Centre stage: How Apple's new selfie cameras work on the iPhone 17
Apple has implemented a new selfie feature that was previously unknown: the Centre Stage sensor is set up so that you can take photos freely.
Center Stage on the iPhone 17: You wouldn't normally be able to get this many people in the picture if you held the phone upright.
(Image: Apple)
There are also things about the new iPhones that have not been leaked in advance: these include the new selfie camera, which is included in all models – i.e. 17, Air, 17 Pro and 17 Pro Max. Apple calls it the ‘Centre Stage front camera’ – and it is included in every model, a democratic distribution. All four new iPhones now have an 18-megapixel sensor at the front. It is located in the Dynamic Island, i.e. the area with the TrueDepth camera module, which also contains Face ID facial recognition. In addition to the higher resolution – previously it was 12 megapixels – there is one main innovation: the way the sensor is arranged has been changed. This has a decisive advantage.
Square and more practical
Instead of the previous 4:3 format, the sensor is now square. In practice, this means that it doesn't matter how you hold the iPhone. Users are therefore no longer forced to hold the iPhone in landscape format when taking a selfie if more people need to be in the picture who would not be in portrait mode. The camera system also works with AI: it recognizes when there are too many people in front of the lens and then automatically adjusts the format. The sensor also has a wider field of view and offers a tap-to-zoom function, including manual rotation if the AI doesn't want to do what the user wants.
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What this means in practice and how much better shots are with the new sensor remains to be seen. The demo images during the keynote were quite good – but, as we know, they always are. Incidentally, Apple now only offers three iPhones with a selfie sensor below 18 megapixels: iPhone 16, 16 Plus and 16e. iPhone 15 models have been officially discontinued (although they will remain available in stores for the time being).
Center Stage functions also included
Center Stage is actually the name of a feature at Apple that automatically brings users to the foreground when watching videos. It was first introduced on the iPad and has now also landed on the Mac. On the iPhone, this means that the front camera can now automatically keep the user in the foreground during video calls while they are moving (within certain limits). In addition, the larger sensor should also enable stabilized 4K HDR – a bit like the well-known Action Mode of the rear camera. Finally, it is now also possible to record with both cameras simultaneously (without a special app).
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