How to Get the Perks of the New iPhone Camera on Your Current Phone
Just a few days ago, Apple announced the latest generation of iPhones: The iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, and iPhone XR. While each one is cool and comes with some new, unique perks, there’s one thing we were most excited to hear about: How good is the new camera?
Here’s everything we know about the new iPhone cameras, and how you can get these features without having to shell out $749–$1,099 for a new device.
Portrait mode is about to get a whole lot better.
Last year, when Apple unveiled the iPhone X and the iPhone 8 Plus, people were excited to learn about a new feature called “portrait mode.” What it does is mimic the actions of the aperture on a DSLR camera, giving that cool, highly sought after, out-of-focus background that lets the subject shine. It also mimics the black-and-white lighting of a portrait studio. Now, the new iPhones are upgrading portrait mode to give better control to the user.
According to Business Insider, the new camera will generate a mask when it detects a person in the frame. That means the phone can now do a significantly better job separating the subject from the background for portrait mode shots.
You can now edit RAW images on the go.
The bane of every professional photographer’s existence has been the phone’s inability to import RAW images. This meant that any images shot in the field couldn’t be downloaded and edited directly on the phone using apps like Lightroom or Snapseed. But now, thanks to the Apple gods, they can.
If a phone has an A9 chip or later, Business Insider shared, you can edit RAW on both the iPhone or iPad. This, Apple says, makes it "easier than ever" to import photos and videos to your device.
The Photos App will now come with suggested edits.
For everyone hoping to up their iPhone photography game, the new iPhone Photo App will be a big help.
In the updated Photo App, users will find several new features, including a “For You” tab, where Apple suggests who to share images with based on facial recognition. It also comes with new "Effect Suggestions." This will show users different suggested effects (such as color alterations, lighting, and contour) to enhance their photographs.
You don’t need to buy the latest gadget to get most of these upgrades.
Yes, the new phones come with all this and more, but as long as you have an iPhone 8 Plus or later, you can simply download the iOS 12 update for free and you should be able to access most of these upgrades. Plus, iOS 12 comes with other perks, like less annoying notifications. After all, you don't need people bothering you from back home while you’re busy perfecting your travel photography skills.
