Personally, anything my iPhone can do to improve my face in selfies I am all for. However, I believe it is beyond the available processing power needed to perform the task. However, some iPhone XS users are complaining that their devices are automatically smoothing their skin in selfies, and they don’t like it.
Reviews suggest that the iPhone XS camera is a significant upgrade on the one in last year’s iPhone X – but some owners are complaining that the front-facing camera comes with one upgrade that is unwanted and can’t be switched off.
The selfie camera is reportedly applying heavy and unrealistic skin smoothing.
One Reddit thread includes a close shot of a user’s face with skin smoothing so severe the shot looks to be taken out of focus.
iPhone XS is applying skin smoothing/beauty filter on the front facing camera without telling you and no way to disable it. This is not acceptable.
It didn’t take long for others to chime in with complaints.
The “filter” looks so **** as well. It’s like really poor photoshopping by someone trying to “airbrush” with no clue about how to subtly touch up a photo. Hint: caucasian skins aren’t dayglo orange.
Mine almost makes me look like I’m a character from the sims.
Other Reddit users compare the effect to a Snapchat filter:
I just got my phone and love it, but when I opened the camera app to the front facing camera, my face looked like it had a Snapchat filter on it. My skin looks too smooth.
I am so frustrated with this camera. I look stupid in snaps. It looks like I’m using an air brush filter. Please find solution to this
Business Insider notes some are referring to the phenomenon as ‘beautygate.’ Lewis Hilsenteger from the Unbox Therapy YouTube channel has even made a video about it (seen below).
9to5Mac reports at least one user has informed them that ‘Apple reached out to me yesterday and are working on this issue actively.’
What’s your opinion, iPhone XS users? Does the face smoothing in your selfies bug you? Or are you happy with anything that smoothes your face out? (I vote for that one). Let us know in the comments section below.