Apple Shares New Ad Highlighting Portrait Lighting on iPhone X

Apple this afternoon shared a new ad designed to show off the Portrait Lighting feature on the iPhone X.

Called "Studio in your pocket," the ad features a woman who pulls out her iPhone X and sees an entire studio's worth of lighting equipment pop up around her.


Portrait Lighting, available on both the front and rear-facing cameras of the iPhone X, is designed to allow you to add studio quality lighting effects to your images, either while taking a shot or during the editing process afterwards.

According to Apple, Portrait Lighting uses sophisticated algorithms to calculate how facial features interact with light, allowing the data to create unique lighting effects like Natural Light, Studio Light (lights up your face), Contour Light (adds dramatic shadows), Stage Light (spotlights your face against a dark background), and Stage Light Mono (Stage Light, but in black and white).

Apple has shared several other iPhone X and iPhone 8 videos showcasing the Portrait Lighting feature, including "Portrait of Her," "A New Light," and a video titled simply "Portrait Lighting" that explains how the feature was developed.

Apple has also shared several tutorial videos designed to each iPhone users how to use Portrait Lighting.

Popular Stories

Apple Shopping Event 2025

Apple Announces 2025 Black Friday Event, Here's What You Can Get

Thursday November 20, 2025 6:28 am PST by
Apple's annual four-day Black Friday through Cyber Monday shopping event is returning on Friday, November 28 through Monday, December 1 in many countries, including the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, the United Kingdom, Belgium, the Netherlands, Sweden, Thailand, and others. During the shopping event, customers can get an Apple gift card with...
iPhone 17 Pro Cosmic Orange

10 Reasons to Wait for Next Year's iPhone 18 Pro

Wednesday November 19, 2025 4:00 am PST by
Apple's iPhone development roadmap runs several years into the future and the company is continually working with suppliers on several successive iPhone models at the same time, which is why we often get rumored features months ahead of launch. The iPhone 18 series is no different, and we already have a good idea of what to expect for the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max. One thing worth...
iOS 26

iOS 26.2 Adds These New Features to Your iPhone

Thursday November 20, 2025 10:50 am PST by
iOS 26.2 is currently in beta testing. The upcoming update includes a handful of new features and changes on the iPhone, including a new Liquid Glass slider for the Lock Screen's clock, offline lyrics for Apple Music, and more. In a recent press release, Apple confirmed that iOS 26.2 will be released to all users in December, but it did not provide a specific release date. Keep reading...
hikawa phone grip stand apple%402x

Apple Launches Second Limited-Edition iPhone Accessory in a Month

Friday November 21, 2025 3:53 am PST by
Apple has begun selling the Hikawa Phone Grip and Stand, a new limited-edition iPhone accessory designed with accessibility in mind. Designed by LA-based Bailey Hikawa to celebrate the 40th anniversary of accessibility at Apple, the grip uses magnets to securely snap onto any iPhone with MagSafe. Apple says it can be removed with ease, and doubles as a stand with two different viewing...
ipad mini 7 feature red and blue

iPad Mini 8: Four Major New Features to Expect

Wednesday November 19, 2025 7:50 am PST by
Apple's eighth-generation iPad mini is highly likely to arrive next year, offering a significant refresh of the device with at least four major new features. OLED Display The next-generation version of the iPad mini could feature an OLED display, as part of Apple's plan to expand the display technology across many more of its devices. Apple's first OLED device was the Apple Watch in 2015, ...
applecare apple care banner

Apple Brings New AppleCare+ Options to India

Tuesday November 18, 2025 8:42 am PST by
Apple today announced an expansion of AppleCare+ coverage in India, with new options for monthly and annual plans, and the addition of Theft and Loss for iPhone for the first time. Options for monthly and annual AppleCare+ plans in India provide more choice and flexibility, allowing users to keep coverage for as long as they require. Apple's vice president of Worldwide iPhone Product...
watchos 26 workout app

Apple Watch Users Claim Workout App Is Now Worse in Every Way

Thursday November 20, 2025 7:01 am PST by
Apple Watch owners have been voicing their frustration online over changes to the Workout app that Apple introduced in watchOS 26, with many finding the redesigned interface makes starting exercises difficult and exasperating. When Apple launched watchOS 26 in September, the Workout app went from large, easily tapped workout tiles to a scrolling, corner-button interface. Instead of tapping a ...
ipad black friday 2025

The Best Early Black Friday iPad Deals

Thursday November 20, 2025 10:20 am PST by
Black Friday is just over a week away, and iPad deals have finally started to flood in at retailers like Amazon and Best Buy. Below we're tracking discounts on every current generation iPad, including lowest-ever prices on M3 iPad Air and M5 iPad Pro, plus steep markdowns on iPad and iPad mini. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a link and make a ...
apple wallet drivers license feature iPhone 15 pro

Two More U.S. States Commit to Offering iPhone Driver's Licenses in Apple Wallet App

Thursday November 20, 2025 8:21 am PST by
In select U.S. states, residents can add their driver's license or state ID to the Apple Wallet app on the iPhone and Apple Watch, and then use it to display proof of identity or age at select airports and businesses, and in select apps. Earlier this week, Illinois became the 13th state in the U.S. to offer the feature. Subsequently, we shared a list of additional states that are committed...
android iphone airdrop quickshare

iPhone Users Can Now AirDrop Files to Android Devices

Thursday November 20, 2025 9:47 am PST by
Google today announced a new cross-platform feature that allows for file sharing between iPhone and Android users. With AirDrop on the iPhone and QuickShare on Pixel 10 devices, there is a new file transfer function available. The file sharing option works on Apple devices that include iPhone, iPad, and Mac, along with the Pixel 10, Pixel 10 Pro, Pixel 10 Pro XL, and Pixel 10 Fold....

Top Rated Comments

TwoBytes Avatar
98 months ago
so this as is promoting 'portrait lighting' - the feature on the iPhone that supposedly does away with the need to be in a studio, but this is filmed in a studio with real portrait lighting? to get these amazing shots?

hmmm...
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
mattopotamus Avatar
98 months ago
I love the portrait mode, but the lightnings just never turn out right when I try the other options.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
RealAppleFan Avatar
98 months ago
That'sOneGreatAd

-TypedFromNewMacbookButSpacebarDoesn'tWorkClassActionPleaseHurry
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
PaulRustad007 Avatar
98 months ago
Hair, frizzy things, fare-skinned people, all of these are problems for Portrait Mode on my X. Complicated backgrounds are out as well.....it just does not do what they advertise it to do. Some settings, it is awesome, others not so much.


This one is good.......

this one is not.....

I love this one.....


So, its an OK feature some of the times.....

Attachment Image

Attachment Image

Attachment Image
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Fender2112 Avatar
98 months ago
Really? Did we really need another article about this?
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
citysnaps Avatar
98 months ago
Wow, so much advertising for a stupid image filter. Really?? Did Apple just invent a filter? LOL!
No.

What Apple did, is create a useful camera mode for people who want to take casual portraits of their friends and family. But don't have the skill and years of experience of a seasoned portraitist, know little about lighting, and lack a set of lights and modifiers.

Some people with a creative spark will understand the above and be happy making portraits. Others not understanding who the feature is intended for, will go out of their way to ridicule and trash Apple because the results won't be up to those produced by Richard Avedon, Sally Mann, and Arnold Newman.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)