Mobile photography is one of the main hobbies of Apple iPhone owners, so when buying a new device, we always pay attention to camera specifications and we are trying to find a comparison of images in order to track the dynamics of changes. But since it went on sale iPhone 2G15 years have passed, and today it’s hard to even imagine how I photographed the first Apple phone (especially against the background of iPhone 13 Pro Max). In anticipation iPhone 14 release we have the opportunity to trace the evolution of mobile apple photos not only on the characteristics, but also on the examples of the photo.
No, there has not yet been a person who would pick up all the iPhones released over the past 15 years and stand at the crossroads to take several dozen shots from the same angle. But a group of Indian geeks from Simple Ghar appeared, creating a huge number of special filters to help evaluate the difference between the iPhone 2G and the same iPhone 13 Pro Max. With the help of their utility, we tracked how the iPhone cameraand now we can compare photos from the first to the last iPhone.
How I photographed the first iPhone
Apple introduced its first smartphone in 2007 and, if you remember, it was not a photo flagship at that time. The iPhone 2G didn’t even have front camera, and the main one had a resolution of only 2 megapixels with a very narrow f / 2.8 aperture and could not record video. At the same time, push-button phones were very popular on the market, and the main flagship was then considered Nokia N95. He had a front camera, and the resolution of the main camera was as much as 5 megapixels. Therefore, against the background of the Nokia N95, the pictures taken on the iPhone 2G looked very faded.
This comparison clearly shows how first iPhone smears the image around the edges, while the Nokia N95 produces a relatively sharp photo without visible distortion due to a narrow aperture or low resolution. But a year later, the situation for Apple has changed dramatically. The updated iPhone 3G of 2008, according to the Simple Ghar utility, with the remaining 2 megapixels, showed a completely different color reproduction with higher image clarity.
Which iPhone takes better photos
A little later, I will definitely show what result the 15-year-old came to evolution of iPhone cameras, but first let’s focus on dry numbers. What’s new offered by Apple, releasing another smartphone every year:
- iPhone 3GS (2009). The camera resolution has increased to 3.15 megapixels, autofocus appeared and the ability to record video (640×480).
- iPhone 4 (2010). The phone received an updated 5 megapixel camera, as well as a 0.3 megapixel front camera.
- iPhone 4S (2011). The resolution of the main camera has become 8 megapixels with the ability to record video in FullHD, the function of face recognition and electronic image stabilization has appeared.
- iPhone 5 (2012). The smartphone has got a 1.2 megapixel front camera, and the main camera is now protected by a sapphire crystal.
- iPhone 5S (2013). The 8-megapixel camera has been expanded to f/2.2 and features a new True Tone flash technology.
- iPhone 6 (2014). In the Plus version, OIS appeared, and ISO work was also improved.
- iPhone 6S (2015). The resolution of the main camera has reached 12 megapixels, and the front one – 5 megapixels. There are live photos and Retina Flash for selfies.
- iPhone 7 (2016). The aperture of the main camera has expanded to f / 1.8, and an auxiliary module with optical zoom (2x) has appeared in the Plus version.
- iPhone 8 (2017). The resolution of the front camera has become 7 megapixels, and portrait lighting has appeared in the Plus version.
- iPhone X (2017). Among the innovations are portrait selfies, as well as Animoji and Memoji.
- iPhone XS (2018). Brighter telephoto lens (f/2.2), stereo recording and cinematic stabilization.
- iPhone 11 (2019). There was a wide-angle lens, Deep Fusion and night mode, as well as a 12-megapixel front camera with 4K support.
- iPhone 12 (2020). Night mode for the front camera and Dolby Vision, and in the Pro version – a LiDAR sensor and a wide aperture of the main camera (f / 1.6).
- iPhone 13 (2021). The physical size of the main and wide-angle sensors has been increased, as well as the record-breaking aperture in the Pro version (f / 1.5).
Apple systematically improved the camera and its capabilities, but sometimes the changes seemed so insignificant that it made no sense to update the smartphone even once every 2 years by itself. But in the end we came to an incredible clarity images in iPhone 13 Pro Max due to the large and light-sensitive sensor.
Now it remains for us to talk about what to expect from new iPhone 14 and his older brothers iPhone 14 Pro and 14 Pro Max, the presentation of which will take place on September 7th. Of course, we don’t have sample photos, but we do have a lot of information about the camera’s specs.
iPhone 14 camera
Since 2015, Apple has not changed the resolution of the main camera, leaving it unchanged – 12 megapixels. At the same time, the size of the sensor, the width of the aperture increased and new features were added, but by 2022 the company decided to reconsider its position. According to insiders, the resolution of the main iPhone 14 Pro cameras and its Max version will be 48 megapixels. At the same time, in auto mode, smartphones will continue to produce 12-megapixel images due to Pixel Binning (pixel binning), and the size of the sensor itself will approach the psychological mark of 1 inch and will be 1 / 1.3 ”(23% more than in 13 Pro Max ).
Whether the camera resolution of the base Apple iPhone 14 will increase is still unclear. But it is almost certainly known that the firmware will be able to record video in 8K resolution. For obvious reasons, this format is not popular, but it is actively being introduced into Android flagships. As for the front camera, in all versions it should receive a noticeable upgrade in light sensitivity, and this will positively affect the quality of evening selfies.
