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Shooting spatial video? A $3 iPhone app offers better resolution than Apple’s app

If you’re shooting spatial video on your iPhone 15 Pro – and there can be good reasons for doing so, even if you don’t own a Vision Pro – then you may want to invest in a $3 iPhone app.

While Apple’s native camera app only shoots spatial video in 1080p at 30fps, Spatialify lets you record in 4K at the same frame rate …

Not many people own a Vision Pro, of course, but if you’re a fan of 3D video, then shooting some now could be good future-proofing against the time when less expensive Apple headsets go on sale. In particular, some parents are capturing spatial video clips of their kids on the basis that they’ll never be that age again.

UploadVR first reported on the capabilities of the latest update to Spatialify, noting that the app also offers the option of 1080p at 60fps.

Since the initial release Spatialify has gained the ability to record spatial videos within the app itself, not just converting those taken in Apple’s Camera app. And the latest update adds support for HDR capture as well as either higher frame rate or higher resolution.

The Apple camera app can only record spatial videos at 1080p 30fps with standard dynamic range (SDR). The new v1.3 update for Spatialify on the other hand can record at either 1080p 60fps or 4K 30fps, and both modes support high dynamic range (HDR).

Engadget was impressed by the results.

Engadget senior editor Devindra Hardawar confirmed that Spatialify produces files in 4K / 30fps when set accordingly. He also verified that Spatialify’s videos look much sharper on the Vision Pro than those shot in Apple’s camera app. HDR also makes the videos’ lighting look more realistic. Not bad for three bucks.

As the site’s Will Shanklin notes, it’s surprising that Apple’s own Camera app doesn’t offer these options, since the hardware is clearly capable of it. I share his view that it will likely come soon.

Halide, a popular iOS camera app, beat Apple to the punch with iOS photography features like shooting in RAW, manual controls and portrait photos for pets. Based on that history, I wouldn’t be shocked if Apple soon added similar advanced spatial recording to its camera

My guess is that Apple isn’t yet 100% satisfied with the results in the higher resolution, higher frame rate, and HDR. One review of the app does claim videos are grainy, perhaps in low light.

Either way, a one-off three bucks seems a small investment to get early access to the capability. You can purchase the app here.

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Avatar for Ben Lovejoy Ben Lovejoy

Ben Lovejoy is a British technology writer and EU Editor for 9to5Mac. He’s known for his op-eds and diary pieces, exploring his experience of Apple products over time, for a more rounded review. He also writes fiction, with two technothriller novels, a couple of SF shorts and a rom-com!


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