iPhone 13 Pro: ProRes 4K functionality is reserved for the most expensive models

Apple’s iPhone 13 Pro and 13 Pro Max have a new feature called ProRes, which lets you edit your videos as you like. The problem is, this feature is only for Pro models with at least 256 GB of storage.

With the new iPhone 13 Pro and 13 Pro Max that Apple introduced a few days ago, filmmakers will benefit from a highly anticipated new feature: ProRes. ProRes is Apple’s professional video codec used in high-end professional cameras and some editing software, including Final Cut Pro. ProRes is basically the video version of ProRaw.

This technology keeps as much information as possible of the recorded images, so that you can easily rework the videos in post-production. The iPhone 13 Pro and 13 Pro Max will be able to record in ProRes mode up to 4K at 30 frames per second, unless you’re using an iPhone 13 Pro with just 128GB of storage. Indeed, cheaper Pro models are limited to 1080p at 30 frames per second.

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Why has Apple limited the use of 4K with ProRes technology to smartphones with more storage?

Apple could have chosen to limit 4K capture with ProRes to its more expensive models because of the low storage of the basic versions. By keeping all the information, video files are much heavier. In the professional sector, similar files can reach up to 100 GB of storage for just 10 minutes of 4K video. Although we imagine that the iPhone 13 will not capture professional-quality videos to compromise between the quality and the size of the files, these are still likely to be very large.

Using ProRes mode with an iPhone 13 Pro with 128 GB of storage, a user could therefore only record a few tens of minutes of video before filling the space available on his smartphone.

It’s also possible that Apple simply wanted users who want the best features the company can offer. pay an additional hundred euros to acquire the 256 GB version.

At any rate, we would have preferred that Apple left the choice to the users by offering the ProRes functionality on all these models, even if it means that iPhone 13 Pro users with 128 GB of storage can only record a few minutes in this mode. Videographers and photographers who use iPhone 13 Pro with only 128 GB can take comfort in the new Cinematic mode which allows you to shoot real professional quality footage.

Source: Apple