The smartphone camera has come a long long way since the launch of the Nokia 7650 in 2002, which is generally thought to be the first mass market camera phone in the world. Back in those days everyone was astonished at the quality of the photos the phone took, even if actually they were really rather awful. It was a PHONE for goodness sake!

[Nokia 7650 image –  Wikimedia]

Nowadays we expect regular snapshot quality, and indeed HD resolution from our camera phones and we’re disappointed if it doesn’t happen. AfterFocus from MotionOne is a brilliant new free iPhone and Android app which gives you even more control over your images by letting you play around with the focus and other settings to get the kind of ’professional’ touch that the experts produce with their fancy DSLR cameras.

Now clearly you’re not going to exactly replicate expensive camera output, but the results are really superb, especially considering how incredibly quick and easy the program is to use. As well as the standard depth of field (fuzzy background focus) settings, you can also choose from a set of filters and tweaks to give the image an even more sophisticated look. The vignetting, bokeh, antique filter and others are excellent options.

This is a real must-have app for anyone who uses their smartphone for any kind of regular photography, even if it’s silly snaps of the kids. It may not have the trendiness of Instagram, but it’s more than worth the free download, trust me.