If you’re strongly tempted by an iPhone 17, but you haven’t yet found the reason to make the jump, then you must not realize how amazing the Center Stage selfie camera is. It’s my favorite feature of Apple’s newest smartphones because it makes video calls so much easier on me, and smoother for the people I talk to.
Even better: the base model iPhone 17 gets this great feature, not only the Pro variants.
Center Stage selfie camera: Standout iPhone 17 feature
I FaceTime with my sister every week, even when we’re not on the same continent. It’s a tradition we’ve kept up for many years, and because it’s a video call, it really feels like we’re spending time together. I don’t get that feeling from standard phone calls.
That makes video quality important. There’s less of a feeling of connection when I can barely see who I’m talking to. Happily, the days of low-resolution, choppy murky video are long over for all of us, but that doesn’t fix everything.
Making a video call the other person will actually want to watch requires holding the iPhone steady and pointed toward your face. If you don’t, either you’re not on camera, or your face is moving around constantly.
Before you say “Well duh, of course,” many of the people I’ve been on Zoom calls with over the years seem unaware of these simple facts. Some of them held their phone so unsteady they could have been in a small boat in the middle of a hurricane. Talking with them certainly made me feel seasick.
This is a problem almost completely solved by the Center Stage selfie camera in the iPhone 17.
Center Stage is simply brilliant
Photo: Apple
Center Stage lets the front-facing camera follow you on a video call, as though the camera were moving on its own.
With the iPhone 17, the days when I had to carefully keep the selfie cam aimed toward my face during FaceTime calls are over. I cook dinner and even walk around on calls. As long as the camera is pointed in my general direction, I’m centered in the video. I can concentrate more on what I’m saying and pay less attention to the mechanics of the call.
Not only am I more relaxed on video calls, I think I’m leaving the people I’m talking to with a better impression of me. That’s critical if you’re dating or interviewing for a job.
The tech behind the feature is simple but genius. The 18MP front-facing camera is actually filming a wide area, but only uses the section with your face in it. You can move around, but your image is kept steady — think of it like a digital Steadicam.
Justifies an iPhone 17 upgrade
The Center Stage selfie cam is enough of an improvement that if you’re on the bubble about getting an iPhone 17, this should push you over into making a purchase. Video calls get easier to make, and you look better to the people you’re talking to. It’s a win-win.
You’ll find Center Stage in all four iPhone 17 variants, including the base model. You don’t need to go “pro” to get it. That’s one of the reasons why I’m such a fan of the base iPhone 17.
Ed Hardy has been writing full-time about tech for 25 years, and using it for much longer than that. His intro to Apple was a Macintosh Classic II (which he still has), but now he uses a 13-inch iPad Pro as his primary computer. He’s written for NotebookReview, TabletPCReview, and Brighthand, as well as other sites.
