Apple launched the iOS 14.3 update earlier on Monday, with the launch of Apple Fitness Plus making the headlines. However, there’s also a massive boost for the iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max.
The update brings the promised ProRAW capabilities for Apple’s Pro handsets first announced in October. ProRAW is a format that gives serious photographers a little more flexibility when it comes to editing the image.
Related: Best iPhone 2020
Plenty of iPhones already have the capacity to capture RAW images, which means uncompressed and lossless, meaning everything you’re seeing comes directly from the sensor without any interference.
ProRAW, which arrives on those two iPhone models today, offers the same flexibility when it comes to editing as RAW photography, but it also uses some image processing. You’ll get Apple’s Smart HDR and Deep Fusion tech, for instance.
In essence, this means that photographers won’t have to sacrifice image quality in order to benefit from the computational processing that comes with the standard JPG and HEIC file formats. Here’s a good primer explaining the differences between RAW and ProRAW from the YouTuber Josh Stunell:
Naturally, Apple has this setting turned off by default, partially because each file is a whopping 25MB in size. That’s about ten times the size of a standard HEIC image.
However, once iOS 14.3 has been installed on the iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max, it’s possible to turn ProRAW on. Just head to Settings > Camera > Formats and toggle the switch to enable Apple ProRAW.
Of the two Pro models, the iPhone 12 Pro Max has a slightly better camera, offering users a slightly more zoomed-in telephoto camera, The main 12-megapixel sensor is far larger, quicker and more successful in lower-light conditions.
Have you upgraded to the iPhone 12 Pro or iPhone 12 Pro Max yet? How are you finding the camera experience so far? Let us know @trustedreviews on Twitter.
Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
