Apple's first iOS 10.1 beta enables iPhone 7 Plus bokeh 'Portrait' mode

Promised to arrive later this year, the new "Portrait" mode utilizing the dual-lens design of the iPhone 7 Plus camera is available to test now with the newly released iOS 10.1 beta for developers.

Though it wasn't mentioned in the release notes, "Portrait" is now available to select in the native Camera app on iPhone 7 Plus units running iOS 10.1 beta 1. Initial photos demonstrating the new capabilities were published on Wednesday by TechCrunch.

When shooting photos in "Portrait" mode, users must lock onto their subject to separate it from the background. This simulates what is known as a "bokeh" effect in photography.

Instructions at the bottom of the screen inform the user whether or not there is enough light in their shot, and also whether they are too close or too far from the subject. Photos captured in this mode are labeled with "Depth Effect."

With proprietary range finding technology, the iPhone 7 Plus dual cameras can produce a selectively out-of-focus portrait. While the feature was demonstrated at the iPhone 7 Plus unveiling earlier this month, it did not ship with the device and is set to arrive in the iOS 10.1 software update later this fall.

63 Comments

roake 820 comments · 10 Years

About 8 years ago

I wonder if we will see features like post-photo refocusing, 3D photos (perhaps with parallax effect), etc.

Butidonttweet 22 comments · 8 Years

Not bad. I wasn't sure what to expect, but I was afraid it might not be interesting at all. That is pretty good. It's no portrait lens on a DSLR, but it is pretty amazing. Given that phones and the iPhone in particular are already the most used cameras, I don't see how point and shoot cameras are still being made with photo results like these.

matrix077 868 comments · 9 Years

Woah... how can they mask the subject in real time?

(not only the subject but they have to mask a tree behind them for another layer as well. This is Hollywood)

MacPro 19811 comments · 18 Years

True Bokeh isn't simply a blur.

From Cambridge in Color web site:

"Note that depth of field only sets a maximum value for the circle of confusion, and does not describe what happens to regions once they become out of focus. These regions are also called "bokeh," from Japanese (pronounced bo-ké). Two images with identical depth of field may have significantly different bokeh, as this depends on the shape of the lens diaphragm. In reality, the circle of confusion is usually not actually a circle, but is only approximated as such when it is very small. When it becomes large, most lenses will render it as a polygonal shape with 5-8 sides."

In this picture (small scale) I took with a 100-400 mm Canon L lens note the Bokeh's shapes in the back ground.