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iPhone 16 Pro fails to impress in DxOMark display analysis, lags behind Pixel 9 Pro XL and S24 Ultra

iPhone 16 Pro is outpaced by both its arch rivals - the S24 Ultra and the Pixel 9 Pro XL in DxOMark's display rating. (Image source: Apple)
iPhone 16 Pro is outpaced by both its arch rivals - the S24 Ultra and the Pixel 9 Pro XL in DxOMark's display rating. (Image source: Apple)
DxOMark's display analysis for the iPhone 16 Pro is now available, and the results leave much to be desired. Both the S24 Ultra and Pixel 9 Pro pulled ahead of the iPhone 16 Pro, and not by a small margin.

DxOMark's analysis of the iPhone 16 Pro's display is now online, and, oh dear, Apple fans might want to brace themselves. Similar to the standard iPhone 16, the results are rather disappointing, with the iPhone 16 Pro not only losing to Samsung's S24 and Google's Pixel 9 Pro lineup but also to its predecessor, the iPhone 15 Pro.

With a score of just 150 points, the iPhone 16 Pro snags the 17th place in DxOMark's global ranking and lags well behind the chart-topping 158 points scored by the Pixel 9 Pro XL. The Samsung S24 Ultra rakes in 155 points, while last year's iPhone 15 Pro managed 151 points in the same test.

It's not all bad news, however. The iPhone 16 Pro's display is plenty admirably for a flagship smartphone, and as DxOMark notes, boasts pleasant as well as accurate colors both indoors and outdoors, thereby delivering a visually delightful experience.

That said, there is plenty to chew on in DxOMark's criticisms. For starters, the luminance and contrast figures of the display are relatively low in certain conditions, which adversely affects the display's readability. Moreover, the average brightness values for HDR 10 as well as SDR videos were also rather inconsistent.

One of the notable improvements specific to the iPhone 16 Pro lineup was the reduction of the bezel thickness, which seems to have backfired. DxOMark states that the thinner bezels lead to frequent accidental touches, negatively affecting the user experience.

Despite its flaws, however, the iPhone 16 Pro continues to be a robust candidate in the flagship category, as indicated by DxOMark, who, in summary, termed the iPhone 16 Pro's display as 'impressive'. However, it is hard to argue that the Pixel 9 Pro XL (currently $1,099 on Amazon) as well as the S24 Ultra being so far ahead in this category might be a little hard to digest for those who were expecting a better show from this year's iPhone lineup.

Apple iPhone 16 Pro display's contrast under different lighting scenarios. (Image source: DxOMark)
Apple iPhone 16 Pro display's contrast under different lighting scenarios. (Image source: DxOMark)

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> Expert Reviews and News on Laptops, Smartphones and Tech Innovations > News > News Archive > Newsarchive 2024 10 > iPhone 16 Pro fails to impress in DxOMark display analysis, lags behind Pixel 9 Pro XL and S24 Ultra
Sambit Saha, 2024-10-29 (Update: 2024-10-29)