Apple airs two new ads showcasing Portrait mode on iPhone 7 Plus

The first, "Profile Picture," suggests that the bokeh (blurred background) added by Portrait mode is what makes something worthy of being a profile image on a social media site. The second, "Boyfriend," applies a similar sentiment to taking photos of a significant other.

Each spot is only 15 seconds long, following in the style of other recent videos.

Apple has made the 7 Plus and its camera a centerpiece of its iPhone marketing around the world, for instance highlighting it in an ad tied to the start of Brazil's Carnival season. The device has a dual-lens system that not only enables the Portrait mode but offers 2x optical zoom, something relatively rare on smartphones. Most phones use "digital" zoom, which simply blows up an existing sensor image.

Apple is presumably concentrating on the 7 Plus because the phone has a higher cost and has proven surprisingly popular. During a recent results call, CEO Tim Cook acknowledged that the phone is enjoying a "higher portion of new product mix than we've ever seen with Plus models in the past."

The regular iPhone 7 is mostly an evolution from the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus, with water resistance, a faster processor, and a better display, the main camera improvement being the addition of optical image stabilization — something that was previously reserved for Plus models.