Malcolm Owen
Following an earlier confirmation an update to Halide Camera is on the way that allows it to take Portrait mode-style shots on the iPhone XR for subjects other than people, developer Chroma Noir has confirmed it has submitted the update to the App Store for approval.
Chroma Noir previously advised there would be a version 1.11 update for the Halide Camera app, one that would mimic the bokeh depth defocus effect offered by the iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, and other iPhones with a dual lens setup, but using the iPhone XR's single lens.
The iPhone XR does offer the Portrait mode blur with the rear camera, but only for human subjects it can detect. Other items, like animals or objects, are not detected by the iPhone XR's system at the moment, with the blurring algorithms only applied if a person is visible in the shot.
According to the developer, the version 1.11 update submitted to the App Store focuses solely on the iPhone XR, enabling it to perform a Portrait-style blurring effect on any in-focus object's background.
The app accomplishes this by using the iPhone XR's focus pixel disparity map and then running the image through its custom blur. In the app, the "Depth" option can be pressed to enable depth capture, with any photograph taken including a depth map, and if there is enough data to determine the foreground objects and the background, it can apply the bokeh to the background.
While the ability to take the shots this way allows for the blur to be previewed on the iPhone XS version of the app, the iPhone XR will not have a live preview, with the effect only applied after the image is taken.
As the app update has only just been submitted to the App Store, it is unknown exactly when it will be available to download.
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One more reason to upgrade from older phones to XR. Hope similar portrait mode update is done to native XR camera app