Recent evaluations by DxOMark have revealed some surprising results for the iPhone 16 Pro Max when compared to its Chinese competitors, including the vivo X100 Pro, Xiaomi 14 Ultra, and Huawei Pura 70 Ultra. While Apple has long been a leader in smartphone photography, the latest tests show that Chinese smartphone makers have achieved significant strides, especially in areas like telephoto and ultrawide shots.
Chinese smartphone makers have started catching up
When comparing telephoto capabilities, DxOMark noted that the Chinese counterparts captured more detail, especially in long-range shots. Devices like the Xiaomi 14 Ultra (review) and vivo X100 Pro excelled in preserving skin tones and reducing noise. In contrast, images from the iPhone 16 Pro Max showed more noise and softer details.
For instance, a cityscape shot using the main camera showed that the Xiaomi 14 Ultra delivered the clearest and most detailed image. The vivo X100 Pro followed closely, outperforming the iPhone 16 Pro Max in terms of detail retention.
The difference became even more pronounced with the zoomed shots. The vivo X100 Pro maintained the highest level of detail, while the iPhone lagged, placing last. Despite this, none of the tested phones displayed significant noise or artifacts in the test.
DxOMark also shared a graph plotting detail retention in zoomed shots using telephoto lenses. The Huawei Pura 70 Ultra led at lower zoom levels, while the vivo and Xiaomi models outperformed the iPhone 16 Pro Max at higher zooms. This is attributed to the iPhone’s low-resolution (12MP) 5x periscope telephoto. Beyond 5x zoom, the phone starts cropping into the sensor causing a rapid loss of detail. On the other hand, vivo and Xiaomi’s 50MP telephoto sensors maintain sharpness and clarity even at extended zoom ranges.
iPhone 16 Pro Max’s ultrawide lacks detail and suffers from noise
When it comes to ultrawide shots, the iPhone 16 Pro Max was again outperformed. Its images showed softer details and more noticeable noise, especially when compared to the sharper results from Huawei and vivo devices. While the Xiaomi 14 Ultra’s ultrawide images were somewhat oversaturated, they still retained more detail than those from the iPhone.
The findings point to a broader trend: Chinese smartphone makers have made significant progress in image processing, challenging the dominance of established players like Apple. Despite the iPhone 16 Pro Max’s powerful hardware, it appears that software optimizations and better sensor resolutions are helping Android flagships take the lead in certain scenarios.
(Source)
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