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Apple’s new iPhone 6S and 6S Plus are packed with a whole bunch of new features, but here we’re going to take a closer look at Live Photos. Hit play on the video beneath to see the new images in action.
Live Photos is simple — when you take a picture it shoots an extra couple of seconds of video and audio as well. When you look back at the shot in your camera roll and press and hold your finger on it, you’ll see the image come to life, displaying the video that was taken. The extra bit of movement makes the scene much more dynamic and helps add a little context to the scene.
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See Apple’s Live Photos in action on the iPhone 6S Plus
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Imagine taking a photo of your friend on a busy street. With Live Photos, you can press and hold the image and those static cars will spring to life. A shot of that same friend falling down later in the day will be much more hilarious with a couple of seconds of video to remember the moment.
It takes no extra effort to take a Live Photo either. It’s simply a button to highlight at the side of the camera view, right next to the existing HDR button. Just note that each Live Photo takes around double the size of a regular photo. If you plan to use the feature frequently, opt for at least the 64GB model.
Once you’re through you can save a Live Photo as your lock screen. We’re still exploring ways for sharing your clips beyond your phone once you shoot them. Also, while this feature is exclusive to the 6S and 6S Plus members of Apple’s iPhone family, there are alternatives that offer a similar experience on other smartphones.
The camera itself now shoots with 12 megapixels, it can take video in 4K resolution, and the screen can recognise a push as well as a tap or a swipe — think of that like right clicking on a desktop. We’ll be getting to grips with all these new features over the coming few days so make sure to keep your eyes firmly fixed on CNET.
Our London outing with the bold iPhone 6S Plus (pictures)
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