Apple's iOS 27 developer beta has arrived, and among the many changes, the Photos app stands out with a significant update. The new Extend feature, powered by Apple Intelligence, aims to expand images beyond their original frames using generative AI. As someone who has spent a considerable amount of time testing this tool on an iPhone 17 Pro Max, I can confidently say it exceeds expectations in many scenarios, though it still has room for improvement.

What is the Extend feature?

The Extend tool is Apple's answer to Google's Magic Editor and Samsung's Galaxy AI photo expansion. It allows users to pinch-zoom out in the Photos app, then automatically generate content to fill the new canvas. The feature is deeply integrated into the Crop tool, making it feel intuitive for anyone familiar with basic photo editing. To access it, open a photo, tap the three-dot menu, select Tools, and choose Extend. Alternatively, enter Crop mode, adjust the frame, and the Extend option appears at the bottom. The AI takes about 10 to 15 seconds to process, depending on the image complexity and internet connection speed.

How we tested

Our reviewer tested Extend on a variety of images: a selfie in front of a dam in northern India, food photos on a table, portraits, landscapes, and indoor shots. Each test evaluated the AI's ability to plausibly expand backgrounds, recreate textures, and maintain subject consistency. We also compared results with and without human subjects in the expansion area.

Strengths: Where Extend shines

In several cases, Extend produced remarkably realistic results. For example, a portrait taken with a Nikon mirrorless camera showed convincing expansion of shrubs and background foliage, fooling even the subject. Another image of a birthday party with a friend featured an expanded mirror reflection and added background details that blended seamlessly with the shallow depth of field. The tool excelled when the original photo had simple, uniform textures like water, sky, or grass.

One of the best examples involved a landscape with a water bed, mountains, and a canopy stand. The AI filled in the water texture to the left and replicated mountain shapes accurately. It also added a car on the right, which was not present originally, but the addition looked natural enough for a social media post. Similarly, a photo of a room interior with gift boxes and wall hangings was expanded convincingly, with the AI even simulating a fisheye lens effect by curving the ceiling slightly.

Weaknesses: AI artifacts and limitations

Not all results were perfect. When expanding complex scenes with multiple objects, Extend sometimes produced blurry or “dreamy” areas, especially at the top of the frame. Tables and chairs lost sharpness, and generated objects like plates or bags had slightly off colors. In a test with a mango pastry, the AI created multiple versions of the plate and added a person in the background that never existed — these were easy to spot for a trained eye.

Another photo expanded from all sides showed weird shrub shapes, goofy flowers, and unnatural leaf additions. Three out of four friends correctly identified the image as AI-generated. The tool also refused to expand in certain directions when human subjects were present, which may be an intentional privacy safeguard. Additionally, Extend requires an active internet connection and struggles on low-speed networks.

Comparison to competitors

Apple's approach is similar to Google's Magic Editor on Pixel devices and Samsung's Galaxy AI, but with tighter integration into the existing Photos app workflow. In our tests, Extend often generated more coherent backgrounds than Samsung's early attempts, but Google's tool still has an edge in handling complex edges and reflections. However, Apple's advantage lies in its seamless integration with the Crop tool, making it easier for casual users to discover and use.

Tips for best results

Based on our testing, here are a few tips to get the most out of Extend:

• Choose photos with simple, uniform backgrounds (sky, grass, water) for best results.
• Avoid photos with lots of small details or human subjects near the edges.
• Use a slow, precise pinch gesture to control how much the AI expands.
• If the result looks unnatural, try undoing and adjusting the frame slightly.
• Remember that all edited photos get an Apple Intelligence tag in the metadata, so they are identifiable.

Performance and processing

Processing time varied from 8 to 20 seconds depending on image size and complexity. The feature uses on-device and cloud-based AI, consistent with Apple's privacy-focused approach. During testing, we observed that larger expansions took longer, and occasionally the phone would throw an error if the internet connection dropped. The feature also requires a device with an A17 Pro or newer chip, meaning only iPhone 15 Pro and later models (including iPhone 17) support it.

Final observations

Overall, Extend is a welcome addition to Apple's AI feature lineup. While it's not perfect — and eagle-eyed viewers can still spot AI telltales — it's good enough for casual social sharing and creative experimentation. The integration with the Crop tool makes it accessible, and the natural-looking results in many scenarios show that Apple's investment in generative AI is paying off. As the beta progresses, we expect further refinements to reduce artifacts and improve speed. The feature is likely to be a significant selling point for iOS 27 when it launches publicly this fall.

Source:Digital Trends News