Halide is a great iPhone photography app. Apple has just updated their app with a new macro feature. This will perfectly complement the new macro mode Apple introduced with the iPhone 13 Pro models.
The Halides 2.5 update does more than add support for Apple's iPhone 13 Pros macro feature. The update adds a macro mode to older iPhones that uses Apple's Neural Engine for AI based detail enhancement. This allows you to extract more detail from the close-up shot even when you crop in.
Official macro mode for the iPhone 13 Pro Max and iPhone 13 Pro Max utilizes the new ultra-wide lens Apple offers on its premium models. This lens, unlike the standard ultra-wide lens on older iPhones or iPhone 13 models, adds an auto-focus mode to allow for ultra-close-up photography.
Halide mimics that effect in two ways. First, it determines which camera lens can focus closest to your device. Second, the app provides sub-millimeter focus control for the best shot. It then uses the Neural Macro feature to enhance the image. This allows for sharp photos, even when cropped by 2x or 3.
Although it's not as great as the iPhone 13 Pro but it's still a fun tool.
You will first need to upgrade your Halide 2.5 version from the App Store to enable Macro Mode. To enable Macro Mode, tap the AF button. This will open the manual focus menu.
The beta version of the update was available to me on my iPhone 12 Pro. I found the results quite impressive. Although it is not yet up to the iPhone 13 Pro's macro capabilities, there are still limitations to what the older hardware can do. It is still a great tool for playing around with and better than just holding your phone near your subject. Halide claims that the Macro Mode on the iPhone 13 Pro enhances this feature to take better macro shots.
The Macro Mode update works with any iPhone equipped with Apple's Neural Engine. This includes all previous iPhones and the iPhone 8. Halide can be downloaded from the App Store for free with a seven day free trial. Subscriptions are available for $2.99 per month, $11.99 per Year or a flat $ 49.99 per lifetime price.
