Photographers gain a dramatic RAW exchange with iOS 27

William Gallagher Thu Jun 11 2026, 07:56 AM EDT · 1 minute be taught Apple has upgraded its RAW processing for photographers. Apple has told builders that iOS 27, iPadOS 27, and macOS Golden Gate feature revised RAW image processing, which they can exploit to bring better sharpness and colour in digicam and image bettering apps. In belief, RAW pictures are ones the put there hasn’t been any of the agree with of processing that JPEG or PNG ones elevate out. But in put together, Apple takes the RAW sensor facts and does some processing to agree with it viewable. Now in a single among WWDC’s developer classes, the firm has published a total exchange to this RAW processing. The fresh model 9 of its Core Image RAW improves denoising, colour correction, and extra, across the iPhone, iPad, and Mac. Within the 16-minute developer briefing, David Hayward, Apple Core Image Engineer, explains that here is never any longer something that users will watch in the regular Photos app. As any other, it’s supposed for builders to adopt for third-occasion digicam apps akin to Halide, or image editors akin to Apple’s Pixelmator Pro. Or no longer it could per chance well be no longer connected to the fresh Apple Intelligence characterize aspects, akin to extending or reframing pictures. Whereas Apple has on a regular basis improved RAW processing, Hayward known as this the ideal exchange yet. He says that this “dramatically improves the rendering of Raw Recordsdata.” It makes exercise of Machine Learning, and “the mannequin is bustle on scheme utilizing the Apple neural engine cores for optimum performance,” he persevered. Left: how Apple’s RAW processing regarded. Correct: the fresh, improved model – image credit: AppleIn the video, Hayward demonstrates pictures that proved problematic for the outdated RAW 8 model, akin to ones with excessive or low noise. More detail is now as it could per chance well be confirmed, and colors are claimed to be extra ravishing and neatly-outlined. Apple’s instance of improved detail in the fresh RAW processing – image credit: AppleMost of the video is ready explicit considerations for builders gaining access to the fresh model. This also can hold some time for the fresh RAW 9 to be part of third-occasion apps. RAW 9 is the predominant predominant exchange since RAW 8, which became launched in 2017. Neither model might per chance perchance maintain to be careworn with the separate ProRAW which Apple launched in 2020.