Apple released the first iOS 15.1 beta just one day after rolling out iOS 15 to the public. Looking at the number of bugs that iPhone users have since encountered in iOS 15, it’s clear why this was necessary. But beyond fixing the many problems it introduced, Apple is also prepping a number of new features for iOS 15.1. In the latest beta, Apple gave the iPhone 13 Pro camera an upgrade.
iOS 15.1 beta 3 adds ProRes video capture
Shortly after iOS 15.1 beta 3 arrived earlier this week, 9to5Mac reported on the changes. First, iOS 15.1 beta 3 adds ProRes video capture support to the Camera app on the iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max. In order to enable ProRes, go to Settings > Camera > Formats.
After enabling “Apple ProRes” in the Settings menu, you will now see ProRes controls in the Camera app on iPhone 13 Pro and Pro Max. Apple says “ProRes is one of the most popular formats for video professional post-production.” In other words, ProRes videos look really nice. Apple also notes that just one minute of 10-bit HDR ProRes video takes up around 1.7GB in HD and 6GB in 4K.
Once you open the Camera app, switch to Video mode and tap the ProRes button near the top of the app. You will then see the “Max Time” indicator which lets you know how long you can film until your storage fills up. It will adjust depending on the resolution and frame rate.
Other new camera features in iOS 15.1 beta 3
ProRes video is exciting, but it’s not the only new camera trick for Pro models coming in iOS 15.1. In iOS 15, the camera on iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max devices automatically switches to macro mode if you get too close to an object. Currently, there’s actually no way to stop this from happening. Thankfully, Apple seems to have heard our complaints. In iOS 15.1 beta 3, Apple added a new setting to disable this functionality. If you head to Settings > Camera on an iPhone 13 Pro or Pro Max, you should see a new Auto Macro toggle at the bottom of the page.
If you disable the feature, your phone will no longer automatically switch to the Ultra Wide camera to capture macro videos and photos. This should cause fewer headaches.
It’s worth noting that appearing in a beta release does not guarantee a new feature’s inclusion in the final launch. That said, iOS 15.1 is certainly shaping up to be a significant release for iPhone. Between the bugs that need fixing and the features that need to be added, iOS 15.1 will have plenty of early adopters when it rolls out. The question now is how long we’ll have to wait.
