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The New iPhone Camera Isn’t Any Better Than the Last One

2 minute read
Apple Unveils New IPhones, IPad And Apple TV With Touch Remote
The Apple iPhone 6s.Bloomberg—Bloomberg via Getty Images
By Daniel Roberts / Fortune

This past summer, as Apple fans geared up for the release of the new iPhone 6s, many were most eager to get their hands on the beefed-up, 12-mexapixel camera in the device. Apple blogs reported that the iPhone 6s camera would be Apple’s “best camera yet.”

According to one test, it is not.

DxOMark, which conducts tests of every new smartphone camera, has rated the iPhone 6s camera a mere 83 for photo capabilities, and 80 for video. Overall, the iPhone 6s camera got a composite score of 82—that’s the same score that DxOMark gave to the cameras in the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus last year, and it’s a lower rating than it gave to cameras on smartphone models from Sony, Samsung, and Google, according to CNET.

“Despite our hopes for the new sensor, the Apple iPhone 6s posts an identical overall score as its predecessor… iPhone 6s is left behind by the two leaders in our database, the Sony Xperia Z5 and Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge,” DxOMark’s reviewer Kevin Carter wrote.

“Overall,” the reviewer added, “those looking to upgrade from the iPhone 6 Plus might not find it appreciably compelling.” But even if camera enthusiasts are turned off by the lukewarm review, their aversion isn’t reflected in sales: in September, the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus notched a record 13 million units in sales in just their first weekend on the market.

See the World Await and Celebrate Apple's iPhone 6

People pass time as they wait outside an Apple store for the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus in London on Sept. 17, 2014.
People pass time as they wait outside an Apple store for the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus in London on Sept. 17, 2014. Lefteris Pitarakis—AP
People wait for the release of Apple's new iPhone 6 and 6 Plus in front of the Apple Store in Tokyo on Sept. 18, 2014.
People wait in line in front of the Apple Store in Tokyo on Sept. 18, 2014.Yuya Shino—Reuters
A man sleeps in a tent in the queue outside an Apple store in London on Sept. 18, 2014.
A man sleeps in a tent in the queue outside an Apple store in London on Sept. 18, 2014.Justin Tallis—AFP/Getty Images
A man wearing a replica of an iPhone 6 Plus model on his head yawns while waiting in front of the Apple Store in Tokyo on Sept. 19, 2014.
A man wearing a replica of an iPhone 6 Plus model on his head yawns while waiting in front of an Apple Store in Tokyo on Sept. 19, 2014.Yuya Shino—Reuters
A woman sleeps in a chair as she waits in queue outside the Apple store in London on Sept. 18, 2014.
A woman sleeps in a chair as she waits in queue outside the Apple store in London on Sept. 18, 2014. Justin Tallis—AFP/Getty Images
A staff member removes a display poster of iPhone 5S at the Apple store in Tokyo on Sept. 18, 2014,.
A staff member removes a display poster of iPhone 5S at an Apple store in Tokyo on Sept. 18, 2014,.Yuya Shino—Reuters
Customers queue outside an Apple store in Hong Kong on Sept. 19, 2014.
Customers queue outside an Apple store in Hong Kong on Sept. 19, 2014. Xaume Ollerose—AFP/Getty Images
Ken Miyauchi Vice President of Softbank, Japanese mobile phone company and actress Sayaka Kanda, in a pink dress, react during a ceremony to mark the first day of sales of the latest iPhone 6 and 6 Plus at a store in Tokyo on Sept. 19, 2014.
Ken Miyauchi Vice President of Softbank, Japanese mobile phone company and actress Sayaka Kanda, in a pink dress, react during a ceremony to mark the first day of sales of the latest iPhone 6 and 6 Plus at a store in Tokyo on Sept. 19, 2014.Shizuo Kambayashi—AP
Apple iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus go on sale in USA
After being first in line for 19 days, Moon Ray, from Jackson, Miss. runs the gauntlet of Apple store workers as she enters the Fifth Avenue Apple store in New York on Sept. 19, 2014.Peter Foley—EPA
Apple store staff high five customers as they enter the store in Tokyo on Sept. 19, 2014.
Apple store staff high five customers as they enter an store in Tokyo on Sept. 19, 2014.Chris McGrath—Getty Images
A man wearingaA man wearing a mask depicting Apple's co-founder Steve Jobs holds up a cardboard cut-out of Apple's new iPhone 6, as he walks into the Apple Store in Tokyo on Sept. 18, 2014. a mask depicting Steve Jobs holds up a cardboard cut-out of Apple's new iPhone 6, as he walks into the Apple Store in Tokyo
A man wearing a mask depicting Apple's co-founder Steve Jobs holds up a cardboard cut-out of Apple's new iPhone 6, as he walks into an Apple Store in Tokyo on Sept. 18, 2014.Yuya Shino—Reuters
Andreas Gibson celebrates as he exits the Apple store after being the first to purchase an iPhone 6 Plus on Sept. 19, 2014 in New York.
Andreas Gibson celebrates as he exits an Apple store in New York after being the first to purchase an iPhone 6 Plus on Sept. 19, 2014. Julie Jacobson—AP
Jamael Ahmed jumps in the air as he leaves the store after being the first to purchase the iPhone 6 at Apple Covent Gardens in London on Sept. 19, 2014.
Jamael Ahmed jumps in the air as he leaves the store after being the first to purchase the iPhone 6 at Apple Covent Gardens in London on Sept. 19, 2014.Ben A. Pruchnie—Getty Images

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