● Covered by 1 source · 1 reportLow impact1 negative
Apple's Cinematic Mode for iPhone 13 appears neglected, unlike improved Portrait Mode
Key points
- Cinematic Mode launched with iPhone 13 in 2021.
- It simulates shallow depth of field for video.
- Portrait Mode has received continuous improvements.
- Cinematic Mode has seen little development since launch.
Cinematic Mode's Introduction
Apple unveiled Cinematic Mode as a major new feature with the iPhone 13 in 2021. This mode functions as a video equivalent to Portrait Mode, enabling users to select a focus point and blur the background in video recordings. Apple heavily promoted the feature at its launch, including a dedicated short film to demonstrate its capabilities.
Contrast with Portrait Mode Development
While Cinematic Mode has seen little to no improvement since its debut, Portrait Mode has undergone significant enhancements across successive iPhone generations. Portrait Mode uses computational photography and the LiDAR sensor to simulate shallow depth of field, initially crude but now highly refined, even supporting night usage. Its current performance is so advanced that distinguishing between real and simulated depth of field on an iPhone screen is challenging.
Perceived Neglect of Cinematic Mode
Despite initial excitement, Apple appears to have lost interest in developing Cinematic Mode further. Its initial release was considered technically impressive but not yet suitable for real-world use, akin to a beta version. The lack of subsequent updates is viewed as a mistake, especially given the continuous progress seen in Portrait Mode.
✨ This summary was generated by AI from the outlets' reporting listed below. It is not independently verified and may contain errors — check the original sources. How BrevFeed works →
The daily brief
One email each morning: the day's tech stories, clustered across outlets and summarized. No account needed.
One email a day. Unsubscribe in one click, any time.
Today's brief
Spend a few minutes, get the whole day. Every topic's top stories in one hands-free rundown — listen, watch, or read the transcript.
▶ Play today's brief
New every morning, and the back catalogue is archived by date.
Reporting from
Apple introduced Cinematic Mode with the iPhone 13 in 2021, a video feature simulating shallow depth of field, but has not significantly improved it since its release. This contrasts with Portrait Mode, which has seen continuous enhancements and now offers realistic computational photography effects. The lack of development for Cinematic Mode is seen as a missed opportunity, as its initial implementation was considered a beta version despite being a headline feature.