The brand-new iPhone XS Max has one of the best smartphone cameras on the market, second only to the Huawei P20 Pro.
According to a new review published today by DxOMark, the rear camera on the iPhone XS Max received an impressive ranking of 105, putting the flagship device second only to the Huawei P20 Pro, and higher than both the Google Pixel 2 and the Samsung Galaxy Note 9.
The iPhone XS Max‘s rear-facing camera has “outstanding video quality in bright light,” explains the review, praising its wide dynamic range, vivid colours, and high levels of detail.
The camera’s video stabilization has also noticeably improved, reads the review, keeping shaking to a minimum during filming. The review also lauded the camera’s image quality in bright light, calling it “excellent all around,” featuring high levels of detail, natural colours, and incredible exposure.
The review also praises the camera’s Smart HDR feature, which produces “very good target exposure and a wide dynamic range in all conditions.”
“The Apple iPhone XS Max comes with one of the best mobile cameras we have ever tested, and in many areas offers noticeable improvements over last year’s iPhone X,” reads the review. “Both still and video image quality in bright light are excellent, with a very wide dynamic range and good detail. Autofocus and image stabilization work swiftly and efficiently, and the camera is very reliable overall, consistently delivering good results.”
On the other hand, there is a bit of improvement, says DxOMark. Flash images are often underexposed, and luminance noise is noticeable in lower light and the shadow areas of high-contrast scenes, while coarse luminance noise and a lack of detail are noticeable in zoomed-in photos.
“In lower light, luminance noise becomes a little more intrusive than with other high-end phones, and the iPhone’s zoom mode lags somewhat behind the competition (specifically, the Huawei P20 Pro) as well,” the review concludes. “However, if that doesn’t bother you too much, the new Apple device is a surefire option for any mobile photographer.”
The Huawei P20 Pro, on the other hand, notched 109 points on DxOMark and has held the top spot since its launch in March. Its market-first triple-camera system was co-designed by German optics firm Leica.
Read DxOMark’s full review of the iPhone XS Max’s rear-facing camera system here.
