Camera Comparison: iPhone XS Max vs. iPhone X

[The Game 161]

Its funny to see that last year's iphone X photos look like utter crap compared to this year's XS. And what was all the hoopla last year when the X debuted? Ooh! The camera is the best camera ever in an iPhone .. Ha!

At the time it was yes

 

[DNichter]

Makes sense. So far pictures have been much better on my Xs Max. Looks like a significant upgrade if you’re into photography.

 

[macduke]

If been saying it and I’ll say it again: They undersold the camera. It’s great. I’ve heard that ISO is the new megapixel, but I’d argue that dynamic range is also the new megapixel. We’re inching ever closer to reproducing what the human eye sees straight out of the camera.

 

[MEJHarrison]

No, I am not upgrading for a camera. Nice try.

The more I see the camera in action, the more I want to ditch my X. I'm especially impressed with it's Smart HDR. I just went through a batch of photos a couple weeks back where most of them did not live up to my expectations because of how washed out they were from the bright background outside. I suspect I would have had a lot more keepers that day with the new phone. I'm also interested in its low-light abilities over the X. At this point I've gone from holding out until next year to seriously considering a new XS Max 256GB. I'll probably have one by this time next week.

See, not all consumers are clones. What's important to one person might not be to the next. So... nice try?

 

[apple_iBoy]

I can see where the Xs (which I have) does a better job with not blowing out highlights. However, I do think from an aesthetic point of view that the deeper more contrast-y shadows in the X photos looks better, to my eye.

 

[Glideslope]

Let's hope the Roman Numerals stop at X...

Do we really want an iPhone LXXXVIIIs Max (to the third power) or iPhone XLVIII? I mean those numbers are not used everyday for a reason.

Next year.
Sept 2019 iPhone 6.1”
Sept 2019 iPhone 5.8”
Sept 2019 iPhone 6.5”

Bank on it. 😉

 

[840quadra]

come on people, all computing devices are turing complete. the iphone X is fully capable of doing all the calculations needed to take an iphoneXs style HDR image. obviously it may be slower, but i'd wager it's still fast enough to get it done. it's only a year old, after all. did they improve the ISP in the Xs? yes. are the things it does *completely impossible* to do in a year-old device? doubtful.

just about the only salient feature in the Xs image pipeline is the larger pixel size / deeper well depth. that's definitely helping with the HDR stuff and preventing overexposed images in the first place. but it's an incremental change from the X, not a revolutionary one.

I disagree.

Historically the Apple 1st generation devices to support more pixels tend to be a little more taxed than the next generation. The iPhone 4, iPad 3, etc, 1st gen Retina MBP 13" all exhibited much poorer performance as compared to the later editions as they were already taxing the technology installed in those devices. The X had the highest PPI of any iPhone before it, and likely posed a learning curve for Apple as did Retina in the past for the iPhone 4.

If we are to believe the Apple keynote, Apple threw considerable processing power into the Xs and Xs Max that doesn't exist in the iPhone X. More overall cores, and a more advanced architecture = more processing capability.

I agree that Apple has had a past of possibly excluding features within software as a ploy to sell hardware, but image processing is one area that actually does take a fair amount of HP. This isn't passing on Siri, or Turn by turn directions, this is advanced real time image processing that Google also had to include a secondary processor (Pixel core) to achieve on their devices.

 

[GtrDude]

That's a pretty huge difference.
Good for them.

 

[OneMike]

Nice video. I think the XS Max camera is definitely an upgrade, but if it were that serous I'd just spend that money on a new DSLR considering that I already have an X.

 

[SteveJobs2.0]

What a weird thing to post. There are a lot of other advancements in the XS vs. the X. Not really sure what the point of your post is...
[doublepost=1537917816][/doublepost]

No, it couldn't. Smart HDR greatly depends on the HARDWARE updates Apple made to the Neural Engine in the A12 chip. How is this Apple holding back features?

Well, given that Pixel 2 uses a more
Complex alogitythm than the XS to do HDR, iPhone X should have been able to do it to some level as it is faster computationally than Pixel 2.
[doublepost=1537922687][/doublepost]Also, note that there is a certain amount of confirmation bias in these reviews because the reviewers unconsciously select photos where the difference is the most pronounced. As someone said, if iPhone X photos were that bad consistently, it would have been a huge fiasco last year. In reality, apart from low light photography, the difference is minor.

Even in the world of professional photography, you have to zoom in a few hundred percent or look at complex shots to identify generational improvements in hardware.

 

[tt061282]

Let’s all be just a little more sensible here. . .

The XS camera is better yes, but the difference is NOT night and Day!

The XS is a smidgen faster than the iPhone X. And I do mean a smidgen.

Anything the XS can do the iPhone X can still the same thing.

Some in this post are still acting as though the XS isn’t the smallest “S” upgrade EVER.

If Google can make the Pixel 2 have the best camera in the game with 1 lens then there is absolutely 0 reason that Apple couldn’t have done the same thing. I realize that a lot in this Forum believe that Apple can do no wrong. I know that’s there are people who believe Apple did a great job with these iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max. These new iPhones have a few more features then what the iPhone X had last year ... none of which that couldn’t have already been added to the original X.

I mean we’re talking about these new phones like it’s a full model upgrade when they’re not. Yes Apple improved portrait photos. Is that not something that couldn’t have already been done through a software update? Yes it is. I know if Google can do it then Apple can as well. We all know that Apple is about getting the extra “buck.” Otherwise they WOULD NOT be one of the richest companies in the world.

I’m as big of an Apple fan as the next person, but some in “Apple Forum Land” are acting as though they threw everything into this “S” upgrade when it has been clear that they did not. I went on launch and bought the XS Max (in gold nonetheless since that was one of the few things Apple gave us) and I’ll be honest I compared it over the weekend with my iPhone X and iPhone 8 and I honestly for the first time in a while came away unimpressed. I did end up returning and staying on my X and 8 for the year.

All I’m saying is that it’s hard to compare the XS and XS Max to the iPhone X because it’s unimpressive. Just like the photos that were taking for this “comparison” there’s not truly enough difference to warrant me spending another $1149 on a new phone this year.

Some does wanna act as though as soon as Apple releases a new phone it immediately makes the previous flagship “trash” and to be honest that’s the furthest thing from the truth.

In all honesty the device that interests me the most this year is the XR, but there’s a reason Apple discontinued the X instead of selling it cheaper. It’s the same reason they discontinued the 5 when the 5C and 5S were released.

 

[Zaft]

No offense, but your opinion is wrong.

HDR is software AND hardware driven. Standard HDR is very simple, take multiple photos at different exposures and combine them together into a single photo. Smart HDR, on the other hand, dynamically determines what the exposures need to be on the fly, in an attempt to create a "perfectly" exposed photo. This requires some extremely complex calculations that the A11 chip is just not able to supply.
[doublepost=1537918168][/doublepost]

Well, at the time it was the best camera. Shocking how hardware continues to get better. Next year, the new iPhone will have an even better camera.

A11 not able to supply? Please.

 

[cote32mt]

We have a great thread with lots of sample images on the iPhone forum, including some comparison to the X and other models.

The thing I really came away with in my tests was the detail the Xs is able to pull out of what is normally blown out (highlights) with the X.

I wonder how much the iPhone X image could have been improved with some fairly basic image editing (e.g., shadows/highlights) to look a lot more like the XS result.

 

[Macaholic868]

You bought an iPhone X last year for all of the features that Apple advertised last year. You are not entitled to new features every year. If you want the feature that badly, upgrade your phone.

If you pay a big time premium price for a smart phone and there is nothing about the hardware that prevents it from having access to a feature that you want then you are very much entitled to being upset at the hardware manufacturer for their decision not to put out the software that adds that feature to the device you paid a premium price for.

You are right that you are not entitled to that feature but you sure as hell are entitled to not do business with the company in question if you’re unhappy with how they treat you after they have your money.

I couldn’t care less about the features of this year’s iPhone models. I love my X and won’t be upgrading anytime soon but if there were a new feature I cared about that could be enabled via an iOS update after dropping more than $1,200 on the X that Apple wasn’t rolling out to those of us who paid a premium for the hardware just trying to get more money out of us I would be pissed and would most definitely be entitled to tell them where they can stick it and to switch to an Andriod based device.

 

[PhilMacbook]

I don't have an X or XS and I'm not into photography but as a casual observer I like some of the X photos better then the XS equivalents. There doesn't seem much in it with any of the photos so I would say any improvement is small.

 

[MEJHarrison]

come on people, all computing devices are turing complete. the iphone X is fully capable of doing all the calculations needed to take an iphoneXs style HDR image. obviously it may be slower, but i'd wager it's still fast enough to get it done. it's only a year old, after all. did they improve the ISP in the Xs? yes. are the things it does *completely impossible* to do in a year-old device? doubtful.

just about the only salient feature in the Xs image pipeline is the larger pixel size / deeper well depth. that's definitely helping with the HDR stuff and preventing overexposed images in the first place. but it's an incremental change from the X, not a revolutionary one.

I'm with you entirely except for one point. The ML portion of the CPU went from 600 Billion operations/second, to 5 Trillion. Maybe it could keep up, maybe not. I suppose it depends on how heavily the new camera software taxes the chip. If you're trying to get a photo of something happening quickly, you might miss a great shot because it's still processing the previous shot. So maybe the X can "get it done" and maybe it can't. Only Apple knows for sure if the X could handle it or not and I doubt they'll speak on the issue.

 

[heov]

We all know Smart HDR could have been added via software.

We also know this is the most profitable and valuable company as well. You think theyre idiots?

Updating the X to support smart HDR would have prevented an upgrade/sale.

Not updating would have done nothing but make an Apple user unhappy... someone who is loyal anyway.

Apple is a business. A good one.

 

[orangermac]

Can the iPhone XS shoot portrait mode with the wide angle lens like the XR will be able to? Depending on how well this works compared to the 2 lens approach of the 7, X and XS, this could be a killer feature (wider field of view for group photos, better low light performance).

 

[Kram Sacul]

Meh. If you already shoot raw or dng then you already have “smart HDR” via Lightroom. No need to upgrade to get slightly better results using the extremely limited default camera app.

 

[jonnysods]

Just when I thought my iPhone X could never have looked bad, they go ahead and pull a stunt like this.

It's still a dope camera. Very pleased with it.

 

[Erasmus]

Some in this post are still acting as though the XS isn’t the smallest “S” upgrade EVER.

Who cares if it's the smallest 'S' upgrade, or the largest 'S' upgrade ever?

The Xs/Xs Max are better phones than the X in almost every way, except for price. That justifies their existence.

The iPhone X, 8/8+, 7/7+, 6S/6S+ etc. will continue to work just as well today as they did last month before the keynote. You do not have to upgrade your iPhone every year.

 

[Apple2GS]

My vision must be off. The X samples look much better to me. More contrast, especially in the clouds and faces. XS looks filtered without contrast.

 

[joeblough]

I'm with you entirely except for one point. The ML portion of the CPU went from 600 Billion operations/second, to 5 Trillion. Maybe it could keep up, maybe not. I suppose it depends on how heavily the new camera software taxes the chip. If you're trying to get a photo of something happening quickly, you might miss a great shot because it's still processing the previous shot. So maybe the X can "get it done" and maybe it can't. Only Apple knows for sure if the X could handle it or not and I doubt they'll speak on the issue.

i guess i'm not convinced that the ML hardware is involved in HDR processing. i can see it being involved in face detection as part of portrait mode, and of course in face ID.

anyway to me, it just strains credibility a little that apple would have juiced the ISP pipeline so much such that it's "impossible" to implement these features on last year's hardware. harder to implement, yes. a little slower, yes. but not impossible.

if my friends in the silicon group at apple could tell me without killing me, i guess i'd know for sure 🙂

 

[synergize]

If you take a photo with the X and show someone without having the Xs to compare, what is the point of this? None of these photos or comparisons are as good as Ansel Adams was 100 years ago.

 

[iPad Air]

My guess is that next year's iPhone will, with high hopes, ditch the notch in favor of a better solution and the name scheme will restart with a total new era of innovation: iPhone. Keeping it much akin to how they did the iPad. Doubtful in reality though but I just feel like they've fragmented it with the generation offsetting the given number in it's name. Who knows though lol

I really don’t mind the notch. I got the Max and I love it.