Apple has officially announced that a new camera feature, previously restricted to the latest iPhone models, will be expanded to older devices. The company initially claimed that the feature required the latest Neural Engine and image signal processor for real-time hardware acceleration, making it exclusive to the newest flagship.
The initial restriction faced significant backlash from users of previous Pro-series models, who argued that their devices possessed sufficient processing power to handle the new camera algorithms. Critics suggested that the limitation was a deliberate software restriction intended to drive sales of newer hardware.
Following pressure from the user community and media, Apple re-evaluated its position. The engineering team optimized the algorithm models to reduce peak hardware requirements. Consequently, the feature will be rolled out to more older devices, including the iPhone 17 Pro series and certain standard models, via an upcoming software update.
Industry observers note that this decision reflects Apple's shift in strategy amidst longer smartphone replacement cycles and increased market competition. By restoring features to older hardware, the company aims to maintain brand loyalty and ecosystem stability, mitigating the risk of users switching to competing platforms.
