iOS 16 Improves iPhone Photos and Videos, but Only Some Models Are Eligible
iOS 16 brings improvements to the iPhone's photography and videography capabilities, but only some of the latest iPhone models are eligible to receive the software upgrade.
The iPhone 13's Cinematic modeThe software update introduces significant
improvements to portrait photos and Cinematic mode. Announced when Apple previewed iOS 16 earlier this year at WWDC, iOS 16 brings improved quality to video recorded with Cinematic mode, making the depth-of-field effect more accurate for profile angles and around the edges of hair and glasses.
Apple is also bringing the ability to blur objects in the foreground of a photo to iOS 16, producing what Apple calls "a more realistic‑looking depth‑of‑field effect."
The updates to portrait photos and Cinematic mode are exclusive to the iPhone 13, iPhone 13 Pro, and iPhone 13 Pro Max, according to Apple. It is not clear if the omission of the iPhone 13 mini is an error or an intentional exclusion.
Cinematic mode was one of the key features Apple touted when it unveiled the iPhone 13 lineup last year, but Portrait mode has been available on almost all iPhone models since the launch of the iPhone 7 Plus in 2016, so it is not clear why only the latest models benefit from the Portrait mode software improvements.
Apple's upcoming iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro models are also likely to support these improvements alongside a range of other camera upgrades. Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo previously said that he believes that the camera quality of the iPhone 14 Pro models will "elevate mobile phone camera photography to a new level."
Popular Stories
Apple is expected to kick off 2025 by launching an all-new smart home hub, also referred to as a "command center," as early as March.
The hub is expected to feature around a six-inch display that can be attached to a tabletop base with a speaker, or mounted on a wall. The device is said to run a new "homeOS" operating system with a customizable widget-focused home screen, and it is expected...
WhatsApp is set to end support for iOS versions older than iOS 15.1 from May next year, removing the chat platform's compatibility with several iPhone models in the process.
From May 5, 2025, WhatsApp will no longer be compatible with iPhone 5s, iPhone 6, and iPhone 6 Plus models. Users with those devices won't be able to access the encrypted chat service after the specified date unless they ...
Apple is set to release iOS 18.2 in early December, bringing the second round of Apple Intelligence features to iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 models. This update brings several major advancements to Apple's AI integration, including completely new image generation tools and a range of Visual Intelligence-based enhancements. There are a handful of new non-AI related feature controls incoming as...
Apple's iPhone development roadmap runs several years into the future and the company is continually working with suppliers on several successive iPhone models simultaneously, which is why we sometimes get rumored feature leaks so far ahead of launch. The iPhone 17 series is no different – already we have some idea of what to expect from Apple's 2025 smartphone lineup.
If you plan to skip...
Despite being released over two years ago, Apple's AirPods Pro 2 continue to dominate the wireless earbud market. However, with the AirPods Pro 3 expected to launch sometime in 2025, anyone thinking of buying Apple's premium earbuds may be wondering if the next generation is worth holding out for.
Apart from their audio and noise-canceling performance, which are generally regarded as...
The foldable smartphone market has stalled with customer interest in foldables waning, but that could change when Apple debuts a foldable iPhone, according to display analyst Ross Young.
In a report on the current foldable smartphone market, Young says that Apple is expected to "enter the foldable market" in the second half of 2026. Apple's "dominant position in flagship smartphones" could...
While the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are not expected to launch for 10 more months, there are already plenty of rumors about the devices.
An imaginative iPhone 17 Pro concept based on rumors
Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models so far:
Aluminum frame: iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have an aluminum frame, whereas the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro ...
