Halide has received a major new update which brings iPhone 13 Pro’s macro mode to iPhone 8 and later devices. The new version 2.5 update has a new feature called Neural Macro which uses super resolution to upscale images and provides a macro effect on all iPhone models that feature a Neural Engine. The effect is so good that it even improves iPhone 13 Pro’s macro camera by giving it almost microscopic capabilities.
Get macro mode on iPhone 12 and older models with Halide
The developers behind Halide explain the new Neural Macro feature as following:
We trained a neural network to upscale images in a way that produces much sharper, smoother results than what you typically get in an editor. It’s available on all iPhone with a neural engine— anything made in 2017 or later— and it produces full 4k resolution JPEGs at either 2× or 3× magnification.
To use this magnification, users need to tap the AF button and tap on the macro focus flower icon. Users can also tap on the 2x button to get the full resolution photo with the neural magic.
This means that you can take macro photos with iPhones that do not even have an Ultra-Wide lens. Halide checks which lens are available on your iPhone camera and selects the one which will provide the minimum focus distance. The lesser the focus distance, the better it can take the macro photo.
Halide examines your available cameras and switches to whichever one has the shortest minimum focus distance. Then it locks focus at that nearest point. You can tap anywhere on screen to adjust focus; unlike our standard camera mode, we configure the focus system to only search for objects very close to you.
The macro mode in Halide also provides manual adjustment so you can change it to your liking. Focus peaking, which is also available in other camera modes in the app, helps with getting the right focus.
Halide has always supported RAW capture and with the new Neural Macro mode, it continues to ensure that you can capture a photo with unprocessed quality. It also supports RAW+JPG mode so you can get two shots at the same time.
Halide is available as a free trial for 7 days. An annual subscription costs $11.99 per year, while a one-time purchase costs $49.99.
Download Halide from App Store
