iPhone 15 Pro Max has second-best smartphone camera in the world

Jump to First Reply
Posted:
in iPhone

The iPhone 15 Pro Max has the best camera of any iPhone, according to DxOMark, with it scoring well enough to have the second-best camera system in the world.

iPhone 15 Pro Max's Telephoto camera
iPhone 15 Pro Max's Telephoto camera



As part of the battery of hot takes, first impressions, reviews, and benchmarks that follow Apple's iPhone releases, the cameras in the newest models are given scrutiny by DxOMark. For 2023, the iPhone 15 Pro Max was selected to go under the microscope first.

On Tuesday, the results of the model's cameras were revealed, with its score of 154 points putting it in second place on the global rankings. It was narrowly beaten by the Huawei P60 Pro, which scored 156 points.

Referred to by the site as the "best iPhone we have tested to date," the iPhone 15 Pro Max had a stand-out performance regarding exposure, as it "constantly delivered remarkable image and video results across a range of shooting conditions."

It excelled in portrait photography and videography, with the model capturing "intricate detail" and rendering skin tones "beautifully." Acknowledging that the camera specifications "may not look as cutting-edge on paper" compared to rivals, there were still improvements "where it counts."

The Quad-Beyer image sensor's image quality and seamless 2x zoom were praised, along with the 5x telephoto lens, while it also surpassed earlier models as "the ultimate video recording smartphone."

"These improvements collectively establish it as an outstanding choice for mobile photographers and videographers," the results state.

The fast autofocus, bright light detail, natural color rendering, accurate exposure, and the "vivid brightness and contrast when photos are viewed on HDR display" formed the list of overall positives.

However, noise in low-light photographs, unwanted artifacts such as flares, ghosting, and aliasing, a slightly limited dynamic range, and inconsistent detail across zoom ranges were weaknesses of the camera system.

DxOMark is a reliable source for camera comparisons but is not the final word on photographic quality. The company also offers a consultation service for companies like Samsung or Apple to get "coaching" for their camera tests, which Apple likely doesn't participate in. This can lead to better scores for companies who participate in this coaching.

Read on AppleInsider

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 10
    Hmmm, that final paragraph is significant. Seems to reduce the credibility of the scores.
    ilarynx9secondkox2Alex1Nwatto_cobra
     4Likes 0Dislikes 0Informatives
  • Reply 2 of 10
    maltzmaltz Posts: 518member
    Hmmm, that final paragraph is significant. Seems to reduce the credibility of the scores.

    At the same time, the fact that Apple scored #2, (likely) WITHOUT any such coaching speaks even better for iPhone15 Pro Max's cameras.
    Alex1Nwatto_cobra
     2Likes 0Dislikes 0Informatives
  • Reply 3 of 10
    jdwjdw Posts: 1,469member
    Somewhat embarrassing Apple's latest and greatest is even a tiny bit behind the likes of Huawei, but the main camera on the Huawei looks enormous!

    https://www.dxomark.com/smartphones/Huawei/P60-Pro
    ilarynxappleinsiderusergrandact73FileMakerFellerbyronl
     2Likes 0Dislikes 3Informatives
  • Reply 4 of 10
    Hmmm, that final paragraph is significant. Seems to reduce the credibility of the scores.
    That's called "burying the lede." 


    appleinsideruser9secondkox2watto_cobra
     3Likes 0Dislikes 0Informatives
  • Reply 5 of 10
    I can’t believe that anyone trusts DxOMark at all, let alone calling them a “reliable source”.
    9secondkox2watto_cobra
     2Likes 0Dislikes 0Informatives
  • Reply 6 of 10
    I can’t believe that anyone trusts DxOMark at all, let alone calling them a “reliable source”.
    I find DXO to be an excellent resource. They do highly detailed reviews on cameras and lenses, with technical analysis, and provided for free. Sites, like DXO Mark, help professionals and enthusiasts (like me) make level-headed purchasing decisions by cutting through the marketing crap that accompanies done products and brands. They give us a more nuanced understanding of the products on offer. 
    appleinsideruser9secondkox2grandact73Alex1NFileMakerFellerwatto_cobrabyronl
     4Likes 0Dislikes 3Informatives
  • Reply 7 of 10
    Alex_V said:
    I can’t believe that anyone trusts DxOMark at all, let alone calling them a “reliable source”.
    I find DXO to be an excellent resource. They do highly detailed reviews on cameras and lenses, with technical analysis, and provided for free. Sites, like DXO Mark, help professionals and enthusiasts (like me) make level-headed purchasing decisions by cutting through the marketing crap that accompanies done products and brands. They give us a more nuanced understanding of the products on offer. 
    Yes, always a good read. Yet if they are (selling a) coaching service to some organisations, that raises concerns about trusting their nuance.

    EDIT: See final FAQ — What is DXOMARK’s relationship with device manufacturers?
    edited September 2023
    9secondkox2williamlondonAlex1NFileMakerFellerwatto_cobrabyronl
     3Likes 0Dislikes 3Informatives
  • Reply 8 of 10
    Hmmm, that final paragraph is significant. Seems to reduce the credibility of the scores.
    Agreed. Actually calls into question the final verdict. 
    watto_cobra
     1Like 0Dislikes 0Informatives
  • Reply 9 of 10
    Alex_V said:
    I can’t believe that anyone trusts DxOMark at all, let alone calling them a “reliable source”.
    I find DXO to be an excellent resource. They do highly detailed reviews on cameras and lenses, with technical analysis, and provided for free. Sites, like DXO Mark, help professionals and enthusiasts (like me) make level-headed purchasing decisions by cutting through the marketing crap that accompanies done products and brands. They give us a more nuanced understanding of the products on offer. 
    Yes, always a good read. Yet if they are (selling a) coaching service to some organisations, that raises concerns about trusting their nuance.

    EDIT: See final FAQ — What is DXOMARK’s relationship with device manufacturers?

    You link to a question from their own website. Their answer is below. It seems that they face the usual potential conflicts of interest faced by journalists in tech or any field face. Good journalists (and there are many — I've worked with journalists who took enormous risks in doing their jobs) … manage to navigate those conflicts because maintaining impartiality and integrity is vitally important to their credibility.

    What is DXOMARK’s relationship with device manufacturers?

    “DXOMARK has a long history working closely with the imaging and mobile industries. Long before the DXOMARK website was launched, in the early 2000s, we designed Analyzer, the first comprehensive suite of hardware and software for camera testing and tuning which is today deployed at more than 150 sites all over the globe. From those early days we have always had in-depth technical discussions with our customers to help us understand their requirements and how new technology under development should be measured. This also helps us keep up to date with the continuous evolution of camera technologies.

    During the mid-2010s the importance of the camera in smartphones became obvious, and our expertise and reputation in the field meant that we were approached by key players in the mobile industry, asking us to help them optimize their camera products.

    Since the very beginning of these relationships we have strictly separated our editorial activities from B2B activities, with the editorial team exclusively making decisions on publication schedules and policy. Independent of brand or manufacturer, all test devices undergo  exactly the same test protocols, and manufacturers are not paying to use our scores in their marketing material.

    In some cases, our relationship with manufacturers also helps us get access to pre-production units and early firmware versions. This allows us to test devices sooner than would otherwise be possible. In these circumstances we will always purchase a commercially available device in a store at a later stage and confirm the original test results.”

    Alex1Nwatto_cobrabyronl
     1Like 0Dislikes 2Informatives
  • Reply 10 of 10
    Alex_V said:
    Alex_V said:
    I can’t believe that anyone trusts DxOMark at all, let alone calling them a “reliable source”.
    I find DXO to be an excellent resource. They do highly detailed reviews on cameras and lenses, with technical analysis, and provided for free. Sites, like DXO Mark, help professionals and enthusiasts (like me) make level-headed purchasing decisions by cutting through the marketing crap that accompanies done products and brands. They give us a more nuanced understanding of the products on offer. 
    Yes, always a good read. Yet if they are (selling a) coaching service to some organisations, that raises concerns about trusting their nuance.

    EDIT: See final FAQ — What is DXOMARK’s relationship with device manufacturers?

    You link to a question from their own website. Their answer is below. It seems that they face the usual potential conflicts of interest faced by journalists in tech or any field face. Good journalists (and there are many — I've worked with journalists who took enormous risks in doing their jobs) … manage to navigate those conflicts because maintaining impartiality and integrity is vitally important to their credibility.

    What is DXOMARK’s relationship with device manufacturers?

    “DXOMARK has a long history working closely with the imaging and mobile industries. Long before the DXOMARK website was launched, in the early 2000s, we designed Analyzer, the first comprehensive suite of hardware and software for camera testing and tuning which is today deployed at more than 150 sites all over the globe. From those early days we have always had in-depth technical discussions with our customers to help us understand their requirements and how new technology under development should be measured. This also helps us keep up to date with the continuous evolution of camera technologies.

    During the mid-2010s the importance of the camera in smartphones became obvious, and our expertise and reputation in the field meant that we were approached by key players in the mobile industry, asking us to help them optimize their camera products.

    Since the very beginning of these relationships we have strictly separated our editorial activities from B2B activities, with the editorial team exclusively making decisions on publication schedules and policy. Independent of brand or manufacturer, all test devices undergo  exactly the same test protocols, and manufacturers are not paying to use our scores in their marketing material.

    In some cases, our relationship with manufacturers also helps us get access to pre-production units and early firmware versions. This allows us to test devices sooner than would otherwise be possible. In these circumstances we will always purchase a commercially available device in a store at a later stage and confirm the original test results.”

    Indeed I did link to DXOMARK. Like you, I felt the discussion needed their defence for balance.
    edited September 2023
    avon b7williamlondonAlex1NFileMakerFellerbyronl
     4Likes 0Dislikes 1Informative
Sign In or Register to comment.