Not just a crop
Apple announced three new AI features for the Photos app at WWDC 2026: Extend, Clean Up, and Enhance were already previewed or are covered separately. Spatial Reframing is the most technically involved: it uses the device's spatial models to analyze image depth and allows the photo's viewpoint to be changed, not merely its borders extended. This is reported by both 9to5Mac and Tom's Guide in their keynote coverage.
How it works in practice
According to Apple's description, Spatial Reframing combines Clean Up and Extend functionality with a perspective analysis pass. The result is that users can, for example, shift the virtual camera position slightly to correct a slightly off-center composition or to adjust the distance to the main subject. The AI reconstructs missing areas in a way that is coherent with the original scene.
The computational cost
Spatial Reframing requires the device's spatial models, suggesting a non-trivial hardware requirement. Apple has not specified which chips will support the full feature — a detail that will become clearer during the beta cycle. Availability seems likely for iPhone 15 Pro and M-series chips; less so for older models.