Apple’s biggest launch event of the year is here – and the tech giant says 2025 is a big year for cameras, starting with the iPhone 17. But while the rear cameras offer a number of updates, the front-facing camera has the most unusual upgrade: it’s square.
The iPhone 17 series front-facing camera, now dubbed Center Stage, uses a larger sensor that’s square-shaped. Why go square? Apple says the new shape of the sensor allows users to change the orientation of the photos without turning the smartphone itself.
The Center Stage camera comes into play on the base model iPhone 17 as well as the new iPhone Air, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max.
The ability to snap a horizontal or vertical shot without changing the orientation of the camera is designed to aid in grabbing wide group selfies, as the newly designed front camera also uses the widest lens yet. But, the square sensor also crops the video to keep users centered in the frame during FaceTime calls.
That redesigned front-facing camera also supports a new dual recording mode that uses both the front and rear-facing cameras simultaneously to film the user’s reaction to whatever is unfolding in front of the rear camera.
That square format sensor is meant to be cropped, so resolution will vary a bit across the board, but the front camera peaks at 18MP.
The front-facing camera is also equipped with stabilization, as well as focus and depth control.
The front-facing camera does vary slightly across the iPhone 17 series. The new iPhone Air doesn't offer cinematic or ProRes 4K 60p video from the front camera, but the iPhone 17 Pro does.
The iPhone 17 series pre-orders open on September 12.
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