Skylum announced that the new AI-driven photo editor Luminar Ne is now available with the Luminar Share App for quick photo transfers between the software’s mobile devices and the app.

PetaPixel got a first-hand look at Luminar Neo earlier this year. The editor was still in its early stages of development and lacked some features. These features have been added to the software’s release.

Although Luminar Neo has some similarities to Skylum’s previous products, which led to some frustration among users, the company claims that the new editor’s engine was built from the ground-up to provide powerful features and better performance.

Luminar Neo uses artificial Intelligence to analyze photos. It launched with several core features such as Relight AI and Remove Dust Spots. Power Lines are also removed. Layers and Presets were added recently. Presets from Luminar 4 and Luminar AI will be familiar to users who used them in the new edition.

According to the company, Luminar Neo is faster than the predecessor Luminar AI. According to company tests, Luminar Neo is significantly faster than Luminar AI. For example, macOS image export is now 86 percent faster. Switching time between effects is now 35 percent faster. RAW opening time is on average 61 percent faster. Windows users experience slightly less performance improvements. RAW opening time is now on average 20 percent faster.

For image transfers between devices, the editor includes a free Luminar Share application. Users can edit a photo using Luminar Neo and send it to their smartphone.

Skylum has promised two additional features in a forthcoming update. They are Mask and Portrait Background Removing. The Mask feature uses AI to identify and select elements within a photo. Users will also be able control transparency to create composites. Portrait Background Removal follows a similar process. It analyzes and selects the subject, then removes the background.

Below is a prior release roadmap that lists the features available at launch (top and bottom right sections) and the future features.

Luminar Neo ships now with all the features that are currently available. However, the first free update will be released in spring 2012. A $59 annual subscription allows users to choose from either a $79 standalone purchase that grants a lifetime license, but does not include future upgrades.

The editor is available in two versions: as a standalone application in the App Store on macOS and the Microsoft Store on Windows. It can also be used as a plugin for Adobe Lightroom Classic or Photoshop and as an extension to Apple Photos.