Atomos has unveiled the Ninja Phone HDMI input accessory for the Apple iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max smartphones. The device encodes HDMI input videos up to 1080 60P with ProRes HQ/422/LT/Proxy, H.265 10-bit and 8-bit, or H.264 8-bit codecs for storage or live streaming over cellular and Wi-Fi connections by a USB-C connected iPhone. An HDMI audio-in port captures sounds in PCM format at 48 kHz while a USB-C Mic-in port captures at the sampling rate of the connected microphone.

The company is known for making the Ninja, Shogun, and Sumo line of external monitors for professional digital cameras used by filmmakers. These monitors provide directors with a larger display than what is commonly found on DSLRs, have high-brightness typically above 1000 nits for daylight visibility, and can record 4K resolution videos in ProRes and ProRes RAW.

Higher-end digital cameras for filmmaking have evolved quickly to incorporate features previously missing such as RAW video recording at 4K resolution (e.g. Nikon Z9), large monitors, and live streaming (e.g. Blackmagic URSA Cine 12K with dual 5” LCD monitors and live streaming).

The Ninja Phone fills a need in the low to midrange camera market for an external recording monitor that can live stream videos at a lower cost than their all-in-one options by utilizing an iPhone as the display. The use of the OLED iPhone display as the primary monitor for extended shooting outdoors where high display brightness is required will result in faster, permanent OLED burn-in.

Also, the mismatch between the typical 1920 x 1080 resolution video input and the iPhone 15 screen resolutions of 2556 x 1179 (iPhone 15 Pro) or 2796 x 1290 (iPhone 15 Pro Max) means the displayed video is not shown at a 1:1 scale, but instead upscaled. This introduces artifacts and hides details not present in the original video.

The Ninja Phone measures 4.0 x 3.3 x 0.68 inches (98.2 x 85.4 x 17.4 mm) and weighs 3.3 ounces (94 grams). The accessory has a standard ¼” screw mount for mounting on tripods, stabilizers, and handheld grips. The battery-powered accessory uses NP-F550/F750/F970 batteries to power the device and the iPhone during use.

Readers who want to add a larger monitor and live streaming capabilities to their low to midrange cameras can sign up for the $399 Ninja Phone waiting list. Those who simply want a bigger, sunlight-readable external monitor can pick up one on Amazon today.