Center Stage: iPhone 17 & iPhone Air make selfies orientation-free

Apple’s latest iPhone 17 and iPhone Air introduce an improved Center Stage experience powered by a square front-facing sensor and machine-learning tracking. The result: the camera can dynamically crop between portrait and landscape framing without forcing you to rotate the phone, keeping high-resolution selfies and 4K video stable and well-centered.

How it works

• Square front-facing sensor enables flexible cropping across orientations without loss of resolution.
• Machine-learning-assisted tracking (Center Stage) detects and follows subjects in real time to keep them centered during video calls and recordings.
• Works alongside iPhone imaging features like HDR, ultra-stabilization, and Apple’s Photonic Engine to improve sharpness and reduce noise.

Why it matters

Center Stage is a good example of AI used to solve a real, everyday UX problem—no gimmicks, just less friction when switching between portrait and landscape selfies. It also signals a potentially healthier direction for handset AI features: practical, user-focused improvements rather than AI for its own sake.

Want to learn more

Official Apple support on Center Stage: https://support.apple.com/en-us/111102

Hands-on and reviews explain the feature in depth (example): T3 hands-on

Looking to buy or compare: Search iPhone 17 on Amazon

Discussion

Will Android makers copy this square-sensor + AI approach? Share your thoughts—are practical AI camera features more valuable than flashy demos?

Source summary compiled from Apple support docs and hands-on coverage.