After months of anticipation, Lux Optics has finally released the latest version of its Halide camera app for iPhone and iPad. The Halide Mark III introduces a new film simulation engine with five unique looks designed to enhance landscape, portrait, cityscape photography, and black-and-white options.

The upgraded photo editor now processes RAW files from other cameras, offering advanced controls such as cropping, aspect ratio, white balance, and a Tone Fusion tool for recovering shadow and highlight details. The app's Photo Lab is described as streamlined yet powerful, with Quick Edit features that allow users to apply Looks, toggle HDR, and adjust exposure.

Halide Mark III is currently available through the App Store for a one-time purchase of £59.99 or as part of a £19.99/year subscription. Existing Halide Mark II users can upgrade free of charge. The app supports iPhones running iOS 18 and later, and iPads with iPadOS 18 or newer.

The integration of RAW processing from popular camera brands suggests that Halide is positioning itself as a serious tool for both amateur and professional photographers. However, the larger screens of Apple tablets might offer an unexpected bonus, providing a more immersive editing experience.

The redesign of the interface aims to make essential controls accessible while keeping advanced options within reach via an iOS three-dot menu. For those who find the changes too drastic, switching back to Halide Mark II is still possible at any time.