Apple’s new iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro, and iPhone 11 Pro Max will finally be released this Friday and hundreds of millions of iPhone users around the world… won’t be upgrading. The next-generation iPhone lineup set to be released on September 20th is obviously made up of the best iPhones Apple has ever created. Of that, there is absolutely no question. Apple’s new iPhone 11 and iPhone 11 Pro design is remarkably sleek, with new frosted glass backs that are even more minimalistic now thanks to the removal of the “iPhone” logo. They’re obviously also the most power iPhones to date, with benchmark test scores that are off the charts, once again obliterating rival Android flagships. And then there are the cameras, which finally should put Apple’s iPhones back on par with the best Android-powered camera phones out there. Apple had been a market leader for so long when it came to mobile photography, but then companies like Huawei, Google, and even Samsung pulled out ahead. The new dual-lens camera on the iPhone 11 and triple-lens camera on the iPhone 11 Pro and iPhone 11 Pro Max are expected to match the best cameras available from Apple’s rivals, and we can’t wait to put them to the test.
Millions of people will take delivery of new iPhone 11 models this weekend and tens of millions more will buy them in the coming weeks and months. But far more iPhone users out there will pass on the upgrade. Since iPhones are so powerful and so well-made, users can and do go for years without upgrading because their iPhones continue to work just fine. The new iPhone 11 starts at $700 and the 11 Pro Max costs more than $1,500 if you include tax, and these new models aren’t compelling enough for most people to spend all that money to upgrade when they already have iPhones that work perfectly.
If you count yourself among the people out there who already have an iPhone that you’re perfectly happy with, then good for you. There are plenty of more important things you could be spending that money on. That said, there are some features of newer iPhones that you probably miss if you’re on an older model, especially when it comes to mobile photography.
If you use an iPhone like the iPhone XR, iPhone 8, iPhone 7, or anything older than that, then one of the features you likely wish you had is Portrait Mode. This great feature was first introduced on the iPhone 7 Plus, and it’s available to everyone with an iPhone model that has multiple camera lenses on the back. It creates an effect that blurs the background of a photo so that it looks like it was shot with a DSLR camera instead of a tiny smartphone camera. It’s called a “bokeh” effect, and it really is awesome. And as you might have figured out by now, you don’t need a new iPhone with a multi-lens camera to get it.
We’ve discussed an app called Focos before here on the site, and it remains one of our favorite photography apps for the iPhone. Using this nifty app, you can make adjustments to the color of light, the direction of light, and even the focus of Portrait Mode photos after they’re already been captured. But if you have an older iPhone, then the app’s best feature is a new one that was just added: it can now capture Portrait Mode photos on iPhone models with only one rear camera lens. Here’s a sample from a post on Reddit:
You’ll find the full description from the App Store below followed by a download link, but the bottom line is that this is a must-have app for anyone with an iPhone that has a single-lens camera.
Focos now supports all devices and editing of all pictures.
Focos is a big step into the future of computational photography and light-field camera, bringing DSLR-like photography to your iPhone and iPad Pro, with beautiful bokeh effects usually achievable only with professional large aperture cameras. With the technology of computational photography, you can make unlimited changes to your photos, focus after the fact, change the aperture repeatedly, and add multiple lights in 3D space, exceeding the limits of any editing tools you’ve known before. The creative potential unleashed by Focos is endless.
MAIN FEATURES
– Take photos with shallow depth of field, without manually painting or making selections.
– True 3D imaging.
– Simulate large apertures to create real bokeh effects normally only possible with DSLR cameras and expensive lenses.
– Import all existing photos and customize the bokeh effect.
– With the advanced technology of machine learning, it calculates the depth of field automatically for every photo.
– Re-focus portrait photos that have already been taken, with a simple tap.
– Choose from various simulated aperture diaphragms to generate different bokeh spot effects.
– Professional options to simulate lens characteristics, such as creamy, bilinear, swirly, and reflex effects, and more.
– Visualize the depth of areas within your portrait photos in a 3D view, and intuitively add depth filters.
– Add multiple lights in a 3D space, and adjust the color, brightness and so on for each light.
– Check the portrait picture in the real world with augmented reality technique.
– It is possible to patch the depth map precisely on iPad with Apple Pencil.
– Intuitive and easy to use, with built-in video tutorials.
– An essential tool for all iPhones and iPads.
