Microsoft released an app that enhances the iPhone's camera called Pix. The app is packed with computing smarts, combining some advanced technologies.
Pix enhances the iPhone's camera using video stabilization, computational photography and artificial intelligence. It is designed to improve photos and videos without doing any work, unlike the other apps like Photoshop with tons of options to consider.
When shooting a photo using Pix, the app actually takes 10 photos is just half a second and then shows the photo it believes is best. If there are some visible changes the app will show two to three more photos, CNET reported.
A test showed that people often miss a moment when shooting photos, so Microsoft designed Pix to take and keep seven photos even before the user tap the shutter and takes another three after. Before discarding most of the shots, Pix uses them first to enhance the photo.
While geared towards taking photos, Pix can also take good videos. It can create a smooth fast-forward version of videos using Microsoft's Hyperlapse app for Android. It also has the ability to create "cinemagraphs" by combining the images into distinctive shots where some parts of the image is still while other parts are moving.
Josh Weisberg, principal program manager in Microsoft Research's Computational Photography Group said that Apple is well known in terms of photography. However, the company believed that the app could help iPhone take better pictures. He also said that an Android version of Pix is on its way.
Microsoft said that it takes up to three seconds for a photo to appear after it was taken. The Apple Insider put the app on test using an iPhone SE and iPhone 6s plus on tons of subjects and showed 1.5 second delay with a dynamic subject.
Microsoft Pix is now available on the iOS App Store and requires at least iOS 9, iPhone 5 or better. It also requires the sixth generation iPod Touch, iPad mini 2, iPad air, or latest. It needs at least 149 MB for storage. The app will request to access the user's photo library, camera and location information.
Here's a quick preview of the Microsoft Pix: