By Rob Waugh Tech Correspondent for Dailymail.Com 21:42 16 Feb 2023, updated 21:53 16 Feb 2023
Android phones have been catching up with the iPhone in terms of popularity for years – but Android’s powerful cameras could see iOS users making the switch.
Samsung S23 allows users to capture high-resolution images of the moon at 100x magnification, while the Google Pixel 7 removes photobombers in selfies.
iOS and Google devices have the same number of cameras, but Androids were early adopters of higher-resolution sensors and lenses that offer zoom than their rivals.
DailyMail.com has rounded up some of the craziest hidden features in the latest phones from Google and Samsung – and compared them to Apple to help you decide which is best.
The latest Samsung S23 allows users to capture high-resolution images of the moon at 100x magnification
Samsung S23: Take a clear photo of the moon and take another one by saying “cheese”.
Would you like to take a 100x magnified picture of the moon? Samsung has your back with a feature that made tech entrepreneur Elon Musk go “wow.”
The feature, highlighted by Twitter user and web producer Marquis Brownlees, uses multiple shots to add detail to the image.
Some have claimed that Samsung’s AI adds more detail to the photo that isn’t there, but Samsung has stated in the past that the camera system uses multiple frames to create the “zoom-in” effect.
With Samsung’s Expert RAW application, you can access astrophotography and astrohyperlapse for the best night sky photography.
Astrophotography mode uses advanced AI segmentation and multi-frame processing to get the best results from the night sky.
The mode includes a sky guide that points out constellations and nebulae.
Samsung phones also let you trigger the camera with your voice – which is helpful for taking group shots.
Open the Camera app, tap “Settings” and select “Capture methods”.
This lets you take pictures by saying “smile,” “cheese,” “capture,” or “shoot,” and it works with either the front or rear cameras.
The feature, highlighted by Twitter user and web producer Marquis Brownlees, uses multiple shots to add detail to the image. Samsung released its new Galaxy S23 this month, which not only lets you zoom in on the moon but also has voice control for taking pictures – all you have to say is ‘cheese’
Google Pixel 7: Remove photo bombers from your selfies
Google’s Pixel phones have a feature called “Magic Eraser” that automatically highlights people in the background so you can erase them from your shots.
Just tap on any photo in your library (it only works on pics taken with a pixel) and an option to remove people in the background using the magic eraser icon will be offered.
(If it’s not, tap Edit, then tap Magic Eraser.)
The app automatically highlights people with a white outline, and you can tap to remove them — but it’s not always perfect.
For example, if you’re recording someone on a bike, the system tends to crop out the person but leave a spooky bike behind.
There is also a “camouflage” option where you manually cover people with the background.
Google Pixel: Automatically detect plants or animals and enable stealth mode
Google’s Magic Eraser lets you remove people from your camera roll. The Google Pixel 7 lets users eliminate other people – but it’s not yet capable of removing objects. Google’s lens feature allows you to identify animals and plants by taking a photo and searching the system. You can use the Google Pixel to hide photos from prying eyes. The base model, the Pixel 7, has a polished aluminum frame and a camera bar on the back that houses two rear cameras
Google’s Lens app isn’t something the tech giant typically yells about, but it does have some seriously insane features.
You can photograph animals and plants and Google’s AI will recognize them from your picture.
DailyMail.com tested this with a small brown bird, correctly identified as a guinea fowl, and if you focus on leaves or flowers it’s pretty good at identifying plants too.
The app can also convert any text – a poster, a letter, a menu – into machine-readable text.
To access Lens, go to Modes in your Pixel’s camera and turn it on.
Google has your back when you have some photos you don’t want to share with the world.
Hold your finger on the screen to take a photo directly to a locked folder on your phone that cannot be opened without biometric authentication or a password.
A lock icon will appear and your next photo will be moved to the locked folder.
On the Pixel 7 or Pixel 7 Pro, you can choose where your photos go by long-pressing the icon in the bottom right, which shows the last picture taken.
iPhone 14: Capture cinematic action shots while you move
iPhone 14’s Action mode lets you take pictures while you’re moving, creating a cinematic gimbal effect. The device also offers “Bounce” which allows you to create animated loops on the iPhone. Apple made it so that the iPhone 14’s cinema mode can now record in 4K and at 24 frames per second
The new iPhone 14 lets you capture footage similar to movies, using a “gimbal” for a moving camera effect.
The action mode of the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro models allows you to record smooth videos handheld even when there is a lot of movement – with built-in stabilization.
To activate it, open the camera app and swipe to video mode. Tap the Action Mode icon to turn it on, then tap the shutter button to record your video.
Samsung’s latest smartphones offer the ability to record in 8K – a resolution that is 16 times sharper than Full HD.
Not only that, it’s four times sharper than Ultra HD – four times sharper than almost any TV you can buy.
So what’s the point? If you’re shooting in 8K (refers to nearly eight thousand pixels (7,680 x 4,320) horizontally), it gives you, as a filmmaker, the ability to pan and crop more easily because you have “free” pixels on screen.
Record Video While Taking Photos (iPhone 14)
With QuickTake Videos on iPhone 14, you can record videos without leaving photo mode
With the latest iOS update, you can quickly record videos without exiting photo mode.
It works on devices like iPhone XS, iPhone XR and later
READ MORE: Apple released an iOS 16 update to fix the iPhone 14 Pro bug that caused the camera to shake when taking photos or videos in TikTok
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Press and hold the shutter button and the camera will start recording a QuickTake video.
Release the button to stop recording or slide to the right to lock for longer recording.
Create Animated Loops (iPhone 14)
Apple’s Live Photos records what happens 1.5 seconds before and after the shot is taken – this is ideal for capturing reluctant or fast-moving subjects.
Live Photos is on by default (you can tell by the circular icon in the top right).
You can also turn photos into a video loop – or a “bounce” effect where it plays backwards.
You can also enable a long exposure effect (similar to a DSLR camera) where fireworks become streaks in the sky.
To choose your effect, just tap the Live Photo icon and choose Loop, Bounce, or Long Exposure.
iPhone: Hide photos on smartphone
There are many reasons you might want to hide a photo on an iPhone – from buying a gift for a partner to hiding pictures from young children.
iPhone not only lets you hide photos, but also the folder where you hide them.
Open “Photos”, tap on the photo you want to hide, then on the three dots and “Hide” and choose “Hide Photo”.
To hide the entire folder, go to Photos and turn off “Show hidden album”.
