Apple Vision Pro
At a glance, there doesn’t appear to be many new features in the second beta of iOS 17.2 — with the exception of Spatial Video recording for Apple Vision Pro.
One of the features of the Apple Vision Pro is that it includes Apple’s first three-dimensional camera, capable of taking spatial photographs and videos that can be viewed via the headset. Apple promised the feature would arrive “later” for iPhone 15 Pro, and the first vestiges of it are available in iOS 17.2 beta 2.
So far, details are scant about how large these videos will be. The files are stored in what Apple calls “Apple HEVC Stereo Video” format, with the “hvc1” codec.
Both left-eye and right-eye views are carried in each video sample of the track, and the format allows the primary eye to be either the right of left. Apple requires thataA reader that does not support multiview video should be able to decode the base layer of the video track for presentation without a stereoscopic treatment for backwards compatibility features.
How the tracks will differ when shot on the Apple Vision Pro, versus on an iPhone 15 Pro isn’t clear. The camera separation on the Apple Vision Pro approximates that of the human eye gap, while the center of the lenses on an iPhone 15 Pro is about a half-inch.
AppleInsider will be testing this feature in the coming days. Ultimately, the final judgement will have to wait until the Apple Vision Pro ships in 2024.
