Apple focused on its cutting-edge hardware for the iPhone 17 launch but also unveiled a couple of groundbreaking AI features. Both could make a big difference in daily use.
While we didn’t hear much about Siri or Apple Intelligence during the 2025 Apple Event that launched new iPhones, AirPods, and Apple Watches, there were two huge AI features announced that have largely slipped under the radar. That’s mostly because they were presented as great new features and didn’t use overhyped AI marketing language.
Nevertheless, I got to demo both features at Apple Park earlier this month and my first impression was that both of them are nearly fully baked and ready to start improving daily life — and those are my favorite kinds of features to talk about.
Here’s what they are:1. A selfie camera that automatically frames the best shot
Apple has implemented a new kind of front-facing camera. This uses a square sensor and increases the resolution of the sensor from 12 megapixels on previous models to 24MP. However, because the sensor is square, it actually outputs 18MP images. The real trick is that it can output in either vertical or horizontal formats.
In fact, you don’t even have to turn the phone to switch between vertical and horizontal mode any more. You can now simply keep the phone in one hand and in the vertical or horizontal position you prefer, you can tap the rotate button and it will flip from vertical to horizontal and vice versa. And because it has an ultrawide sensor with double the megapixels, it can take equally crisp photos in either orientation.
Now, here’s where the AI comes in. You can set the front-facing camera to Auto Zoom and Auto Rotate. Then, it will automatically find faces in your shot and it will widen or tighten the shot and decide whether a vertical or horizontal orientation will work best to fit everyone in the picture. Apple calls this its «Center Stage» feature, which is the same term it uses for centering you in the middle of the screen for a video call on the iPad and the Mac.
