Apple recently released the developer beta 2 of iOS 17.2, featuring support for capturing spatial video with iPhone 15 Pro models. The public beta, now available, allows users to experience this feature.
To capture spatial video on the iPhone 15 Pro, users need to enable the feature in Settings → Camera → Formats under “Spatial Video for Apple Vision Pro.” Once activated, the Camera app allows toggling spatial video capture in the regular Video mode. The capture uses the main and ultra-wide lenses, requiring the phone to be held horizontally for optimal results. However, resolution is limited to 1080p at 30 fps in the HEVC file format.
While the capture process is straightforward, there are two drawbacks: the fixed resolution and frame rate, and the doubled file size compared to non-spatial video. Despite these limitations, the author encourages iPhone 15 Pro users to explore spatial video capturing, considering its unique immersive experience, especially when viewed on the Vision Pro headset.
The Vision Pro headset provides an impressive spatial experience, with improved onboarding and calibration since June. The author describes the calibration process and notes the headset’s ability to present a sharp, realistic view. The demo focused on the Photos app within VisionOS, showcasing the captivating effect of spatial videos, which appear dream-like and emotionally moving, resembling memories more than traditional videos.
Beyond spatial video, the Photos app in VisionOS enhances the viewing of regular still photos and panoramic shots. Still photos look stunning on the large, high-resolution virtual display, while panoramic photos, previously deemed a “cool trick,” become breathtaking without optical distortion when viewed on Vision Pro.
The overall Vision Pro experience relies on foveated rendering, adapting display resolution based on gaze, providing a highly detailed and high-resolution effect. Vision Pro has a lot of potential for reading, writing, and work-related tasks. The sound quality of the headset’s speakers is noteworthy, and navigating VisionOS with gaze and finger taps feels natural, contributing to a high enthusiasm for the platform and the future of spatial computing.
