Every new Apple iPhone 16, from the base version to the iPhone 16 Pro Max, can take spatial photos and videos. I think this is the first real sign that Apple is developing a mixed reality headset that will appeal to all consumers.
I have to admit, I was blown away by Apple’s embrace of spatial photography and video. They even went so far as to reposition the cameras on every device they introduced at the Glowtime event, including the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus.
In case you didn’t notice, the diagonal configuration is gone, replaced by two vertically aligned cameras. Apple did this because when you hold the phone in landscape mode, the cameras are perfectly positioned to capture stereo images, which means two slightly skewed photos of the same thing. Your two eyes combine those images inside a VR headset to create the illusion of 3D.
This new Area setting and the Spatial option in the Camera app in iOS 18 let you take stereoscopic photos and videos with all iPhone 16 phones… and what can you do with it?
When I first heard this, I was confused. Why would Apple make such a major change to all of its devices for what is at best an edge case? The Apple Vision Pro is an incredible mixed reality device that lets you fully immerse yourself in virtual reality or blend realistic-looking AR content with your real world. It can track your gestures, eyes, and face. The headset also costs $3,499.
Apple hasn’t shared sales figures, but even anecdotal evidence makes it clear that this isn’t an iPhone-class seller — it’s not even a Mac or iPad-class seller. Most consumers don’t have a Vision Pro, but now Apple has redesigned the camera array on its most affordable iPhone to support it. There can only be one reason.
Vision Pro for the rest of us
Apple is working on a much more affordable Vision Pro, let’s call it Vision Lite, and it could hit the market much sooner than most analysts predicted.
I didn’t originate the concept of a lower-cost Vision Pro (often called “Vision Pro 2”). Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman has been touting it for a while, but he predicts it won’t come out until 2026.
Gurman may be right, but why is Apple bringing spatial photography to the masses now? Do we really need more than a year to prepare? Sure, you can port spatial imagery captured on your iPhone to a Meta Quest headset, but when is Apple going to do something for the competition? It’s not helping you build a library of immersive content to support Mark Zuckerbner’s competing products.
No, I’m convinced this is the first real sign that Apple is rushing to release a more affordable Vision Pro headset. And it can’t come soon enough. While Apple has updated the Vision Pro since its launch over a year ago, and VisionOS 2 brings some seriously cool new features like transforming flat photos into spatial images, Apple has done nothing on the price front, and consumers remain unmoved.
If Apple is committed to mixed reality – and it is, trust me – it needs to release the Vision Pro Lite or 2 well before 2026 and the iPhone 17. I think the iPhone 16 and its new camera array shows that Apple agrees with me, and that means next spring (think June and WWDC 2025) could mark a turning point for the Vision Pro strategy and broader consumer access to Apple’s vision for mixed reality.
So go ahead, buy an iPhone 16 and start taking lots of spatial photos and videos right away. Before you know it, you’ll have an incredible new product – one you can afford – with which to view it.