Congratulations to the Atomos Ninja Phone, taking home Videomaker’s award for Best Smartphone Accessory of NAB 2024.
What is the Ninja Phone?
The Ninja Phone is a unique accessory that attaches a 10-bit video co-processor to your smartphone or tablet, allowing you to record video feeds over HDMI. Right now, the accessory only pairs with iPhone 15 Pro and 15 Pro Max, taking advantage of the phones’ OLED displays and Apple ProRes recording. Together, the Ninja Phone and iPhone combine to form a professional-grade monitor-recorder.
Though the Ninja Phone only works with the iPhone for now, it supports video recording from any camera with an HDMI output. The Ninja Phone captures 10-bit video in either Apple ProRes or H.265 codecs. Once encoded, the video is sent via USB-C to be decoded by the iPhone A17 system-on-chip and displayed on its high-res screen.
Why iPhone?
Apple iPhone is an obvious partner for the Atomos Ninja Phone. Its OLED screen offers a contrast ratio of 2 million:1 and it supports the major HDR display standards, including Dolby Vision, HDR10 and HLG. Complementing this, the phone can display 11 stops of dynamic range and offers 1600 nits brightness.
To use the Ninja Phone, you’ll need the Ninja Phone iPhone app, available on the App Store. This app controls the coordination between iPhone and the Ninja Phone module. This promises a seamless user experience; Atomos claims there’s zero latency.
Features for content creators
For content creators, the Ninja Phone supports both vertical and horizontal video recording. Video can also be recorded on the iPhone as .mov files for easy editing and sharing. There’s also an option to simultaneously transcode the video to 10-bit H.265. This more efficient codec is great for livestreaming and camera-to-cloud workflows.
Speaking of which, the Atomos Ninja Phone can connect to Atomos’ Cloud Services, allowing for Camera to Cloud workflows, remote live production and live editing. This speeds up production by cinching up the gap between production and post.
Ninja Phone form factor
So as not to completely take over your phone, the 95-gram Ninja Phone also includes a USB-C hub, allowing you to connect additional accessories. It can be powered with standard NP series batteries, a battery eliminator or USB-C. No matter the power source, the Ninja Phone actively charges your iPhone while connected — a nice bonus.
Pricing and availability
The Atomos Ninja Phone is priced at just under $400 and is poised to hit the market in June 2024. Congrats again, Atomos. Learn more at atomos.com
