Graphic shows how's Apple's group selfies application would work, based on its patent application.
GN40265EN

TECH

Apple toys with group selfies idea

By Ninian Carter

June 9, 2020 - In a move that feels perfect for our times, Apple has been granted a patent that allows a user to invite several friends to take selfies, then combine them into a single composition.

Apple has just won a patent for software that would generate synthetic group selfies which could be a fun way for friends to share moments together even when socially isolated.

The patent, filed on July 11, 2018, but only granted on June 2, 2020, sounds like a perfect fit for Apple's FaceTime video chat application, whereby a user could invite friends to take part in a group selfie. Individuals’ iPhones would then take an image of them, cut them out from the background and combine them and their friends’ images into a single photograph, to look as if they were all together sharing the moment.

The selfie image could then be shared in a way that would allow users to move the subjects around and remake the selfie to their own liking.

The notion of socially-distant selfies seems ideal during a global pandemic that is restricting social gatherings, but when the lockdowns ease and society returns to an albeit new normal, will there still be a demand for it?

As with all patents, there is no guarantee that it will manifest as a real product, but it's easy to imagine it appearing in a future iOS software update. After all, current iPhones already have a feature tucked away in the camera's Portrait setting that allows images of people to be removed from their backgrounds, so technologically, it's not a giant leap.

Sources
PUBLISHED: 09/06/2020; STORY: Graphic News; PICTURES: Unsplash
Advertisement