(Credit: Apple)
Apple today released a hefty iOS 17 update that adds the ability for iPhone owners to record 3D video, the launch of the Journal app, Qi2 wireless support for older iPhones, and more.
The iOS 17.2 brings "spatial video capture" to the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max, which have cameras powerful enough to record videos in three dimensions. To do so, the phones will leverage not just the main camera, but also the ultra wide lens during the recording process.
The technology “scales the field of view from the Ultra Wide camera to match that of the Main camera, which is then saved into a single video file,” the company said. But you’ll need Apple’s upcoming Vision Pro headset to fully enjoy the footage.
(Credit: Apple)“Spatial videos are captured in 1080p at 30 frames per second in standard dynamic range. With advanced computational videography techniques and HEVC compression, iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max deliver stunning spatial memories in a compact file size," Apple says. For example, one minute of spatial video can take up 130MB in storage.
Replaying the video on iPhone will display the footage in 2D. But if you transfer the video to an Apple Vision Pro, the company promises the recording will come to life, “with brilliant color and spectacular detail.”
“On Apple Vision Pro, spatial videos can be played back in a window or expanded into an immersive view that transports users back to each moment in time, like a celebration with friends or a special family gathering,” the company adds.
The Apple Vision Pro is slated to arrive early next year for $3,499. If you own an iPhone 15 Pro or Max, you can activate the spatial video capture feature in settings. You’ll then need to record video footage while using the iPhone in landscape mode. An icon for the spatial video should appear, which you can tap. Footage will live in a "new Spatial album in the Photos app, and all...spatial videos will sync across their devices with iCloud,” the company adds.
Today’s iOS 17.2 release also adds the Journal app, which will prompt you to write about experiences related to your iPhone activity. “Suggestions are intelligently curated from recent activity, including photos, people, places, workouts, and more, making it easy to start a journal entry, and scheduled notifications can help build a journaling habit,” Apple says. Journals can be locked to keep your musings from prying eyes.
Also on tap: expanded capabilities for AirDrop, which adds a NameDrop-like option to more easily share boarding passes, movie tickets, and "other eligible passes" via Wallet.
The company’s voice assistant, Siri, can also now access and log a user’s health data on iPhones or iPad. The same functionality is also coming to the Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2 through a watchOS 10.2 update.
As expected, iOS 17.2 also adds Qi2 wireless charging support to all iPhone 13 and 14 models.