iPhone 6s Live Photos Take Up Double The Space Of Regular Photos

During Apple's reveal of the new iPhone 6s earlier this week, one of the features introduces was the ability to take Live Photos, images that include a few seconds of motion and sound, essentially like a brief video. Of course normal photos can be taken, but Apple describes the new feature as one that can "turn those [moments] into unforgettable living memories." Some new details about the feature have come to light, including the fact that these Live Photos can take up much more space than normal.

Live Photos are activated by a firm press, taking advantage of the new 3D Touch gesture. The technology works by the camera capturing an additional second and a half both before and after the shutter button is pressed, resulting in 3 seconds of consecutive footage. The clip below show the part of Apple's presentation that explains the feature.

Apple is clear to state that what is captured is not technically a video, but rather a series of photos that play out like an animated GIF. Images are still saved in the JPEG format, however it turns out that they are twice the size of standard photos.

While this is certainly better than the space that would be used if they were actually videos, it's still something important to consider for iPhone 6s buyers. The 128GB and 64GB models should have no problem with that much storage, however shutterbug enthusiasts interested in taking advantage of Live Photos should be wary of picking up the 16GB iPhone 6s.

The iPhone 6s now features a 12-megapixel camera on the rear, so standard photos will be taking up more space as it is. Live Photos can only be taken on the new iPhone, but they can still be sent and viewed on existing iPhones, iPads, Macs, and Apple Watches with the latest operating system installed.

VIA MacRumors