A full test of the camera on the Apple iPhone 18 Pro has been made public by DXOMARK, and the result shows the phone’s capabilities have held up well. The score given to it is 172 points, and the test covers photo, video, and every zoom setting in between.
The Three Lenses
Three cameras make up the iPhone 18 Pro. The main lens brings a 48 MP sensor to the table, with an adjustable aperture that moves from f/1.48 to f/4.0, paired with a 24 mm wide-angle view. It uses sensor-shift optical stabilization and Focus Pixels to follow motion in the frame. The wide-angle lens is another 48 MP sensor, f/2.2, with a 13 mm focal length and a 120° field of view. The telephoto lens is a third 48 MP sensor, f/2.8, with a 100 mm focal length and 8x optical zoom. It too uses sensor-shift stabilization, along with a tetraprism design.
What the Score Means
A score of 172 reflects the phone’s performance across DXOMARK’s objective measurements and perceptual analyses. The test covers exposure, contrast, color, noise, and stabilization, measured across common shooting conditions. DXOMARK’s analysis looks at how the phone performs in real-world settings, not just in perfect lab conditions.
Strengths First
The standout feature is the variable aperture, which adjusts the size of the lens opening. That lets the phone keep everyone sharp in a group portrait, with more than one person in the frame. DXOMARK notes that the group portrait performance is especially strong. The stabilization system is also impressive.
- Motion during running is smooth and natural at 60 frames per second
- The texture-noise balance remains controlled across most test conditions
- Contrast rendering looks natural in scenes with harsh light or shadows
- Skin tones look natural in portraits
- Exposure is accurate with a wide dynamic range
Weaknesses That Matter
The long-range telephoto performance falls slightly behind some competing flagship devices. The 8x optical zoom is solid, but the test found that the iPhone 18 Pro does not match the same level of detail as some rivals at the far end of the zoom range. There is also no blur effect on portrait mode in night photos.
A few smaller concerns are worth pointing out. Bright light can bring out green spots, and flare persists even when the iris is closed. Color casts tend to appear in certain conditions, particularly in low light. There is also a noticeable brightness difference between photo and video, which can be distracting when you are trying to preview what the camera sees.
Portrait Mode Works Well
When it comes to people, whether a single subject or a group, the photos come out strong. The variable aperture, which can be changed by hand, automatically extends the depth of field on group portraits. Bokeh mode delivers solid separation between the subject and the background, with accurate segmentation and a natural blur gradient. The rendering of background blur and spotlights stays true to life.
Vivo and Oppo devices, however, provide sharper facial details and finer subject isolation. That is a limitation, not a failure, but it is worth knowing if you are comparing the iPhone 18 Pro against those brands.
Video Performance Is Strong
The camera’s video performance is strong across the board. The stabilization system keeps motion smooth during running motion, and the texture-noise balance holds up well. Outdoor scenes benefit from its strong dynamic range, while low-light video shows improved color rendering, especially for skin tones.
Color casts keep coming up again and again across the test’s video use cases, and they remain the main image-quality problem, with white balance being the root cause.
Low Light Holds Up
The iPhone 18 Pro handles low-light photography well, with images that tend to be well exposed. It offers a wide dynamic range and a pleasant color appearance. White balance has been refined, preserving the device’s warm signature while keeping results relatively natural in dim settings.
The camera shows its strength in texture rendering during nighttime photography. It keeps a high level of detail while managing a controlled balance between texture and noise. As a result, only moderate noise shows up in textured areas where finer details have been preserved, allowing low-light images to hold onto natural texture without depending too heavily on artificial processing.
The Score Breakdown
| Use Case | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Global Score | 172 | DxOMark’s combined test |
| Portrait | — | Not included in overall score |
| Outdoor | — | Not included in overall score |
| Indoor | — | Not included in overall score |
| Lowlight | — | Not included in overall score |
| Zoom | — | Not included in overall score |
The Verdict
The iPhone 18 Pro camera scores its 172 points through strong and consistent performance. Its wide dynamic range, improved contrast, and accurate skin tones work together with effective stabilization and a well-balanced texture-noise trade-off. The variable aperture stands out as a particular strength, helping the camera keep sharpness in complex scenes and when multiple subjects are present. Autofocus works well overall, delivering a good user experience.
What owners have already noticed with their own eyes, the test confirms: this ranks among the best camera phones currently on the market. The video work is solid, and the low-light performance is excellent. Daylight photos hold up, and the stabilization system handles motion without fuss.
The telephoto performance stands out as the only genuine point of criticism, and it is a relative one, set against a narrow selection of competing cameras.
Source material: “Apple iPhone 18 Pro Camera test,” dxomark.com.
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