For nearly a decade, Apple has been telling the world that some of the most compelling footage does not always come from a bulky cinema camera. Sometimes, it comes from a device sitting in a pocket.
Its latest addition to the long-running Shot on iPhone series leans into that idea with K-pop star ROSÉ taking centre stage. Apple has released a new ad film built around the music video for “new trick”, the singer’s first solo release since 2024, which was filmed using the iPhone 18 Pro.
The accompanying Apple video offers viewers a peek behind the curtain, showing snippets from the music video alongside the production setup used to capture it. As with many Shot on iPhone productions, the smartphone is not working alone.
High-end rigs, stabilisation equipment and professional filmmaking tools make an appearance, reinforcing a familiar Apple message that the phone may be small, but the ambitions are not.
According to Apple, the iPhone 18 Pro’s new variable aperture lens on the 48MP main camera played a key role in capturing low-light scenes and creating a more cinematic depth of field for the project.
Directed by Dave Meyers, whose résumé includes collaborations with Kendrick Lamar, Travis Scott and BLACKPINK, the video gives ROSÉ’s music a rougher, pop-punk-inflected visual treatment. The campaign arrives as anticipation builds for her second solo album.
The collaboration also adds another notable chapter to the Shot on iPhone legacy. Since its debut in 2015, the campaign has evolved from billboard photographs taken by everyday users into one of advertising’s most recognisable showcases for mobile creativity.
Over the years, Apple has enlisted filmmakers, photographers, athletes and musicians to demonstrate what its devices can do, often blurring the line between product demonstration and entertainment.
Earlier this year, Apple launched ‘Glad I Met You’, a Shot on iPhonefilm directed by award-winning filmmaker Bai Xue. The 10-minute film tells the story of Lin Wei, a lonely young woman spending the holidays by herself, who discovers a lost ,talking stray dog named Little White.
Music has also become an increasingly important part of this playbook. Previous Shot on iPhone music video collaborations have featured artists such as The Weeknd, Dua Lipa and Olivia Rodrigo. ROSÉ is the freshest face in the lineup.
With more than 81 million followers and a global fanbase that stretches far beyond traditional K-pop audiences, she represents a cultural force as much as a recording artist. Her debut solo album became the highest-charting album by a female K-pop artist, and she was the first female K-pop soloist to break into the Billboard Hot 100’s top 10.
For Apple, that reach matters. Shot on iPhone has always been about proving technical capability, but it is equally about cultural relevance. Pairing a flagship smartphone with one of the world’s most influential K-pop stars turns a camera demonstration into a global pop culture event.