iPhone 13 Pro models feature an upgraded Ultra Wide camera with autofocus that enables macro photography, allowing users to take close-up photos of flowers, insects, and other objects that are as close as 2cm to the camera lens.
Apple's Macro Mode is limited to iPhone 13 Pro models, but those with older iPhones can now get in on the action, as Halide today announced that it has updated its popular third-party camera app with its own Macro Mode, with no accessories required. The feature is available on all iPhones with a Neural Engine, including the iPhone 8 and newer.
Halide said its Macro Mode first checks which one of your iPhone's camera lenses can focus the closest and switches to it. Then, the feature provides ultra-precise focus control down to the sub-millimeter to ensure the photo looks sharp. Finally, an AI-based feature called Neural Macro further enhances close-up details of the photo once shot.
Halide's sample photo shot with its Macro Mode on iPhone 12 Pro
If you already have an iPhone 13 Pro model, Halide said its Macro Mode essentially stacks on top of Apple's Macro Mode, resulting in "staggeringly close, microscope-like shots that are even more highly magnified."
To turn on Macro Mode in the Halide app, first tap the AF button to get into manual focus, and then tap the flower button. The feature is available as a free update for all existing users, with version 2.5 of the app rolling out on the App Store today. For new users, the Halide app is priced at $2.99 per month or $11.99 per year, or $49.99 as a one-time purchase.
Monday December 22, 2025 11:30 am PST by Juli Clover
Apple hasn't updated the Apple TV 4K since 2022, and 2025 was supposed to be the year that we got a refresh. There were rumors suggesting Apple would release the new Apple TV before the end of 2025, but it looks like that's not going to happen now.
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Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said several times across 2024 and 2025 that Apple would...
Tuesday December 23, 2025 8:36 am PST by Joe Rossignol
While the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max are not expected to launch for another nine months, there are already plenty of rumors about the devices.
Below, we have recapped 12 features rumored for the iPhone 18 Pro models.
The same overall design is expected, with 6.3-inch and 6.9-inch display sizes, and a "plateau" housing three rear cameras
Under-screen Face ID
Front camera in...
Monday December 22, 2025 8:47 am PST by Joe Rossignol
Earlier this month, Apple released iOS 26.2, following more than a month of beta testing. It is a big update, with many new features and changes for iPhones.
iOS 26.2 adds a Liquid Glass slider for the Lock Screen's clock, offline lyrics in Apple Music, and more. Below, we have highlighted a total of eight new features.
Liquid Glass Slider on Lock Screen
A new slider in the Lock...
Monday December 22, 2025 3:20 pm PST by Juli Clover
The European Commission today praised the interoperability changes that Apple is introducing in iOS 26.3, once again crediting the Digital Markets Act (DMA) with bringing "new opportunities" to European users and developers.
The Digital Markets Act requires Apple to provide third-party accessories with the same capabilities and access to device features that Apple's own products get. In iOS...
You'd think things would be slowing down heading into the holidays, but this week saw a whirlwind of Apple leaks and rumors while Apple started its next cycle of betas following last week's release of iOS 26.2 and related updates.
This week also saw the release of a new Apple Music integration with ChatGPT, so read on below for all the details on this week's biggest stories!
Top Stories
i...
Tuesday December 16, 2025 8:44 am PST by Joe Rossignol
Next year's iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max will be equipped with under-screen Face ID, and the front camera will be moved to the top-left corner of the screen, according to a new report from The Information's Wayne Ma and Qianer Liu.
As a result of these changes, the report said the iPhone 18 Pro models will not have a pill-shaped Dynamic Island cutout at the top of the screen....
Tuesday December 23, 2025 5:21 am PST by Tim Hardwick
Apple's first foldable iPhone, rumored for release next year, may turn out to be smaller than most people imagine, if a recent report is anything to go by. According to The Information, the outer display on the book-style device will measure just 5.3 inches – that's smaller than the 5.4-inch screen on the iPhone mini, a line Apple discontinued in 2022 due to poor sales. The report has led ...
Apple is significantly increasing its reliance on Samsung for iPhone memory as component prices surge, according to The Korea Economic Daily.
Apple is said to be expanding the share of iPhone memory it sources from Samsung due to rapidly rising memory prices. The shift is expected to result in Samsung supplying roughly 60% to 70% of the low-power DRAM used in the iPhone 17, compared with a...
Monday December 22, 2025 4:12 pm PST by Juli Clover
OpenAI added a year-end summary feature to ChatGPT, allowing users to get a personalized overview of their 2025 ChatGPT usage. The summary is similar to year-end wrap-ups from companies like Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube, and other services.
ChatGPT offers up an overview of themes discussed and chat stats, such as busiest chatting day, number of overall chats, messages sent, and more....
Was tempted, but not anymore. If you don't like subscriptions as they mention, you can also buy the app for $50. I completely understand that they want to make money, but that is a pretty steep price. Maybe worth it for some, but not for me.
