HDR photos
Apple's iOS 4.1 update offers new features and bug fixes the iPhone and iPod Touch. It also activates the long-awaited Game Center feature. Follow along in this sideshow for a closer look at the update.
In the camera viewfinder, you'll now see an option for taking HDR photos at the top of the display between the controls for the flash and switching between the front and back lenses.
The default setting is for HDR photos to be on, but you can turn the feature off. The HDR feature is available only on the iPhone 4.
When you take an HDR photo, the camera will take three shots in rapid succession. One image with normal exposure, another will be underexposed, and the third will be overexposed. You'll hear only one shutter sound during the process.
To finish the process, the device will combine the shots into a single HDR photo. As it works, the screen will darken and a progress wheel will appear.
Here are both images. Though many low-end camera photos can struggle with cloudy days--often their images are blown out--the iPhone did a relatively good job of handling it.
The HDR photo (bottom) is noticeably brighter than the normal image. It borders on too bright, but it's a better representation of actual conditions than the normal image.