Apple rolls out Portrait mode to give SLR effect in pictures

Apple is trying to make the purchase of iPhone 7 Plus worth it for users. The company has rolled out its iOS 10.1 updates with Portrait mode, which lets users blur backgrounds to focus attention on people or the main subject in the picture.

The update which was initially announced in September was made available yesterday. With the new portrait mode, you can click pictures replicating an effect typically limited to larger cameras known as SLRs - Single-lens Reflex Cameras.

Using both 12-megapixel cameras on iPhone 7 Plus and advanced machine learning, Portrait mode applies a depth-of-field effect to make your foreground subject sharp while creating a beautifully blurred background effect called "bokeh". The primary 12-megapixel sensor captures the image as normal, but the second, wide-angle sensor is used to determine how far away the subject is.

Though the feature is still in beta, you can get really awesome pictures without a high-end camera. However, it still has bugs to fix. For e.g, if you are in a well-lit environment with lots of similar colors, you will see edges of the subject also going blurry instead of giving a sharp look.

The company also claims that the update solves a syncing bug that kept iTunes tracks from being stored on the Apple Watch. Apple also says the update "improves Bluetooth connectivity with third-party accessories," which may be an indication that iOS 10.1 fixes an issue with Android Wear that prevented smartwatches from connecting to an iPhone.

Don't have iPhone 7 Plus? Don't worry, use Huawei’s dual-lens P9 phone, it also has a similar feature.