Devices that support creating 3D photos in iOS 26 primarily include advanced iPhone models with sophisticated camera systems and the necessary hardware to handle the spatial scene and AI processing features of iOS 26. According to sources, the 3D photo creation feature in iOS 26, referred to as "Spatial Scenes," uses generative AI and computational photography to transform normal photos into interactive 3D environments or wallpapers that respond to device movements.
The list of compatible devices is focused on recent iPhone models starting from the iPhone 12 series and newer. Specifically, models such as iPhone 12, iPhone 13, iPhone 14, and the more advanced iPhone 15 Pro series are confirmed to work with the new 3D photo features. The highest level of spatial photo creation, which involves capturing spatial photos directly in the Camera app with the special spatial icon feature, is optimized for very recent iPhones including:
- iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max
- iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro, iPhone 16 Pro Max
- iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, iPhone 17 Pro Max
These latest models are designed to take full advantage of the spatial capture technology, allowing users to shoot photos or videos with depth information that easily convert into interactive 3D spatial scenes.
However, the Spatial Scenes feature that creates 3D photos from any existing picture in the Photos app is supported on iPhone 12 and later. This means users with iPhone 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, and 17 series devices can convert many of their older photos into 3D images using AI-generated depth mapping, even if the original photos were not taken with spatial capture enabled.
The process includes analyzing the photo using multimodal AI algorithms that generate depth maps and separate foreground from background, creating a parallax effect when the device is tilted. This effect simulates looking around the subject in the photo, giving an immersive 3D experience. Users can select photos with a clear distinction between the subject and background for the best results.
For setting these 3D photos as wallpapers on the lock screen or home screen, the feature operates smoothly on iPhone 13 and later due to the performance requirement of rendering spatial wallpapers with real-time depth and motion effects.
To summarize:
- Spatial photo creation with the Camera app (capturing new 3D spatial photos) requires the latest iPhone 15 Pro series and newer models starting from iOS 26.
- The 3D photo effect generated on existing photos (Spatial Scenes) is compatible with iPhone 12 and newer.
- The immersive 3D wallpaper feature functions best on iPhone 13 and later.
Thus, the ecosystem of supported devices for iOS 26 spatial 3D photos spans from iPhone 12 upwards, with the most complete and advanced capabilities reserved for the iPhone 15 Pro series and newer lines such as iPhone 16 and iPhone 17 series.
These features represent Apple's move toward spatial computing by tightly integrating on-device AI, computational photography, and hardware depth sensing to transform how photos are experienced across iPhone devices with iOS 26.