iPhone 16 Pro Camera Review: Hardware Upgrade Catches Up, but Algorithm Shortcomings Remain Fatal

iPhone 16 Pro Camera Review: Hardware Upgrade Catches Up, but Algorithm Shortcomings Remain FatalI've gradually lost interest in iPhone cameras. On one hand, Apples progress in imaging, especially photography, has been minimal in recent years

iPhone 16 Pro Camera Review: Hardware Upgrade Catches Up, but Algorithm Shortcomings Remain Fatal

I've gradually lost interest in iPhone cameras. On one hand, Apples progress in imaging, especially photography, has been minimal in recent years. On the other hand, Android flagship phones have been consistently delivering amazing camera experiences. Though I buy a new iPhone almost every year, when it comes to taking pictures, I instinctively reach for my Android phone instead. I'm not the only one who feels this way, as many share the subconscious belief that "iPhone cameras are just okay." While Apple did introduce periscope telephoto lenses and new camera algorithms in the past two generations to try and regain lost ground, they still pale in comparison to the imaging powerhouses in the Android world.

You might say I'm biased. The iPhone 16 series boasts a dedicated camera button as a key selling point, but Lei Technologys in-depth review revealed its flaws, deeming it an innovation for innovations sake" and potentially another Apple flop like 3D Touch. So, how does the iPhone 16 series actually perform in terms of image quality, considering the lackluster camera interaction upgrades? This is Lei Technology's in-depth iPhone 16 Pro camera review, conducted over an extended period. As we didnt have a review unit provided by Apple, we could offer truly objective and unbiased feedback.

Core Specs Finally Match Competitor Flagships

Looking at the specs alone, the iPhone 16 Pro's camera setup is impressive. The 48MP main camera + 48MP ultra-wide camera + 5x periscope telephoto lens combination holds its own against flagships like the Xiaomi 14 Ultra and Huawei Pura70 Ultra.

The iPhone 16 Pro seems to have improved its telephoto performance compared to its predecessor. The iPhone 15 Pro relied on cropping the main camera for focal lengths between 2.1x and 2.9x, resulting in a significant drop in quality, detail, and color accuracy. The iPhone 16 Pro's upgraded 5x telephoto lens delivers better results between 2.1x and 4.9x, likely thanks to Apple's camera algorithm optimization.

According to Apple, the iPhone 16 Pro boasts significantly improved low-light performance: powered by a new chip and computational AI photography, all three lenses capture more detail in shadows, delivering brighter and more detailed photos in night scenes and other dark environments. The LiDAR Scanner also enables night-time portrait shooting.

Based on Apple's official information, it seems like the iPhone 16 Pro's camera has finally stepped up its game? After two days of extensive camera experience, I came to a very different conclusion. It turns out, "take sample photos with a grain of salt" is a true adage in the tech world.

Main Camera Shows Significant Improvement, Finally Ditching Over-Sharpening

Perhaps due to my long hiatus from shooting with the iPhone 15 Pro, my initial reaction after capturing the first set of photos with the iPhone 16 Pro was, "Wow, the iPhone is this good now?" In well-lit indoor settings, the iPhone 16 Pro's main camera captures abundant detail in shadows, with exceptionally smooth transitions between object shadows. It no longer exhibits the blurriness of past iterations, nor does it suffer from excessive sharpening. In simple terms, the images are clean and visually pleasing.

The iPhone 16 Pro excels at color reproduction in scenes with complex color elements or bright accent colors. Whether it's the glossy orange of a car, the reflections on its paint, or the matte finish on other components, the iPhone 16 Pro consistently delivers beyond expectations.

Many Apple users praised iPhone cameras for their "realism," but that doesnt always translate to good photography. Take this bright red sports car, for instance. Using the older iPhone's style, the glossy red paint would have appeared significantly duller, instantly diminishing the overall impact. The iPhone 16 Pro seems to have finally grasped this principle. Not only does it capture the vibrant red, it also enhances it through subtle post-processing, making the car appear even more visually striking, almost spilling out of the screen.

The weather in Guangdong has been less than ideal lately, with significantly reduced visibility compared to sunny days. However, this iPhone 16 Pro sample photo still showcases Apple's improvement: there's virtually no sharpening artifact on the leaves or buildings, a stark contrast to the blurry or over-sharpened images of the past. This is a welcome change, as an iPhone without excessive sharpening is a good iPhone.

Telephoto Lens Delivers High Image Quality, but Short Focal Length Limitaion

While the main camera performance is impressive, the telephoto lens story is a mixed bag.

Starting with the downsides: the iPhone 16 Pro's telephoto lens has been upgraded from 3x to 5x optical zoom. On paper, this is an improvement, but it comes at the cost of a much-needed mid-range telephoto lens. Have you noticed how most Android flagships have opted for 3x-3.7x telephoto lenses in recent editions? This translates to roughly 72-90mm, which is a versatile focal length perfect for landscapes, seascapes, portraits, and food photography. As the focal length increases to 5x (120mm), youll find limited uses beyond shooting concerts or capturing menus on the wall extreme scenarios where it might excel.

The iPhone 16 Pro falls into the same trap, and its essentially missing a focal length between 2.1x and 4.9x. In the absence of a dedicated lens, the phone relies on cropping the main camera for digital zoom, and the quality of digital zoom is well, you know. I'm not saying that Apple's decision to equip the iPhone with a 5x telephoto lens is wrong, but they should have added another lens for mid-range telephoto capabilities. Without it, this upgrade feels like a step backward.

On the bright side, I must commend the iPhone 16 Pro's telephoto lens image quality. Even in less-than-ideal rainy conditions, it delivers clean and sharp images with minimal noise or smearing, with no visible processing artifacts.

In terms of image quality, I believe the iPhone 16 Pro's telephoto lens has finally caught up to Android flagships, though it hasnt surpassed them. At least it's no longer trailing behind by a large margin.

Night Like Day: Apple's Camera Shortcomings Persist

I never anticipated that the iPhone 16 Pro would completely fumble in the night photography department. This fumble doesnt refer to ghosting or miss-focus, but rather Apple's decision to completely convert a 9:30 PM Guangzhou night sky to daylight. Were it not for the building lights across the street and the detailed time information on the photo page, Im sure most readers would classify this sample photo as daytime.

Closer inspection reveals a further oddity: the iPhone 16 Pro drastically brightened and adjusted the sky, transforming the original yellow-black sky into a blue-gray one, while leaving the foreground building largely untouched. This makes the entire image resemble two separate layers merged together. But without enabling night mode and simply shooting in default mode, the image quality and noise are even harder to rate.

A second attempt? In a scene with even less light, the iPhone 16 Pro's night mode performance was surprisingly decent. It effectively brightened areas barely visible in the original scene without being overly dramatic. While the streetlight blooming issue still persists, at least it aligns with my expectations for iPhone night mode.

The iPhone 16 Pros night mode isnt completely useless, but its performance is inconsistent. The end result is a matter of luck. It's hard to differentiate between smartphone cameras in strong light or daylight. Portrait modes are subjective, and it's only in low-light, high-speed motion, and other challenging scenarios that true performance shines through. However, iPhone cameras have never been particularly strong in night photography. Capturing a decent night photo often requires luck and favorable conditions. In 2024, a new wave of imaging flagships from the Android camp is on the horizon. If Apple doesn't promptly update its camera algorithms, they might once again fall behind the curve.

Mimicking Features? Apple Is Learning from Android

Just when I thought I had wrapped up my iPhone 16 Pro camera experience, I stumbled upon a particularly intriguing sample photo. At first glance, there was no obvious issue. But upon closer inspection of the sticker in the top right corner, I noticed that the printed text had been transformed into unrecognizable patterns.

This phenomenon was prevalent in early Android phones. Many manufacturers used AI algorithms to guess and reconstruct elements within the image, particularly for enhancing telephoto performance. However, these algorithms often struggled with complex text, resulting in misinterpretations. After years of technological development, flagship Android devices have mostly rectified this issue. It seems Apple is now following the same path that Android manufacturers have taken in terms of imaging.

To verify my suspicions, I used the iPhone