Apple today uploaded a new video to its YouTube channel that's dedicated to showing off the Depth Control feature available on the iPhone XS, ‌iPhone‌ XS Max, and ‌iPhone‌ XR.

Entitled "The Backdrop," the video features the Depth Control in action on a shot of a woman taken on a busy street with a lot going on in the background.


Depth Control is used to blur the background out, putting the focus on the woman in the picture.

Introduced on Apple's newest iPhones, Depth Control is a Portrait Mode feature. Once you capture a Portrait Mode image, you can use the Depth Control slider to change the amount of blur in the background.

Apple also recently shared a new video on the Smart HDR feature in the new iPhones. Smart HDR is an automatic feature designed to bring out more detail in highlights and lowlights in ‌iPhone‌ photos.


The video was created as a behind-the-scenes look at the techniques used by Jia Zhangke in his recent short film captured to celebrate Chinese New Year.

Top Rated Comments

Hermes Monster Avatar
86 months ago
....why exactly can’t my iPhone X do this but the XR can?
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
alpi123 Avatar
86 months ago
Congrats Apple marketing to the 1% that will habitually use this feature...
I don't know if the percentage is more but I sure enjoy this feature. Though, I mostly prefer the default setting at which the Portrait Mode blurs the background but I like to play with it, it's cool seeing how the bokeh changes. It's certainly great to have. Even if you just want to remove it, because if you want to force the tele camera, you can do in Portrait and just remove the effect. Otherwise the regular photo setting decides if the tele lens should be used.
[doublepost=1549573431][/doublepost]
....why exactly can’t my iPhone X do this but the XR can?
Just download a third party app. Much more control over the bokeh. I mean, total control.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
colmaclean Avatar
86 months ago
....why exactly can’t my iPhone X do this but the XR can?
Because Apple wants you to buy a newer phone.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

AirPods Pro 3 Heart Rate Tracking Feature

AirPods Pro 3 Expected to Launch This Year With Key New Feature

Sunday August 24, 2025 7:16 am PDT by
Bloomberg's Mark Gurman expects Apple to release new AirPods Pro this year, and he said the earbuds will have a key new feature: heart rate monitoring. From his Power On newsletter today, with emphasis added:As for Apple's other devices, there's a lot in the fall pipeline — though many of the new products are only incremental upgrades. There will be Apple Watch updates, faster Vision...
iPhone 17 Pro on Desk Centered 1

iPhone 17 Pro Coming Soon With These 12 New Features

Sunday August 24, 2025 6:00 am PDT by
Apple's iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max should be unveiled in a few more weeks, and there are plenty of rumors about the devices. In his Power On newsletter today, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman corroborated a rumor that iPhone 17 Pro models will be "available in an orange color." Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models: Aluminum frame: iPhone 17 Pro models are...
Alleged iPhone 17 Pro Antenna Design

Two All-New iPhone 17 Colors Seemingly Confirmed

Monday August 25, 2025 4:22 am PDT by
Apple will offer the upcoming iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max in a new orange color, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Gurman made the claim in the latest edition of his Power On newsletter, adding that the new iPhone 17 Air – replacing the iPhone 16 Plus – will come in a new light blue color. We've heard multiple rumors about a new iPhone 17 Pro color being a shade of orange. The ...
iPhone 17 Air Thumb 2 Blue Electric Boogaloo

Apple Has Reportedly Considered Releasing iPhone 17 Air Bumper Case

Sunday August 24, 2025 12:40 pm PDT by
Apple has "considered" releasing a bumper case for the upcoming iPhone 17 Air, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Similar to the bumper case that Apple introduced for the iPhone 4 in 2010, Gurman said the iPhone 17 Air version of the case would cover the edges of the device, but not the back of it. Those bumper cases were made of rubber. Given that the iPhone 17 Air is expected to have ...
awe dropping event

Apple Event Announced for September 9: 'Awe Dropping'

Tuesday August 26, 2025 9:01 am PDT by
Apple will hold its annual iPhone-centric event on Tuesday, September 9 at the Apple Park campus in Cupertino, California, according to an announcement that went out today. The event will start at 10:00 a.m., with select members of the media invited to attend. At the September 2025 iPhone event, Apple will unveil the iPhone 17 lineup, which includes an all-new ultra-thin iPhone 17 Air. It...
Apple Watch Ultra 2 Complications

Apple Watch Ultra 3 Just Weeks Away: Eight Reasons to Upgrade

Wednesday August 20, 2025 6:44 am PDT by
We're only weeks away from Apple's annual iPhone event – rumored to take place on September 9 – and along with the new iPhone 17 series, we're going to get a new version of the Apple Watch Ultra for the first time since 2023. By the time the Ultra 3 is unveiled, it will have been two years since the previous model arrived. The intervening period has left plenty of room for enhancements,...
Awe Dropping Apple Event Feature

Five Things to Expect From Apple's 'Awe Dropping' September 9 Event

Tuesday August 26, 2025 4:17 pm PDT by
Apple today announced its "Awe Dropping" iPhone-centric event, which is set to take place on Tuesday, September 9 at 10:00 a.m. Pacific Time. There are a long list of products that are coming, but we thought we'd pull out five feature highlights to look forward to. That Super Thin iPhone - Apple's September 9 event will see the unveiling of the first redesigned iPhone we've had in years, ...
airpods pro 2 gradient

AirPods Pro 3: Four Key Design Changes Anticipated

Tuesday August 26, 2025 4:05 am PDT by
Apple hasn't updated the AirPods Pro since 2022 other than a shift from Lightning to USB-C, and the earbuds are due for a refresh. According to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, Apple will launch AirPods Pro 3 later this year, and apart from new features like heart rate monitoring, we're also expecting a few design changes. The fourth‑generation AirPods offer useful clues to Apple's design cues for ...