Images: Topaz Labs Topaz Labs, the company behind powerful AI-based photo and video editing tools, has announced that it's moving beyond the desktop for the first time. Its image upscaler and image restoration program, Gigapixel AI, will soon be available on iOS devices.
As of January 22, when the app is expected to be fully available, iPhone users will have new opportunities to upscale and potentially save photos.
Gigapixel is predominantly used for upscaling images, allowing you to significantly enlarge images while preserving detail and quality. It does so by using AI, meaning it's inventing detail as needed and not simply preserving existing details. The mobile app will allow for up to 4x upscaling, according to the app listing, while the desktop version goes beyond that, depending on the original file size. Beyond upscaling, though, it can also be useful for increasing sharpness and enhancing details], restoring old photos, and recovering blurry or out-of-focus photos (within reason, of course).
Given the processing power needed for Gigapixel, it makes sense that it has been a desktop-only application thus far. I’ve been using the desktop version of Gigapixel AI for my upscaling needs (such as creating the larger version of the logo at the top of this story), and it puts quite the strain on my admittedly geriatric MacBook Pro. The description on the app store page says the app will provide “the same cutting-edge AI technology trusted by professionals on desktop, now in your pocket. ” However, the fine print in the emailed announcement mentions “limited capabilities compared to desktop app. ”
The desktop version allows you to work locally or via a server, making it possible to process confidential or protected images without worry. While Topaz Labs doesn't specify how the mobile app will work, the Apple data security notes list "User Content (Photos or Videos)" as "data which may be collected" by the app. That leads us to believe that processing will be via the cloud, not locally on your iPhone.
We haven’t been able to test it, since it’s only available for pre-order at the moment. It will certainly be interesting to see what those limited capabilities actually are, and how it performs compared to the desktop version. The app will be free to download from the App Store, though unsurprisingly, in-app purchases will be available. Topaz Labs didn’t provide any additional information on pricing or what those in-app purchases will be, however. You need a $99 license (which includes one year of unlimited upgrades) to use the desktop version. As a result, it’s hard to imagine the mobile app will allow free unlimited use.
. dpreview.com2025-1-9 21:09
