The iPhone 16 Professional can take beautiful photographs in any circumstances and that is to say nothing of its neat 4K gradual movement mode. Its a number of rear lenses and new Photographic Kinds provide loads for photographers, whether or not they’re simply beginning out or if they have been taking pictures for years. The iPhone 16 Professional even put up a powerful battle in opposition to the opposite greatest digicam telephones round, together with the Galaxy S24 Extremely, the Pixel 9 Professional and the Xiaomi 14 Extremely.
Learn extra: iPhone 16 Professional takes on Xiaomi 14 Extremely
Nevertheless it’s nonetheless not the proper digicam and whereas early experiences from trade insiders declare that the cellphone’s video abilities will get a lift, there’s extra the cellphone will have to be an all-round pictures powerhouse. As each an skilled cellphone reviewer and knowledgeable photographer, I’ve exceptionally excessive expectations for top-end cellphone cameras and having used the iPhone 16 Professional since its launch, I’ve some ideas on what wants to alter.
Listed here are the details I wish to see improved on the iPhone 17 when it probably launches in September 2025.
Bigger picture sensor
Although the 1/1.28-inch sensor discovered on the iPhone 16 Professional’s fundamental digicam is already a very good measurement — and marginally bigger than the S24 Extremely’s 1/1.33-inch sensor — I wish to see Apple go larger. A bigger picture sensor can seize extra mild and provide higher dynamic vary. It is why professional cameras are inclined to have no less than “full body” picture sensors, whereas actually high-end cameras, just like the superb Hasselblad 907X, have monumental “medium format” sensors for pristine picture high quality.
Even on professional cameras, sensor measurement is necessary. Even the full-frame picture sensor within the center is dwarfed by the medium format sensor on the precise. Telephone digicam sensors do not come wherever close to to this measurement.
Xiaomi understands this, equipping its 14 Extremely with a 1-inch kind sensor. It is bigger than the sensors discovered on virtually some other cellphone, which permits the 14 Extremely to take beautiful pictures in a wide range of circumstances — together with Taylor Swift concert events. I am eager to see Apple no less than match Xiaomi’s cellphone right here with an analogous 1-inch kind sensor. Although if we’re speaking pie-in-the-sky needs, perhaps the iPhone 17 might be the primary smartphone with a full-frame picture sensor. I will not maintain my breath on that one — the cellphone, and the lenses, would have to be immense to accommodate it, so it’d probably be extra environment friendly simply to allow you to make calls together with your mirrorless digicam.
Variable aperture
Talking of the Xiaomi 14 Extremely, one of many different causes that cellphone rocks so onerous for pictures is its variable aperture on the primary digicam. Its widest aperture is f/1.6 — considerably wider than the f/1.78 of the iPhone 16 Professional.That wider aperture allows loads of mild in dim circumstances and extra authentically achieves out-of-focus bokeh round a topic.
The streetlight exterior this pub has been became a sexy starburst because of the variable aperture of the Xiaomi 14 Extremely.
However Xiaomi’s 14 Ultraaperture can even shut right down to f/4, and with that narrower aperture, it is in a position to create starbursts round factors of sunshine. I really like reaching this impact in nighttime imagery with the cellphone. It makes the ensuing photographs look way more like they have been taken with knowledgeable digicam and lens, whereas the identical factors of sunshine on the iPhone simply appear like roundish blobs. Disappointingly, Xiaomi truly eliminated this characteristic from the brand new 15 Extremely so whether or not Apple sees worth in implementing this type of know-how stays to be seen.
Extra Photographic Kinds
Although Apple has had numerous kinds and results built-in into the iPhone’s cameras, the iPhone 16 vary took it additional, with extra management over the consequences and extra firming choices. It is sufficient that CNET Senior Editor Lisa Eadicicco even declared the brand new Photographic Kinds her “favourite new characteristic on Apple’s newest cellphone.”
I feel they’re nice too. Or quite, they’re a terrific begin. The totally different shade tones, like those you get with the Amber and Gold kinds, add some beautiful heat to scenes, and the Quiet impact provides a classic filmic fade, however there’s nonetheless not a complete lot to select from and the interface generally is a little gradual to work via. I might like to see Apple introduce extra Photographic Kinds with totally different shade firming choices, and even with tones that mimic classic movie shares from Kodak or Fujifilm.
I like the hotter tones produced by the iPhone’s Amber type on this picture, however I might positively prefer to see extra choices for getting inventive with shade tones.
And certain, there are many third-party apps like VSCO or Snapseed that allow you to mess around with shade filters all you need. However utilizing Apple’s kinds means you possibly can take your photographs with the look already utilized, after which change it afterward when you do not prefer it — nothing is hard-baked into your picture.
Higher ProRaw integration with Photographic Kinds
I do assume Apple has barely missed a chance with its Photographic Kinds, although, in that you should use them solely when taking photographs in HEIF (high-efficiency picture format). Sadly, you possibly can’t use them when taking pictures in ProRaw. I really like Apple’s use of ProRaw on earlier iPhones, because it takes benefit of all the iPhone’s computational pictures — together with issues like HDR picture mixing — however nonetheless outputs a DNG uncooked file for simpler enhancing.
The DNG file usually additionally affords extra latitude to brighten darkish areas or tone down highlights in a picture, making it extraordinarily versatile. Beforehand, Apple’s shade presets might be used when taking pictures in ProRaw, and I liked it. I regularly shot street-style pictures utilizing the excessive distinction black-and-white mode after which edited the uncooked file additional.
I do loads of road pictures in black and white, and I might love extra flexibility to take ProRaw photographs in monochrome.
Now utilizing that very same black-and-white look means solely taking pictures photographs in HEIF format, eliminating the advantages of utilizing Apple’s ProRaw. Oddly, whereas the older-style “Filters” are now not obtainable within the digicam app when taking a uncooked picture, you possibly can nonetheless apply these filters to uncooked pictures within the iPhone’s gallery app via the enhancing menu.
LUTs for ProRes video
And whereas we’re on the subject of shade presets and filters, Apple must deliver these to video, too. On the iPhone 15 Professional, Apple launched the flexibility to shoot video in ProRes, which leads to very low-contrast, virtually gray-looking footage. The concept is that video editors will take this uncooked footage after which apply their edits on high, usually making use of distinction and shade presets often called LUTs (look-up tables) that offers footage a selected look — assume darkish and blue for horror movies or heat and light-weight tones for a romantic drama vibe.
However Apple would not provide any form of LUT for enhancing ProRes video on the iPhone, past merely ramping up the distinction, which does not actually do the job correctly. Certain, the purpose of ProRes is that you’d take that footage off the iPhone, put it into software program like Davinci Resolve, after which correctly shade grade the footage so it seems to be smooth {and professional}.
ProRes footage seems to be very low distinction and desaturated. Apple must introduce methods that will help you do extra with ProRes recordsdata on the iPhone.
However that also leaves the recordsdata in your cellphone, and I might love to have the ability to do extra with them. My gallery is affected by ungraded video recordsdata that I am going to do little or no with as a result of they want shade grading externally. I might like to share them to Instagram, or with my household over WhatsApp, after reworking these recordsdata from drab and grey to fantastically colourful.
With the iPhone 17, and even with the iPhone 16 as a software program replace, I wish to see Apple creating a spread of its personal LUTs that may be immediately utilized to ProRes video recordsdata on the iPhone.
If Apple had been in a position to implement all these modifications — excluding, maybe, the full-frame sensor which even I can admit is a contact bold — it will have an absolute beast of a digicam on its palms.
