Poll: How often do you use Portrait mode?

Portrait mode! Another polarizing feature that manufacturers seem to boast about all the time. Is it really a game-changer, though? I’m getting ahead of myself. Let’s talk about what Portrait mode is first.

Portrait mode made its debut on the iPhone 7 Plus but since then it has spread like wildfire to flagships and mid-range phones from practically every manufacturer imaginable. Portrait mode uses various techniques to achieve artificial bokeh - the effect where the main subject of a photo is in focus while the background is blurred.

Smartphones with two or more cameras can utilize different focal lengths to create a bokeh effect through depth computation algorithms. There are phones that can produce bokeh with just one lens, though, thanks to the power of AI and machine learning - Google Pixel 2/XL comes to mind.

Anyhow, back on topic. This bokeh effect seems to be desirable, as it makes photos look more professional. It started its life as Portrait mode and some companies still call it that way but people use it in a wide variety of scenarios. Or do they? Do you?