Apple iPhone 18 Pro Camera test
Recorded: Sept. 20, 2026, 3:08 p.m.
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Apple iPhone 18 Pro Camera test - DXOMARK
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Ultra-Premium ? September 19, 2026 Go to product review 172 camera 2nd Ranking Position The Apple iPhone 18 Pro camera performance is evaluated across photo, zoom, and video use cases using DXOMARK’s objective measurements and perceptual analyses to assess imaging performance across common shooting conditions. This article provides a structured summary of DXOMARK’s lab measurements and perceptual analyses to describe the device’s imaging performance. Primary: 48 MP, f/1.48 – f/4.0, 24 mm (wide), variable aperture, sensor-shift OIS, Focus Pixels With a score of 172 points, the Apple iPhone 18 Pro delivers excellent overall camera performance, combining a wide dynamic range, improved contrast and skin tones, effective stabilization, and a well-balanced texture-noise trade-off. Its variable aperture is a particular strength, significantly improving the camera’s ability to maintain sharpness in complex scenes and when multiple subjects are present. Autofocus performance is good overall, offering a good user experience. Flare is also generally better controlled than on the previous generation, with a good reduction of diffuse flare in most situations, although green spots can still appear and flare remains quite visible when the iris is closed. Apple iPhone 18 Pro Details preserved on both face, face in the back in focus Apple iPhone 17 Pro Details are lost on the face in the back Huawei Pura 80 Ultra Face in the back in focus with face details visible In photo, the camera produces generally accurate exposure and benefits from a wide dynamic range. Exposure can, however, be slightly low in some backlit portrait scenes, while contrast rendering in these situations remains particularly natural, providing a convincing balance between highlights and shadows. Texture rendering preserves a good level of fine detail with fewer visible AI artifacts than on some competing devices. Apple iPhone 18 Pro – Well exposed portrait, balances contrast, vivid skin tones and sharp details on face The main limitations are long-range telephoto performance, which falls slightly behind some competing flagship devices, and the lack of blur effect on portrait mode in night Scoring Apple iPhone 18 Pro 172 camera 171 Main 184 Huawei Pura 80 Ultra Bokeh 185 Oppo Find X9 Ultra Ultra-Wide 175 Vivo X300 Ultra Tele 173 Oppo Find X9 Ultra 176 Main Apple iPhone 18 Pro Ultra-Wide Apple iPhone 18 Pro Tele 140 Vivo X200 Ultra Use cases & Conditions BEST 169 Top score Portrait Top score Top score Outdoor BEST 180 Top score Indoor Top score Top score Lowlight BEST 161 Top score Zoom Pros Exposure is mostly accurate, and it is supported by a wide dynamic range, contrast is very natural even under challenging conditions Cons Face exposure can be low in challenging backlit conditions Top score Lowlight The Apple iPhone 18 Pro is one of the strongest-performing devices overall in low-light conditions, thanks to strong performance in both photo and video. Images are generally well exposed, with a wide dynamic range and pleasant color rendering. White balance has also been improved, maintaining the device’s characteristic warm signature while keeping it relatively natural in low-light scenes. BEST 169 Portrait Apple iPhone 18 Pro – Preserved contrast on face and slight low exposure Apple iPhone 17 Pro – Some loss of contrast on face and slight low exposure Google Pixel 11 Pro XL – Some loss of contrast on face also The Apple iPhone 18 Pro delivers a very good portrait experience, producing well-rendered images with improved contrast and natural-looking skin tones. Exposure can be slightly low in some backlit portraits, but the wide dynamic range helps preserve scene information. More importantly, contrast rendering in these challenging situations is particularly natural, providing a convincing balance between highlights and shadows. The combination of controlled contrast and pleasant color rendering allows portraits to retain a natural photographic appearance Apple iPhone 18 Pro – Pleasant exposure with vivid color, fine subject segmentation and cohesive blur gradient BEST 161 Zoom Apple iPhone 18 Pro Visible loss of details at long range Google Pixel 11 Pro XL Slight loss of details and some unatural artifacts visible Huawei Pura 80 Ultra Sharp details visible, some artifacts visible The Apple iPhone 18 Pro provides particularly strong zoom performance at close and medium distances, where image quality remains detailed and natural. Rendering is consistent at these ranges, with good preservation of fine textures and a balanced treatment of detail and noise.
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The evaluation of the Apple iPhone 18 Pro camera performance by DXOMARK assessed the device across photo, zoom, and video modalities using objective measurements and perceptual analyses to determine its imaging capabilities under various shooting conditions. The device is equipped with a primary sensor offering 48 megapixels with a variable aperture ranging from f/1.48 to f/4.0, a 24 millimeter wide lens, sensor-shift optical image stabilization, and focus pixels, alongside an ultra-wide sensor of 48 megapixels and a telephoto lens with an 8x optical zoom and a tetraprism design, also featuring sensor-shift optical image stabilization. This comprehensive assessment resulted in an overall score of 172 points, indicating a high level of photographic competence. The imaging system demonstrates strength in managing dynamic range, achieving natural contrast rendering, and effectively balancing texture preservation with noise control across most scenarios. A significant advantage is provided by the variable aperture, which enhances the camera's ability to maintain sharpness in complex scenes and manage depth of field, particularly in group portraits where automatic depth of field is extended. The system generally produces accurate exposure and benefits from a wide dynamic range, though some instances of low exposure in backlit portrait scenes were noted. In portrait photography, the iPhone 18 Pro delivers a very good experience, characterized by well-rendered images with vivid skin tones and natural-looking contrast. Depth of field management in portrait mode is effective, offering a cohesive blur gradient. However, the review noted that in the most demanding portrait scenarios, some competing devices demonstrated superior fine subject separation and sharper facial details, suggesting limitations in the refinement of segmentation and detail rendering compared to the best competitors. Video performance is rated as excellent overall, featuring smooth and natural stabilization even during motion, particularly during running scenarios, and a favorable texture-noise compromise. Low-light video demonstrates improved color rendering, especially for skin tones, although visible color casts and white balance instabilities can still emerge in certain conditions. Zoom performance is a mixed factor. The camera exhibits particularly strong performance at close and medium distances, maintaining detailed and natural image quality across these ranges with consistent texture and detail preservation. Video zoom is specifically highlighted as a strength due to very smooth transitions between focal lengths. Conversely, the system experiences limitations at long distances, where performance lags behind some flagship competitors, resulting in noticeable softening of fine details when high-quality, long-range zoom is required. In low-light conditions, the iPhone 18 Pro proves to be one of the strongest performers in both stills and video. It maintains strong image exposure, a wide dynamic range, and pleasant color rendering. Texture rendering remains a key strength, preserving fine details while keeping noise relatively controlled, allowing images to retain natural texture without excessive artificial processing. Nevertheless, limitations persist in demanding low-light settings, where blur can be noticeable, and some fine details may be lost, although the overall balance between detail and noise remains satisfactory. Visible color casts and white balance instability remain an occasional limitation across various lighting conditions. |