How does the iPhone 17 Pro photograph and record video? DxOMark thoroughly tested it, its video is the best on the market

The specialized DXOMark laboratory has published the results of its iPhone 17 Pro camera testing. With an overall score of 168 points, Apple reached the third position in the ranking of the best smartphone cameras, surpassed only by the Huawei Pura 80 Ultra (175 points) and Oppo Find X8 Ultra (169 points). The result represents a significant improvement compared to last year’s iPhone 16 Pro, which scored 157 points.

Trio of 48-megapixel sensors changes the game

A fundamental hardware innovation is the deployment of 48MP sensors across all three modules – main, wide-angle, and telephoto. Previous generations only had high resolution for the main and wide-angle sensors. This change brings better flexibility when zooming, and Apple markets it as the “48MP Pro Fusion camera system”, which supposedly replaces 8 professional lenses in your pocket.

The camera design has undergone visible changes – the traditional square module has been replaced by a camera platform extending across the entire width of the device. The lenses remain on the left, while LIDAR and the flash have moved to the right. Inside, a new A19 Pro processor works with a 6-core CPU, 6-core GPU, and a 16-core Neural Engine for accelerating AI tasks.

Video at the absolute top, photos just below

The iPhone 17 Pro dominates primarily in the video category, where it scored a record 171 points. DXOMark highlights accurate exposure, a wide dynamic range that works even in low light, very effective stabilization, and smooth transitions between individual cameras when zooming. Video can be recorded in 4K at 60 fps in Dolby HDR, or the 120 fps slow motion mode can be used in 4K resolution.

In the photography section, the phone scored 166 points, which is a solid, though not the best, result. Strengths include excellent portrait work, precise object segmentation in bokeh mode, and a high level of detail at preset zoom levels. The system offers direct access to these focal lengths: macro, 13mm (0.5×), 24mm (1×), 35mm (1.5×), 48mm (2×), 100mm (4×), and 200mm (8×).

Where the iPhone 17 Pro loses points

DXOMark identified several areas where Apple lags behind the top performers. Noise in poorer lighting conditions is still more noticeable than with competitors – especially the Huawei Pura 80 Ultra or Oppo Find X8 Ultra manage noise suppression better. The problem is particularly evident when photographing indoors and at dusk.

The second weakness is limited depth of field in group portraits. While the Huawei Pura 80 Ultra features a variable aperture that can increase depth of field when needed, the iPhone has a fixed f/1.8 aperture. As a result, people in the background of a group photo may be blurred.

An interesting observation is the drop in quality at intermediate zoom levels. If you set the zoom to, for example, 3.9× instead of the preset 4×, the Fusion Camera system does not activate, and detail significantly decreases. DXOMark therefore recommends sticking to the preset values.

Night mode surprisingly wins

A pleasant surprise is the first place in the night photography category. In lighting conditions of 5 lux or less, a long exposure (1 second or more) is automatically activated, which can capture a high amount of detail with natural rendering. Although the output has a lower resolution of 12MP instead of the standard 24MP, the quality is, according to DXOMark, the best on the market.

Overall, the iPhone 17 Pro confirms that Apple still belongs to the absolute top of mobile photography. Third place in the ranking might sound like a decline compared to previous dominant positions, but the reality is that the competition – especially Chinese manufacturers – has significantly accelerated the pace of innovation. For the average user, the iPhone 17 Pro will still represent one of the most versatile cameras on the market, especially thanks to its excellent video and reliable performance across all scenarios.

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Source: DxOMark