Although the iPhone takes impressive pictures, its capabilities can be improved with the use of a new device from DxO.
The quality of pictures taken by smartphones has got to the point where there are even international awards for iPhone photo of the year, but now the DxO One offers to boost your iPhone’s photo taking capabilities to a level closer to that of a dedicated DSLR camera.
Smallest 1-inch sensor camera in the world
The tiny device connects to the Lightning connector on the iPhone and iPad, dramatically improving their photo capabilities. The DxO One will sell for the hefty price tag of $599, which may seem like a lot of money to pay for an iPhone accessory, but its makers are marketing the device as a competitor to dedicated, full-size cameras.
DxO One is not dependent on the iPhone for functionality, and can be used on its own. However when coupled to an iPhone, the device transfers the pictures it takes directly to Camera Roll, where users can enjoy the full editing suite before posting them to social media. If your iPhone gets too full, store the images on the DxO One’s own microSD card.
Given the small form factor, it is not surprising that the device does not have an in-built flash. Instead, it uses the iPhone flash to illuminate darker scenes.
Intriguing alternative to existing iPhone add-ons
In order to mitigate the high cost of the product, DxO is bundling its own image processing software with the camera. The software allows you to process RAW files used by DSLR cameras.
As cool as it may be to strap a tiny DSLR device to the top of your iPhone, $600 is quite a lot of money to pay out of simple curiosity. It is difficult to imagine the device selling thousands of units given the fact that for a similar sum consumers can buy a high-quality standalone camera.
That said, commentators are impressed by the quality of the DxO One and its accompanying app, so if you have the money to spend there are worse options if you want to improve the quality of your iPhone pictures.
Launch is predicted for September this year.
