Not long ago, Apple released its new phones, the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro. While these devices are generally well received, the test results show that Apple still needs to make further improvements. Both the base iPhone and the Pro iPhone released by Apple this year have upgraded the cameras. But Apple's phones still lag behind many Android smartphone makers, according to DxOMark's rankings, with the iPhone 16 Pro Max in fourth place.
DxOMARK is a France technology company focused on the quality assessment of smartphone cameras, screens, audio and batteries, as well as other consumer electronics such as cameras and speakers. DxOMARK's best-rated test suite is based on exhaustive testing and extensive lab measurements. Over the years, DxOMark has built a reputation for testing camera hardware and overall photo and video quality, and has become a benchmark for users and tech giants to analyze the performance and quality of smartphone camera hardware. It's worth noting that in addition to the iPhone 16 Pro Max's poor performance compared to some Android flagships this year, Samsung has also fallen into an equally embarrassing situation. Although Samsung regained the top spot in the global smartphone market in terms of shipments in the first quarter of 2024 with a market share of 20%, in the Chinese market, Samsung's market share has declined, being overtaken by domestic phones. The rise of domestic mobile phone brands and the after-sales differential treatment of Chinese consumers after the Samsung Note7 explosion have affected Samsung's brand image in the Chinese market. According to DxOMark's rankings, the iPhone 16 Pro Max takes a back seat, while Huawei, Google, and Honor phones occupy the top three spots.
Figure: iPhone 16 Pro Max loses to Huawei Pura 70 Ultra in camera test
The Huawei Pura 70 Ultra's camera capabilities are among the best in our tests, with still image results that are excellent across all camera modules, earning top scores not only for photos, but also for wide-angle and telephoto zoom. The device's camera excels in detail preservation and noise reduction, with images showing precise exposure and wide dynamic range, as well as pleasant color. Thanks to its large main camera sensor and finely tuned performance, the Huawei Pura 70 Ultra delivers a significant improvement over its predecessor in terms of texture and noise.
According to DxOMark's tests, the overall rate of improvement in Apple's camera performance is relatively slow compared to its competitors in previous years. While the iPhone 16 Pro Max has noticeable improvements in photo and video, in terms of color rendering and video capture. It delivers accurate white balance and natural color rendering in a wide range of lighting conditions, and is able to capture excellent detail and texture in bright light. In addition, autofocus is fast and accurate, and video stabilization is effective. But that's not the case when it comes to zoom. Compared to the 15 Pro Max, DxOMark doesn't detect any particular texture improvements for the new 48MP ultra-wide camera. Image quality is inconsistent in the tele-zoom range. In addition, at tele settings between 2x and 5x, detail drops significantly.
To sum up, while the iPhone 16 Pro Max continues to maintain its position as the "king of video" in terms of video shooting, it does not outperform the Huawei Pura 70 Ultra in the comprehensive camera tests. The Huawei Pura 70 Ultra's excellent performance in photo, zoom, and video quality puts it among the top in our DxOMARK tests.
