iPhone XS vs. iPhone X: the camera makes all the difference

The brand new iPhone XS looks a lot like the iPhone X from last year on the outside.

So you should think that the two 12 megapixel cameras are also the same. But the appearance can be misleading: there are actually some significant differences in the detailed specifications and image processing that make a big difference in the quality of the actual shots.

The iPhone X has taken great pictures. XS shots are even better. (Do not forget that the XS has exactly the same camera as the XS Max.)

IPhone XS vs iPhone X Specifications

	iPhone XS	iPhone X
Rear camera	Dual 12 megapixel	Dual 12 megapixel
Wide angle lens	26mm f / 1.8	28mm f / 1.8
telephoto	51mm f / 2.4	51mm f / 2.4
Optical image stabilization?	Yes, both rear cameras	Yes, both rear cameras
Digital zoom	10x	10x
Front camera type	TrueDepth 27mm f / 2.2	TrueDepth 30mm f / 2.2
Front camera resolution	7 megapixels	7 megapixels
Autofocus (rear camera)	Contrast phase	Contrast phase
Autofocus (front camera)	Contrast phase	No
Min / Max ISO (rear camera)	24/2304	22/2112
Min / Max ISO (front camera)	15/1440	19/1824
4K video	Yes (24/30/60 fps)	Yes (24/30/60)
Extended dynamic range of the video	Yes, up to 30 frames per second	No
Stabilization on the front camera	Yes (1080 / 720p)	No
l & # 39; Audio	Stereo recording	Mono recording

These specifications were extracted from the Halide application (US $ 5.99) which includes a technical reading section that provides a breakdown of both cameras.

I've taken the iPhone XS and the iPhone X to the sensory overload of Candytopia in San Francisco, and then around the city, to test the cameras in the real world. When reviewing images on phones and on a computer, I was truly surprised by the overall improvement in image processing on the XS.

All photos were taken on the default application with default settings and HDR mode enabled. Here is a breakdown of the main differences between the two phones. For the sake of brevity, I did not focus on areas that remained virtually unchanged, such as slow motion video.

Portrait mode: More options on the iPhone XS

Both phones have a portrait mode, but only the XS allows you to adjust the blur or bokeh after shooting. (Samsung Galaxy phones allow you to do the same thing for many years.)

Moving the depth control slider simulates changing the aperture of the lens. The wider the aperture (or lower the f-number), the fuzzier the background.

Apple has made the depth control available on all the portrait-mode photos you take on the front and back cameras. You can read more about how does the depth control work in this article.

Because the effect is generated by the image processing, it does not always have the same qualities as the "creamy" bokeh of a DSLR lens. This simply increases the blur around your subject.

That being said, the effect may look very good – such as when your subject is far enough away from the background and you choose the largest simulated aperture of f / 1.4. But in other situations, the effect may seem a little synthetic.

If you do not change the depth control slider and leave only portrait photos as they are, both phones produce similar-looking images. The XS captures a little more detail, as you can see in the image below (focus on the hair), but the X's images have a bit more contrast.

Smart HDR increases the iPhone X

According to Apple, a new HDR setting on the iPhone XS called Smart HDR helps keep more detail and shade in the photos.

It really makes a difference when it's on. Note that it is enabled by default in Settings> Camera.

The XS with Smart HDR retains more highlighting detail than the X, especially in situations like the photo below. Take a look at the details kept in the window frame.

For portraits, Smart HDR gives a much more pleasant effect on faces. It softens and softens glare so that lighting is uniform. It's like having a personal light box. The same picture of the iPhone X shows more severe and exploded highlights.

But even with Smart HDR off, the iPhone XS seems to have a slightly higher dynamic range than the X. Here's the same picture of the XS (with Smart HDR off) and the X (with normal HDR sound enabled).

The selfies of the TrueDepth camera from the iPhone XS will also be updated. Rather than the exploded backgrounds and the crisp contrast of the X, the selfies are more flattering on the XS. In some photos, the X decided that my brown hair looked grayer when I took selfies with light from the sky.

General photos

In good lighting conditions, especially when taking pictures outside, you will not notice any difference between XS and X photos. In my opinion, the colors are slightly more saturated on the old iPhone X.

The exception is the pictures taken in the sun, the bright sky or the bright lights. In these cases, the Smart HDR function can help to avoid exploded reflections – but it can also make the colors more discreet than those of the X.

When you look at the pictures on the phone screens with TrueTone enabled, the pictures look more true on the new XS than on the X. (TrueTone adjusts the screen based on the ambient light, so that the colors seem consistent.)

Of course, the screen on which you are viewing these images will also make a difference to the look of these images. If you look primarily on the phone screen, most people to whom I have shown sample photos thought that the iPhone XS was closer to the real world. But if you are one to print photos or save them as desktop wallpaper, you may prefer the higher contrast directly from the camera's own. iPhone X.

Check out the gallery to see even more pictures of both phones.

Low light pictures

With a larger pixel size on the XS camera sensor (1.4 microns vs. 1.1), the newer phone should have an advantage in low-light situations, at least on paper. Larger pixels usually mean that they can collect more light.

In the real world, pixel heights combined with Smart HDR technology make it possible to create low-light images that are more homogeneous and balanced than those of the X.

Note the lights in the photo above: they look like bright spots on the X's photo, while on the XS they have more definition and actually look like lights.

I've taken a lot of low light pictures on every phone and the iPhone XS shots usually have less noise than those of the iPhone X – which is not a huge difference, but enough so that I prefer the appearance of the photos of the iPhone XS.

The video is more beautiful on the iPhone XS

According to Apple, the XS runs with an extended dynamic range in videos up to 30 frames per second.

Like Smart HDR for photos, you will notice this especially on videos when shooting scenes with difficult lighting conditions: think of the light that enters through a window in a dark room or a light bulb in the background of your image. On the XS, these highlighting details are rendered more accurately than the X.

See some examples of both phones in the video embedded on this page.

With regard to audio, the XS records in stereo. Listen to the same video clip in headphones and you'll easily hear richer stereo audio on the X's mono audio channel.

Is the iPhone XS camera worth the upgrade?

Objectively, the iPhone XS takes better pictures (and videos) than the iPhone X. But unless you hold the phones side by side, owners of iPhone X will not see a big difference.

Some people that I showed pictures on both phones preferred the higher contrast of the iPhone X pictures. Others chose the XS each time. Again, the most notable improvements occur if and when you find yourself in a high-contrast environment with Smart HDR enabled. You will probably be able to see the biggest XS / Max enhancements over the 2017 iPhone X when shooting in the daytime or at nighttime shots interspersed with bright lights.

The iPhone XS is globally an incremental update compared to the iPhone X. So unless you are on an annual upgrade program, I do not recommend looking for a new iPhone XS only for the camera. Ideally, I would like some software adjustments to be made to the iPhone X so that the HDR processing is a little closer to the Smart HDR on the XS.

But for older iPhone owners like 6 or 7, the camera update is a big step forward. We have not yet tested the next iPhone XR, which has many of the same features as the XS but with one purpose. Stay tuned for this, as well as other comparisons with Samsung phones and the phone to announce Google Pixel 3.