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Apple offers some of the biggest camera upgrades on the new iPhones every year and these scores are widely awaited.
The camera scores for the new iPhone 16 and 16 Pro models are here
In the world of smartphone photography, iPhones are considered to be among the top camera phones. Following the release of the iPhone 16 series, extensive testing has been conducted on various aspects of its performance, especially its camera system.
Now, to measure its performance in photo, video and zoom quality from an end-user perspective, DxOMark conducted a rigorous camera test on the base model iPhone 16. According to the test results, the iPhone 16achieved an impressive score of 147 points overall.
This places it in third place in premium ranking, behind the Google Pixel 9 with 154 points and the Google Pixel 8 with 148 points. However, the device is ranked 20th globally, with the Huawei Pura 70 Ultra taking the top spot globally. The device got the highest scores for colour accuracy and exposure, scoring 129/130 and 124/30, respectively.
The organisation states that while the camera hardware is almost identical to the iPhone 15’s base model, software improvements have seen it score better in several areas. In the DXOMARK Camera tests, the organisation stated that the iPhone 16 delivered a very good performance for its class.
“With the exception of the improved autofocus and faster lens in the ultra-wide camera, the new device uses nearly identical camera hardware to the predecessor, but software modifications have resulted in performance improvements across several test areas. The camera captured nice still images and videos with excellent exposure, good contrast, and pleasant skin tones. The video stabilisation system kept things smooth and stable when recording moving images. On the downside, the absence of a dedicated tele lens meant that images captured at medium and long-range tele settings lacked detail and texture,” it added.
Based on the analysis, the organisation mentioned some pros and cons of the device.
Pros of iPhone 16
– Offers good brightness and contrast with pictures viewed on HDR display
– Pleasant skin tones and colours for photo and video
– When shooting indoors, the camera system provides high levels of detail in bright light
– Fast and generally accurate autofocus
– Smooth zooming in preview
– Vivid brightness and contrast when viewing videos on an HDR display
– Video noise is largely within control
– camera provides effective video stabilisation
Cons of iPhone 16
– Limited dynamic range can result in highlight clipping in photos and videos
– Flare, colour-shift artefacts, and ringing in photographs
– Limited long-range tele-zoom capability
– Loss of fine detail in video, particularly in low light
– Artefacts, such as flare, shifting texture in low light, and aliasing, can be evident in the video
– Noise in shadow areas of the frame and in low-light photos
In video performance, the iPhone 16 Pro ranked very high, scoring 154 out of 159. The video performance was excellent for this class of device. Like for still images, overall video quality was quite similar to the predecessor.
“Our testers noticed some refinements, specifically in the colour category, with improved white balance. The new model also delivered better video texture than last year’s device, whereas noise could be a touch more intrusive on the iPhone 16,” the test results added.
Back in September, tests were conducted on the performance of the iPhone 16 Pro Max. According to DxOMark’s testing, the camera system that made a significant impact in the world of smartphone photography, especially in video capabilities, is ranked fourth overall globally. The camera system stands out as the best for recording videos.