screen to start recording in this format – it is performed using the main and ultra-wide cameras simultaneously. Video is saved in 1080p resolution at 30 frames per second. Apple specifies that for best results, the phone should be in landscape (horizontal) orientation and be locked. For Vision Pro owners, this option will be enabled by default. When played back on an iPhone, spatial videos appear as regular 2D video without any additional depth effect.
Apple Vision Pro will go on sale in the United States in early 2024, but the manufacturer has invited some journalists to record their own videos on the iPhone 15 Pro and watch them on the headset. The company does not allow publishing photos of the device yet, so only written reviews are available.
“At the demonstration, I filmed a sushi chef holding a piece of sushi. When I watched it on Vision Pro, the sushi and chopsticks really looked three-dimensional. They were in the foreground, hovering closer to me than the other images. Of course, the lighting was perfect during the recording, so we’ll see how it behaves in imperfect conditions. Apple showed me a few other spatial videos. One showed a father telling his children a story in the back of a van. It was so realistic and cozy that I was almost scared. Why am I spying on a family I don’t know? That’s obviously the great appeal of spatial video: it creates an intimacy that flat photos and videos don’t have,” shared her impressions Joanna Stern of the Wall Street Journal.
“As Apple probably intended, shooting spatial video is as easy and intuitive as any other mode on the iPhone 15 Pro or iPhone 15 Pro Max. You turn the phone to unlock the shooting mode, which is indicated by the headset icon, and you see the level appear during recording. The horizon level is important because video that shakes a lot will be even more dissonant when played back on Vision Pro. In my case, I filmed a professional sushi chef preparing some regular rolls and rice balls, and the chef holding the finished product. I gradually zoomed in, filming the roll as it hangs in the air on chopsticks from about a foot and a half (45 cm). The iPhone did a great job of switching focus as I moved around the piece of sushi with the chef in the background. You can click manually to change the focus if you want,” Jacob Krol of The Street said of his experience.
“The video looks great and the 3D is incredibly realistic. They are easy to record, and you can save videos that will play in 2D in a regular video format. But in general, this feature is intended for a product from 2024, which at $3500, it’s safe to say most people won’t be buying anytime soon. But the experience is still impressive,” wrote CNET’s Scott Stein.
He also added that next year, Apple’s proprietary Final Cut Pro editor will support spatial video. 3D video support was introduced in the second beta version of iOS 17.2, which was released to developers on November 9 and to the public testing program on November 10.
