[ GLOSSARY DEFINITION ]
Camera
Bokeh
The pleasing blur behind a subject in portraits, produced by wide apertures or software.
Also known as:
Portrait Mode
Background Blur
Full Definition & Technical Explanation
Bokeh is the aesthetic background blur that isolates subjects. Phones fake it in Portrait mode using depth data — see Camera features: Bokeh mode and DxOMark Bokeh: 170.
Optical bokeh comes from wide apertures and telephoto. Software blur quality varies by edge detection.
Where Bokeh Matters
Smartphones
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Bokeh?
The pleasing blur behind a subject in portraits, produced by wide apertures or software.
What terms are related to Bokeh?
Related Camera terms include Aperture, Telephoto Lens, ToF Sensor, NPU.
Related Technical Terms
Aperture
The lens opening size (f/1.6, f/2.2); lower f-number lets in more light.
Camera
Telephoto Lens
A long-focal-length lens for close-up zoom shots without digital cropping.
Camera
ToF Sensor
A depth sensor that measures distance to subjects, improving AR and portrait effects.
Camera
NPU
A dedicated AI accelerator for photo, voice, and on-device machine learning.
Performance