In iOS 14.3, Apple added ProRAW to both iPhones 12 Pro. It’s radical stuff, giving you access to deep data from the iPhone’s cameras, along with the makings of Apple’s special sauce.

In cameras, raw files contain all the raw data from the sensor, the ones and zeros that are later converted into the shapes and colors you see in a JPG. Apple's approach to raw files is, of course, a little different.

It takes that raw data and packs it with all the clever AI processing that makes iPhone photos so good: the 3D portrait models, noise reduction, and so on. But why is that useful to you? Is it good enough for pro photographers? Too complicated for casual shooters? Let’s take a look.

“I think it’s great for making RAW more accessible AND it offers a lot for professionals,” Sebastiaan de With, co-developer of the Halide camera app, told Lifewire via direct message. “But it doesn’t just eliminate or replace regular RAW. It has serious drawbacks due to capture time (slow to capture), process (no way to turn off noise reduction), and file size.”