Google Photos gets new editing tools based on machine learning that have hitherto been exclusive to Pixel phones, but to get it you have to pay for Google One, the subscription product of the company that offers upgraded storage space in its services.
Intelligent editing – The tools include Portrait Light, Portrait Blur and Color Pop. It was technical already available to all Google Photos users, even for free, but the difference is that Pixel owners could apply the filters to photos that do not provide in-depth data – so you can, for example, create a bokeh blur in the background of a photo that even taken from an older camera without it being native support. Now all paying Google One subscribers also have access to these features.
Google Photos is considered one of the best all-in-one photo storage and editing software. The company has worked hard over the years to develop its machine learning capabilities to get the best recordings from smartphone cameras that may not be using the latest and greatest sensors. It has also won many consumers because it has offered unlimited storage of slightly compressed images for years, though it will disappear later this year.
Google also introduced new filters today, including a cloud suggestion option that can customize skylines and create more dramatic effects. It creates a kind of unnatural look, but maybe you like it.
No longer free – The announcements come as Google plans to phase out free unlimited storage in Google Photos from June 1st. Currently, the storage of ‘original quality’ photos is limited, but users can save unlimited higher resolution photos. It will soon change to a hard limit of 15 GB, regardless of the quality.
The cheapest Google One plan starts at $ 1.99 a month and offers 100 GB of space in the company’s myriad services, from Photos to Drive and Gmail. Several higher pricing rates include more storage, such as 200 GB for $ 2.99 per month, and goodies such as access to Google’s VPN in the $ 9.99 per month plan.
It’s not surprising that Google will eventually rule out free storage, though some have turned down the move as bait-and-switch to get people backed up in their photo libraries before being forced to pay. At least the company is trying to sweeten the deal slightly with new premium features.