iPhone 16 Pro Max Ranks Fourth Globally for Camera Quality

The camera system in the iPhone 16 Pro Max is the fourth-best of its kind in the world, but it manages to top the list when it comes to video capabilities.

Following the release of the iPhone 16 generation, testing on its various features and components has commenced. In one of the more important tests it could undertake, the iPhone 16 Pro Max’s camera has been given a great set of results.

According to Monday’s testing by DxOMark, the iPhone 16 Pro Max has scored 157 points overall, giving it a global ranking of fourth place. It lags behind the Huawei Pura 70 Ultra (163), the Google Pixel 9 Pro XL (158), and the Honor Magic6 Pro (158).

Its fourth-place ranking for the global table is matched by its fourth-place result for the Ultra-Premium ranking, for devices valued at more than $800.

In terms of smaller categories, the iPhone 16 Pro Max achieved 159, the top score, for video. It “delivered exceptional results,” with consistent exposure and color accuracy across a range of conditions, and it had the best texture-noise trade-off of any device the testers had seen to date.

Its video features aimed at professionals also impressed, including ProRes profiles in Log and HDR modes, and the new 4K120fps mode.

As well as its “class-leading overall video quality,” praise was also given to its color performance for images using an “extensive range of bright and vivid hues” and customizable image color options. The wide array of editing options, “extremely accurate image preview,” and zero shutter lag were also welcomed.

The only “con” in the results relates to the zoom function, which now uses the Tetraprism lens system to increase its magnification. The results determined there were inconsistencies between the 2x range and 5x range, with images “losing some detail.”

This may be due to the fact that it is two different sensors in use for each point of the range. At 2x, it’s actually using a 12MP crop of the 48MP Fusion camera, while 5x is using the Telephoto version.

The DXO results are a continuation of the high scores Apple’s camera system typically receives for its new mobile devices. For 2023, the iPhone 15 Pro Max had the second-best camera system in the world, with a score of 154 points.