For those buying any one of the newest iPhones purely for their new multi-camera recording feature, an upgrade may not be totally necessary. As it turns out, last year's iPhone XS and XR are both getting it, too.
That's right — multi-camera recording, one of the most impressive features of the iPhone 11 lineup that debuted at Apple's most recent product event, is coming to the iPhone XR, XS, and XS Max with the arrival of iOS 13 on Sept. 19.
iPhone 11 Multi-Camera Recording Coming To Older iPhones
So, how is this possible? Surely, multi-camera recording is a feat achieved thanks to the newer iPhones' upped internals, right? Well, not exactly. As 9to5MAc makes clear, recording video multiple video streams simultaneously does involve significant processing to pull off, a new API that's part of iOS 13 is actually what makes it possible. This is something the aforementioned previous-generation iPhones are capable of, with some exceptions.
All iPhones from last year will be limited to recording two simultaneous streams from various combinations of its cameras, including the front and rear, so users can capture a "reaction shot" of what's being filmed, a la Nokia's "bothie" gimmick. However, this isn't something that will be offered off of Apple's stock camera app, though third parties can add it to their own applications.
Low-Quality Video Footage
The quality of footage will depend on how intense the implementation is, though. Apple cautions developers that processor-intensive camera tasks, such as applying real-time filters or adding augmented reality elements, may result in lower-quality video feeds instead of full 4K.
At the moment, it's not exactly clear how multi-camera recording on the newest batch of iPhones is going to work, or how many streams exactly a user will be able to capture at a time. Given the specific limitations imposed on the iPhone XS, XS Max, and XR, it's safe to assume the iPhone 11 will be able to record at least three streams in one go at full resolution.
Apple unveiled the iPhone 11, the slightly better iPhone 11 Pro, and the largest-sized iPhone 11 Pro Max at its recently concluded event. The base iPhone 11 is much cheaper than iPhone XR's starting price at launch, making it an attractive option for those looking to upgrade their current handset. Tech Times has a bunch of guides, one to help users decide whether the iPhone 11 is better than the iPhone XR, and another listing some things to be considered before shelling out for the iPhone 11 Pro. Make sure to check them out.
