How much is it worth?

If you bought an iPhone 7 Plus about two years ago, you may be considering an upgrade to the new iPhone XS Max. And there are many reasons for this – the latest iPhone is the most powerful we've ever tested and it has a superb 6.5-inch OLED screen even larger than the Samsung Galaxy Note 9.

But it also comes with redesigned dual rear cameras with larger image sensors for better performance in low light scenarios. And that means a big improvement over the phones that came out not so long ago.

What is the improvement? To find out, we did a small tour of photos, opposing the XS Max 7 Plus. Here is what two years of advanced camera can do for your photos.

Compared cameras

Both handsets use 12 megapixel cameras for the main wide angle and secondary telephoto lenses, but that 's where the similarities stop. The iPhone XS and XS Max, equipped with the same cameras, offer larger pixels in the image sensor, allowing more light to reach the shutter.

The XS camera also has a slightly larger aperture for telephoto, f / 2.4 versus f / 2.8 in the iPhone 7 Plus, as well as an image stabilization optics on both objectives. Only the main shooter on the 7 Plus gets OIS.

The iPhone XS also adds Smart HDR – a new feature that leverages the faster image signal processor of the A12 Bionic to capture more exposures during each shot HDR. The processor then combines these images into an optimized version that makes the most of each one.

While the 7 Plus also benefits from an HDR mode, it's not quite as refined. In addition, the XS and XS Max allow you to adjust the bokeh in portrait mode before and after shooting, which old iPhones can not do.

Skyscraper

We started with shots of some skyscrapers overlooking Bryant Park on a slightly overcast afternoon. And while the iPhone 7 Plus has reached a perfectly usable representation of the scene, it lacked the color and dynamic range of the XS Max's attempt. Smart HDR was clearly working his magic here. You can see further into the trees through the lens of the new iPhone, and the highlights, like the shiny silver building on the left, are not as blown up.

Portrait

Then we went back to capture some portraits. It was really not a challenge – the XS Max delivered a picture of my colleague Caitlin who was much more balanced, with a realistic contrast and a bokeh that avoided invading the foreground. Not only is the frame fuzzier on the 7 Plus, but Caitlin's eyes are lost in the deep, dramatic shadows of the old iPhone – a strange effect to say the least.

Flower

Of course, you do not just have to use Portrait mode for people – it works well with other objects, like this flower in the park. Right away, you can say that the 7 Plus wrestles with the highlights, as the fringes of these red-orange petals are immersed in pure white. However, the two phones deserve to be rewarded for exposing the flower in a radical way, because it had oscillated all the time during the shooting.

Restaurant

This tour proves that even an old iPhone can surprise you from time to time. The 7 Plus does a better job of staying with the XS Max than we had planned in a warmly lit restaurant. The colors are not as robust as what the new iPhone has captured, and there is more noise than we would have liked, but the 7 Plus somehow managed a better dynamic and kept more detail in the shadows. On the other hand, the XS Max is not ejected by the harsh light of the window in the background, so this one is a little tricky.

Dark room

If you really want to see what the XS Max can do in the least favorable conditions, try taking a picture in an almost black room as we did here. Noisy and mute are the words to describe the 7 Plus attempt. The old phone is not far behind the XS Max in terms of overall brightness, but looking at the XS Max version, you'd never guess that our studio was so dark – the picture is so sharp, in much thanks to this new image sensor pulling out the little light that there was in the room.

Optical zoom

Here we see Apple's improvements to the secondary telephoto lens of the XS Max, on which the phone supports this 2x optical zoom. Looking at the street level Chrysler Building leads to a gloomy and dismal image on the 7 Plus. The XS Max composes the show, giving the scene a much needed life and sending a cloud of color back into the cloudy sky.

Bottom Line

There is no doubt that the cameras of the iPhone XS are better than those of the iPhone 7 Plus, and noticeably. This can be bad news for those who want to keep their phone for as long as possible, but the fact is that two years make a huge difference in the development of mobile photography.

Opening control on the iPhone XS MaxXS Max's Smart HDR mode enabled you to produce deeper images in highlights and shadows, allowing you to see more color gradients than the 7 Plus. The new image sensor has proven itself by providing brighter, quieter low-light scenes, while the new aperture control setting for Portrait mode gives you the ability to accurately determine the desired level of blur.

Overall, the refinements brought by Apple for two generations are very clear. This allows the aspirants to make a simple decision: If you want the best photos on your iPhone, go to the iPhone XS or the iPhone XS Max.