Apple’s F1 film featured a custom module built with iPhone components, showcasing the power of iPhone camera sensors and A-series chipsets in action filmmaking. While the iPhone is often hailed as the gold standard for smartphone photography, Apple took it a step further by using specialized technology to film parts of its original F1 movie. This custom solution combined elements of the latest iPhone, including its sensor and A-series SoC, while utilizing the ProRes lossless format for top-tier video quality. 
The iPhone’s renowned camera hardware, such as the sensor-shift optical image stabilization, was used in an unconventional way to create high-quality footage for a high-speed environment like Formula One.
Apple engineers created a device that didn’t look like an iPhone but was made from iPhone parts. The custom camera module was fitted into the car, replacing the car’s onboard cameras. Although the exact specifications of the hardware remain undisclosed, it’s assumed that Apple used the latest iPhone technology, likely the iPhone 16 Pro or Pro Max with the A18 Pro chip. Along with iPhone components, the device was equipped with an iPhone battery and a neutral density filter, which reduced the amount of light entering the lens, providing film editors with greater control over exposure during filming.
Filming F1 cars at high speeds would have been impossible for a regular smartphone due to constant vibrations and intense conditions. To overcome this, the module was engineered to withstand shock, vibrations, and heat, far exceeding Formula One’s expectations. Running on iOS, the module’s camera utilized custom firmware, enabling the recording of Apple’s ProRes codec, which gave the filmmakers more flexibility when color grading the footage.
Apple also faced a unique challenge: the custom module had no radios, so filmmakers had to use a custom iPad app to make real-time adjustments. Through a USB-C connection, the iPad allowed them to adjust settings like framerate, shutter angle, exposure gain, and white balance, and even control recording functions. The result was a seamless integration of iPhone parts into a specialized tool for professional filmmaking, proving that with the right engineering, an iPhone can become a powerful device for ambitious filmmakers.