Halide Mark III Promises the Most Beautiful Photos Possible on iPhone

Halide Mark III is now available, bringing a major refresh to Lux’s well-known photography app for iPhone.

The new version is aimed at iPhone users who want more control over both capture and editing, without relying on the kind of heavy computational image processing that has become common in smartphone photography. Lux describes it as an experience without artificial intelligence, built around a new Looks system designed to deliver the most beautiful photos possible from an iPhone.

This matters because Halide remains one of the most recognizable photography apps in Apple’s ecosystem, and Mark III is much more than a visual redesign. The new release builds on the Process Zero philosophy introduced in 2024, which focused on producing more natural and realistic images, and now expands that idea into a fuller photographic workflow.

The New Looks in Halide Mark III

The most important new feature is Looks, a new system of alternate photographic renderings that works together with the app’s film simulation engine and optional HDR. Lux says the Looks take advantage of the iPhone sensor’s wide color and dynamic range while avoiding an overly processed or artificial result. The company developed them in collaboration with Hollywood colorist Cullen Kelly.

Halide Mark III launches with five Looks. Valencia is aimed mainly at landscapes and urban scenes, offering strong contrast, deep saturation, and clear color separation. Rembrandt is designed for portraits, emphasizing facial structure and lighting. Nova is also suited to landscapes and street scenes, with rich color, tight contrast, and warm highlights. Zephyr promises a subtler, more film-like contrast with a neutral tonal scale for general use. Finally, Chroma Noir is the company’s panchromatic black-and-white option.

A New Photo Lab for Editing

Halide Mark III also introduces a new Photo Lab. When users shoot RAW on iPhone, they gain access to a new Quick Edit section where they can try different Looks, adjust exposure, enable or disable HDR, and apply film simulations. Beyond that, the app includes additional tools such as crop and color balance.

In practical terms, the app is trying to bring the creative stage that usually follows capture into a more central role, without forcing users to leave for another app just to make essential adjustments.

A Redesigned Camera Focused on Composition

The Halide Mark III camera interface has also been redesigned. According to Lux, core tools are now easier to reach without overcrowding the screen with controls. The company places particular emphasis on composition, bringing those tools more prominently into view.

The app supports aspect ratio options inspired by classic photographic formats, including 35mm at 3:2, medium format at 1:1, and panoramic 65:24. There is also a dynamic aspect ratio for Instagram that changes depending on whether the user is shooting horizontally or vertically. At the same time, the new design follows the Liquid Glass aesthetic introduced by Apple in iOS 26, though Lux also allows users to return to the Halide Mark II interface with just a few taps.

It Goes Beyond iPhone Photos

One of the most interesting parts of the announcement is that Lux has extended Photo Lab and Looks to RAW files from dedicated cameras as well. According to the team, while developing the new version it found that in some cases iPhone photos actually looked better than images captured with far more expensive standalone cameras.

For that reason, Halide Mark III can now open and edit RAW files from Canon, Sony, Nikon, Leica, Fujifilm, and Hasselblad. This support remains technically in beta, but it clearly shows that the app wants to move beyond the limits of being just another iPhone camera app.

Pricing and Availability

Halide Mark III is already available through the App Store. For users who purchased Halide Mark II or are already subscribers, the upgrade is free. New users can get it either through a $59.99 lifetime license or a $19.99 annual subscription. In both cases, future Looks created by Lux are included. You will find it here.

What We Think

Halide Mark III shows that the battle in mobile photography is no longer fought only on hardware, but increasingly on image philosophy and rendering choices. Lux is betting on a more photographic result, with less automated intervention and more creative control. For users who treat the iPhone as a serious imaging tool, this looks like one of the most meaningful app upgrades to arrive in quite some time.