Apple spatial video capture launched for iPhone 15 Pro models; Know how to use it

Apple introduces spatial video capture feature on the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max with the iOS 17.2 update. Know how it works and how you can use it to capture magical videos in 3D.

Know how to use the Apple spatial video capture feature on the iPhone 15 Pro models. (Apple)

Apple has been hard at work lately to bring spatial tech to its suite of products. It introduced spatial audio with the AirPods Pro in 2019 and also debuted the Vision Pro, its first-ever spatial computer earlier this year. These innovations in tech could likely be a testament to the company's vision of “blending the digital world with the real world”. iPhones are the latest beneficiaries of spatial tech, as Apple has now introduced Spatial video capture to its flagship devices, the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max with the new iOS 17.2 update. Know all about the spatial video capture feature on iPhone and how to use it.

What is spatial video recording on iPhone?

With the iOS 17.2 update that was just released on iPhones, Apple has added a special feature that allows the iPhone to record spatial videos. The feature first debuted at the World Wide Developers Conference (WWDC) 2023 in June but did not arrive with the first iOS 17 update in October. However, it has now been rolled out for the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max.

The videos recorded using the spatial video capture feature on the iPhone can be viewed on the Apple Vision Pro, the company's first spatial computer! Apple says that there are 23 million micro-OLED pixels across displays on the Vision Pro that can potentially enhance the viewing experience. This also means that there are more pixels in a postage stamp-sized area than what you can get on a 4K TV!

How does it work?

Spatial videos are recorded in landscape orientation at 1080p 30 frames per second. The primary and ultrawide cameras on the iPhone 15 Pro models are used to capture the footage which is then stored using HEVC compression, with one minute of the recorded spatial video being approximately 130MB. Apple says that the iPhone records video from both the main and ultrawide cameras, and scales the field of view from the ultrawide camera to match that of the main camera, which is then saved into a single video file.

While the Apple Vision Pro has not been released to consumers yet, potential buyers will be able to watch their recorded videos in the Photos app on the Vision Pro. The headset dims your surrounding environment, letting you focus on the film with Spatial Audio support. Spatial video recording is available on iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max models with iOS 17.2 or later.

How to use spatial video capture on iPhone

1. To record spatial videos on your iPhone 15 Pro or iPhone 15 Pro Max, open the camera app.

2. Next, select the video mode and turn your iPhone to the landscape orientation.

3. Tap on the Vision Pro logo and hit record. Alternatively, you can also press either of the volume buttons to start recording.

4. Apple says that to capture the best video, the iPhone should be steady with the subjects being 3-8 feet from the camera.

5. To stop the recording, press the stop button. Then press the Vision Pro logo again to stop the spatial video recording. That's it! Your spatial video will now be saved to the Photos app.

While the captured spatial video can be viewed in the Photos app or on other devices, it will appear as 2D only like any other video. However, it will appear in 3D when viewed on the Apple Vision Pro, which unfortunately isn't available to consumers yet.