iPhone 16 Pro Max DXOMARK results: Ranks #4 overall, #1 for video

The iPhone 16 Pro Max DXOMARK test results are out, based on a rigorous analysis of 3,000 photos and 150 hours of video.

Apple’s latest flagship model was ranked #4 in the overall smartphone camera line-up, though the organization said that it delivers better video than any other mobile device it has ever tested …

DXOMARK has gained a reputation for producing the most meaningful smartphone camera tests, conducting user research to determine how people use their devices, and then conducting extensive scientific tests to determine how well products meet these real-life needs.

The iPhone 16 Pro Max was ranked 4th overall:

1. Huawei Pura 70 Ultra
2. Google Pixel 9 Pro XL
3. Honor Magic6 Pro
4. Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max

Pros

• Best video mode on a smartphone
• Excellent for taking pictures and videos of friends and family
• Wide dynamic range across the entire zoom range
• Accurate white balance and natural color rendering
• Excellent levels of detail and texture in bright light
• Fast and accurate autofocus
• Effective video stabilization

Cons

• Inconsistent detail across zoom range, lack of detail in ultra-wide photos
• Narrow depth of field results in out-of-focus background subjects in group shots
• Unwanted artifacts, including flare, ghosting, ringing, and aliasing

Detailed test results

The tests conducted examine 10 different criteria for still photography performance, and 7 different for video. Apple was the best-performing camera for color and preview accuracy, and offered the best video recording performance for color, noise, and stabilization.

The scores shown in brackets are the highest scores achieved by any phone, with bold highlighting the areas where the device beat all others.

Still photos:

• Exposure 125 (130)
• Color 130 (130)
• Autofocus 105 (125)
• Texture 123 (124)
• Noise 94 (117)
• Artifacts 80 (82)
• Bokeh 80 (85)
• Preview 93 (93)
• Tele 105 (120)
• Wide 104 (122)

Video:

• Exposure 115 (116)
• Color 120 (120)
• Autofocus 119 (120)
• Texture 114 (118)
• Noise 120 (120)
• Artifacts 85 (86)
• Stabilization 119 (119)

Verdict

The company said that the improvements over the iPhone 15 Pro Max were modest, though telephoto performance was disappointing.

Like its predecessors, the latest Apple flagship, the iPhone 16 Pro Max, did very well in the DXOMARK Camera tests, achieving an overall score that puts it among the very best smartphones for imaging. It shone particularly in video mode where it delivered better results than any other mobile device we have tested. It significantly surpasses its main competitor, the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra, in this area and in photo as well.

Even though the primary camera hardware on the Pro Max remained mostly unchanged over the previous model, Apple still managed to make improvements in a range of image quality and camera performance areas. In video mode, the new iPhone again managed to grab the top spot in our ranking, thanks to outstanding test results across the board at 4K resolution and with the 60fps variable frame rate. In addition, the Apple flagship comes with a new 4K /120fps mode and a range of “Pro” modes that allow for customization of settings and are, in this form, not available on competing devices. In photo mode, the camera benefited from improved processing and new editing options. We particularly noticed an improved color performance at default settings.

While the overall rate of improvement in camera performance appears to be slower than in previous years and compared to the competition, users of the new iPhone benefit from the introduction of new imaging features, such as the Undertones and Mood photographic styles, which are not covered by the DXOMARK Camera test protocol, but are designed to address real user needs.

While the 16 Pro Max has noticeably improved in terms of both photo and video, this is not the case for zooming. Our testers did not notice any particular texture improvements with the new 48MP ultra-wide camera when compared to the 15 Pro Max. There was also still a lack of image quality consistency across the tele zoom range, with a noticeable drop in detail at tele settings between 2x and 5x.

Photo: Apple