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DxOMark rating reveals iPhone 16 Pro Max trails behind Pixel 9 Pro XL in photography, while leading the charts in videography

iPhone 16 Pro Max fails to defeat Pixel 9 Pro XL in DxOMark's photography ranking. (Image source: Apple)
iPhone 16 Pro Max fails to defeat Pixel 9 Pro XL in DxOMark's photography ranking. (Image source: Apple)
DxOMark has revealed its detailed camera analysis for the iPhone 16 Pro Max. For video enthusiasts, nothing else on the market comes close to the iPhone's performance. For photography, however, the iPhone struggles to keep up with the Pixel 9 Pro XL.

DxOMark's detailed camera evaluation for the iPhone 16 Pro Max has arrived, and the results are interesting. For Apple fans who were expecting the improved cameras to sweep the floor with the competition, the results are pretty nuanced, offering both praise, as well as a dose of tempered expectations. 

Let's start with the positive news first. The iPhone 16 Pro Max clinched the highest-ever score in terms of video recording performance, outclassing everything else on the market. Albeit impressive, this result is nothing out of the ordinary, considering the iPhone's video performance has consistently received praise from critics with every past launch.

However, the narrative shifts, and things start to appear a bit gloomy when taking a look at the photography results received by the iPhone 16 Pro Max. Unlike last year's flagship, the iPhone 15 Pro Max - which managed to achieve the second place in DxOMark's ranking, this year's flagship iPhone could not get further than the fourth position, with 157 points.

Google's recently unveiled Pixel 9 Pro XL (currently $1,099 on Amazon) managed to defeat the iPhone 16 Pro Max by the skin of its teeth, raking in 158 points to achieve the second position - which it shares with the Honor Magic6 Pro. Huawei's Pura 70 Ultra sits at the very top with a respectable 163 points.

DxOMark's analysis, which has been linked here, goes in-depth with the iPhone 16 Pro Max's camera system. Among the many things that DxOMark praised include the flagship camera system's impressive color rendering, details in well-lit environments, and fast autofocus. On the other hand, the aspects that failed to sway DxOMark include some unwanted artifacts, the infamous flaring, and inconsistency in ultra-wide photos despite the improved hardware.

The iPhone 16 Pro Max dropped two positions to fourth place as compared to its predecessor. (Image source: DxOMark)
The iPhone 16 Pro Max dropped two positions to fourth place as compared to its predecessor. (Image source: DxOMark)

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> Expert Reviews and News on Laptops, Smartphones and Tech Innovations > News > News Archive > Newsarchive 2024 09 > DxOMark rating reveals iPhone 16 Pro Max trails behind Pixel 9 Pro XL in photography, while leading the charts in videography
Sambit Saha, 2024-09-21 (Update: 2024-09-21)