The iPhone X has been well-received by consumers and critics. Apple is struggling to keep up with the massive consumer demand. Earlier this week, experts at DisplayMate said the anniversary iPhone sports the “most color accurate” display in the world. DxOMark has given the iPhone X camera a record score of 101 points for still photography. But the device didn’t fare equally well in DxOMark’s video shooting tests, scoring 89 points.
Yes, you can record professional videos with the iPhone X camera
Apple’s Shot on iPhone campaigns have always shown the impressive camera quality of the flagship iPhones. In the past, its phones have been used to shoot professional videos and magazine cover photos. The iPhone X is capable of shooting 4K videos at 60 frames per second and 1080p slo-mo videos at 240fps. It is a huge jump from the previous generation iPhones.
To test how the iPhone X camera performs against a professional mirrorless camera, Lee Morris of YouTube channel Fstoppers pitted it against the Panasonic Lumix GH5 to shoot 4K videos. Fstoppers has used many older iPhones to shoot professional videos including commercials in the past. Panasonic GH5, which costs nearly $2,000 without a lens, is currently their favorite camera for video recording.
The iPhone X’s output was impressive. Morris had tweaked the GH5 footage to match the colors and contrast of the iPhone. In terms of contrast and color accuracy, the new iPhone equaled or surpassed the GH5 in multiple environments. It also performed exceptionally well in slo-mo tests. Morris said the iPhone X camera “has a really vibrant color profile baked right in.”
However, the Panasonic GH5 is way ahead of the iPhone X when zooming in. The iPhone’s sensor is smaller by comparison, which means it can capture only so much detail. The device had to switch to digital zoom after exceeding the limits of the telephoto lens. The GH5 was also ahead in low-light shooting capabilities and video stabilization. The comparison doesn’t intend to show that the iPhone X is good enough to fully replace a DSLR camera.
The iPhone X is not yet capable enough to replace DSLRs. It offers convenience, and it is almost always with you. All you have to do is pull out the phone and start recording excellent 4K videos. Apple has more than 800 engineers that work on improving the iPhone cameras. The iPhone X has a 12MP wide-angle lens with OIS and an f/1.8 aperture, and a 12MP telephoto lens with OIS and a wider f/2.4 aperture.
iPhone X owners have a new kind of problem
A big problem with most phones is that they don’t capture great photos and videos. But the iPhone X owners are complaining about an interesting problem. Many iPhone X owners have taken to Twitter to complain about its camera being so accurate that it makes them look ugly. The photos are so accurate that they make users self-conscious. DxOMark has particularly praised the new iPhone for its excellent detail preservation in all lighting conditions.
But seriously the camera on the iPhone X makes me 100x more ugly.
— Trevor Velasco (@Tvelasco34) November 6, 2017
Like I opened up he front camera and I’ll be damned if I ever do that again. It demoralized me.
— Trevor Velasco (@Tvelasco34) November 6, 2017
iPhone X is the most highly-anticipated iPhone
The iPhone X has been flying off the shelves since its launch on November 3, even though Apple has improved production and availability. AT&T CEO John Donovan told CNBC in a recent interview that the iPhone X sales had been incredibly strong. Donovan says it is “probably the most highly-anticipated version” of iPhone ever. That’s huge considering the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus had sold in record numbers in 2014.
Donovan told CNBC that “customers love it.” That’s why Wall Street analysts expect the iPhone X to drive Apple’s smartphone sales to record numbers in 2018. Morgan Stanley analysts estimate that Apple could ship more than 262 million iPhones in 2018, beating the 2015 record of 231 million units. It has also fueled a rally in Apple’s stock price.
Android users argue that Apple borrows features from Android smartphones. Of course, there are many features that were available on Android devices for years before Apple brought them to iPhones. You can take the example of big screens or OLED displays or facial recognition systems. But Apple does not merely add those features. It perfects those technologies before bringing them to iPhones.
For instance, Samsung has been offering OLED displays on its flagship phones for years. However, recent tests concluded that the iPhone X’s OLED display is far superior to Samsung’s Galaxy Note 8. Android phones were offering facial recognition technologies for years, but it was the iPhone X that took it to a whole new level. Face ID takes a 3D map of your face, and is far more accurate than any other smartphone facial recognition system on the planet. It can recognize your face even if you grow a beard, change your hairstyle, go bald, or wear glasses.
