Roger Fingas
Hammering home a common marketing point, Apple on Monday released a new commercial, "The City," demonstrating the Portrait Mode available on the iPhone 7 Plus.
The commercial depicts a couple roaming through Shanghai, enjoying various activities together and snapping photos. A key conceit is that by using Portrait Mode, iPhone owners can make literally make everyone else disappear.
Apple has run a number of ads promoting the 7 Plus camera. Unlike the regular iPhone 7, the Plus model uses twin lenses, which in combination with software processing can be used to artificially blur backgrounds, simulating the bokeh of a professional DSLR. Outside of Portrait shooting, the second lens enables 2x optical zoom.
The phone's camera is likely why the 7 Plus has proven more popular than previous Plus devices. With the 6 Plus and 6s Plus, the only core advantages were a bigger, 5.5-inch screen and optical image stabilization. The iPhone 7 and 7 Plus share the same stabilization technology.
The "iPhone 8," expected to launch later this year, may feature a vertically-aligned dual-lens camera. Other features could include a 5.8-inch OLED display, wireless charging, and/or advanced biometrics such as 3D facial recognition.
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5 Comments
I think its time the Camera app stopped automatically saving both version in Portrait mode, or at least give the option not to save the non-enhanced version.
Its proven that it works as most expect at the moment, and if I use it, its precisely because I want that effect, not an infinite depth version.
I can't be certain, but this feature seems to have become better since it first launched. It seems reasonable to assume they've worked on the algorithms to create the effect, but it seems much improved.
Also, when I use that function for several minutes I can feel my phone get hot so I assume that requires a lot of additional processing. I should check how much the battery life drops within a given timeframe.
That Karen O song is pretty dope...
I won't restart the artificial background blur versus bokeh discussion again, it's been done to death. However, with the radical advances in miniature lens technology not to mention multiple lens technology allowing for post editing of focal points, depth of field and even angle of view, I assume it won't be long before iPhones truly can create a bokeh by adding a digital shutter blade simulation. We already have digital filters to add grain to pristine digital video for those that miss the limitations of celluloid and silver halides. OK I'm being tongue in cheek here ;)
But I would like to see iOS add a warning that pops up when you shoot video on portrait mode saying ... "Really?". That or Apple should corner the market on vertical TVs. ;)