The iPhone 17 Pro just introduced two massive upgrades for filmmakers, and one of them is genuinely surprising. In fact, it is a world first for a smartphone.
Apple has been steadily pushing the iPhone closer to dedicated video cameras, and with the iPhone 17 Pro, that momentum continues in a big way. Let’s break down the two features that matter most if you create video.
A Completely New Front Camera for Video
The first upgrade was heavily rumored and widely expected: a new front facing camera.
Apple last made a meaningful upgrade to the selfie camera all the way back with the iPhone 11. Since then, it has remained mostly unchanged. While it was usable on the iPhone 16 Pro, the rear cameras had advanced so much that many creators started using MagSafe mounted monitors just so they could record with the back camera while still seeing themselves.
With the iPhone 17 lineup, Apple finally addressed this.
All iPhone 17 models now feature a significantly upgraded selfie camera, but the real innovation is not just resolution or image quality. It is the sensor shape itself.
Why the Square Sensor Matters
Instead of using a traditional horizontal sensor, the new front camera uses a square sensor design. This is something you usually see in 360 cameras. DJI’s Osmo 360 is a great example.
The benefit of a square sensor is flexibility.
If you want to film vertical video, the camera crops the sides of the sensor. If you want to film horizontal video, it crops the top and bottom. The key advantage is that you no longer need to rotate your phone just to change orientation.
Because the resolution remains the same either way, you can keep holding your phone vertically and still capture high quality horizontal video. Considering how often we naturally hold our phones upright, this is a surprisingly smart move by Apple.
ProRes RAW Comes to the iPhone
The second major upgrade is the one that caught me completely off guard.
Apple has officially added ProRes RAW internal recording to the iPhone 17 Pro.
After introducing ProRes video on the iPhone 14 and Apple Log on the iPhone 15, Apple slowed down major video upgrades with the iPhone 16. The iPhone 17 Pro makes up for that pause in a big way.
ProRes RAW is a widely used raw video format that, until recently, required an external recorder. Over the past year, more cameras have started supporting internal RAW recording, and now the iPhone has joined that list.
Apple Log 2 and Potential Dynamic Range Gains
Alongside ProRes RAW, Apple has also introduced Apple Log 2.
Apple says this new version offers a wider color gamut, which raises an interesting question about dynamic range. It is unclear whether dynamic range has actually improved, but this is something I will be testing extensively.
If Apple Log 2 delivers even a modest improvement, it could make the iPhone 17 Pro an even more serious option for professional video workflows.
Why Internal RAW Took So Long
There are two main reasons ProRes RAW did not arrive on the iPhone sooner.
First, RED previously held the patent for internal RAW recording and aggressively defended it. Apple even lost a court case over this years ago. In 2024, Nikon acquired RED, and since then, the company appears to be far more flexible with licensing. That shift has opened the door for internal RAW recording across many brands, including Apple.
The second reason is heat and processing power.
ProRes RAW creates extremely large files and generates significant heat. With the iPhone 17 Pro now using a vapor chamber cooling system, Apple finally has the thermal headroom needed to support this feature reliably.
Internal Storage vs External SSD Recording
One big question remains: will ProRes RAW be limited to external SSD recording?
It is possible Apple will allow ProRes RAW recording to external storage using the native Camera app. At the same time, third party apps like Blackmagic Camera may support recording ProRes RAW directly to internal storage.
This could also explain why Apple now offers a 2TB version of the iPhone 17 Pro. Recording 4K ProRes RAW footage fills storage incredibly fast.
More Video Upgrades Are Coming
Beyond these headline features, there are several additional improvements that filmmakers will appreciate. These include new rear camera sensors, improved anti reflective screen coating, and a new telephoto zoom option.
I will be testing all of these features in depth and sharing my full iPhone 17 Pro review from a filmmaker’s perspective very soon.