iOS 10 paves the way for advanced mobile photo editing

By Anthony Thurston Published June 15, 2016

Android users have been enjoying raw support for a while now, and as was recently announced, iOS 10 will bring raw image support to the Apple ecosystem as well. This will, among other things, mean that iOS users will be able to enjoy better image quality and more advanced photo manipulation directly on their mobiles — no need to send it to a computer first.

But the iOS update doesn’t just bring raw support to the operating system, it also opens it up for app developers to take advantage of. This means that your favorite photo editing apps will soon be able to support the editing of raw files in the same way that many of them have been able to do on Android for a while now. Some new information about this raw capturing (shooting of raw images) capability was made available yesterday evening:

It won’t just work out of the box with apps; third-party developers will be able to shoot and store raw photos, but they will need to add that functionality into their app on their own.
Shooting RAW and JPEG simultaneously will be possible
Only the iPhone 6S, 6S Plus, SE, and the 9.7” iPad will be able to shoot RAW (for now)
Adobe’s Digital Negative (DNG) file format will be the filetype captured by your iOS device

lightroom mobile — Image used with permission by copyright holder

Moving beyond apps for just editing images shot with your phone, this also paves the way for users to be able to edit raw images taken with their expensive mirrorless and DSLR cameras. Adobe’s Lightroom Mobile has huge potential now on an iPad Pro for example, where users could take advantage of the large screen and pen apparatus to process raw files while lounging on the couch, or enjoying a day in bed.

Recommended Videos

Of course, this update only opens the capability up to app developers, and it will be up to each developer to add the functionality into their app. It’s not hard to imagine that many will jump on this pretty soon after the update is made available, though, so we wouldn’t worry too much about having to wait for this on your favorite apps.

This is of course just one of the many feature improvements coming in iOS 10, and for more information on the update and everything coming in Apple’s next mobile OS update, you can check out our previous coverage here.

Anthony Thurston

Former Contributor

Anthony is an internationally published photographer based in the beautiful Pacific Northwest. Specializing primarily in…

Topics

Photography

I bought Kodak’s viral keychain camera, and the bad photos are part of its charm

The Kodak Charmera is barely a camera, and I still keep using it

Machine, Wheel, Camera

I bought the Kodak Charmera partly because I wanted a portable digital camera, and partly because I wanted a pretty little collectible. The Charmera is sold as a blind box, so you do not know which version you are getting until the box is opened. There are multiple retro Kodak-style designs, plus a transparent secret edition that looks like the one everyone would want.

I had the shopkeeper pick my box for better luck, and it worked out. I got the yellow variant, which is inspired by Kodak's original 80s disposable camera. The transparent one is definitely the fun collector’s piece, but the yellow model feels like the proper Kodak version. It looks like a tiny toy camera that escaped from a souvenir shop, found a keyring, and now hangs around wherever you go.

Photography

This new $30 keychain camera is coming for Kodak Charmera with a flip screen for selfies

Yashica's new camera makes toy photography more fun

YASHICA Funtastic Keychain Camera in multiple variants

Tiny digital cameras are all the rage, and Yashica is now offering a very cute toy photography experience of its own. The company’s new Funtastic Keychain Camera is exactly what the name suggests, a miniature digital camera small enough to clip onto your keys, bag, or lanyard. The popular Kodak Charmera is the obvious comparison, which brings a tiny blind-box keychain camera that became a viral collectible.

Now, Yashica's version lands in the same novelty-camera lane, but adds one very useful trick, which is a 180-degree flip screen.

Photography

Google releases big v4.0 update for its popular Snapseed editing app on Android

Electronics, Phone, Mobile Phone

After years of sitting on its hands, Google appears to have remembered it owns one of the best photo editing apps on mobile. Snapseed 4.0 is now rolling out to Android, bringing the platform up to speed after a stretch of iOS exclusivity that left Android users watching from the sidelines.

The story starts last June, when Google quietly broke Snapseed out of its long dormancy with a significant 3.0 update for iPhone. It was a surprise move that suggested the company was serious about the app again. Google then confirmed at the start of this year that Android wouldn't be left behind for long, and true to that word, the Play Store listing has now been updated to reflect version 4.0 — skipping straight past 3.0 for Android users and landing both platforms on the same version simultaneously.