Best iPhones for Camera Quality Ranked – 2022

Should you upgrade to a newer iPhone just for camera quality

One of the standout features of the Apple iPhone has always been the unbeatable camera quality. Apple’s camera tech and image processing software keeps them head and shoulders above the competition when it comes to producing images that are comparable to full size cameras in quality, and it keeps customers loyal to their brand without question in comparison to the often lacking camera quality of similar-spec Android devices.

The question is: should you upgrade from your current iPhone to a newer model for the sake of better camera quality?

If you have a model released after the iPhone X, it is likely that upgrading your device specifically for camera quality will offer you diminishing returns.

Diminishing returns in camera quality with newer models

As smartphone tech has developed over recent years, there are increasingly diminishing returns when it comes to upgrading to a newer model as technology can only evolve so much in a given time now that certain advancements in the field have already been made.

For example: from the iPhone 8 to the iPhone X the increase in camera quality was enormous. The iPhone 8 had only a single rear camera, with a 12MP sensor and f/1.8 lens; whereas the iPhone X introduced the rear camera array with multiple cameras, offering two 12MP sensors with f/1.8 and f/2.4 lenses, one wide and one telephoto. The amount of cameras offered with the device doubled here, and Apple’s image processing software improved drastically.

However, the difference in camera quality between the iPhone 13 Pro Max and the iPhone 14 Pro Max – Apple’s two latest flagship devices – is practically nonexistent. The lenses have slightly worse performance with the iPhone 14 Pro Max, but the sensor for the main camera has more megapixels. This is not such a major increase in quality, however, as the amount of megapixels on a smartphone sensor will be bottlenecked by the size and quality of the lens given that it has to fit into the back of a smartphone casing.

The incentive to upgrade with each successive generation of iPhone is, therefore, decreasing as each one arrives, and it would make more sense to purchase a semi-recent model that is refurbished or used for the best bang for your buck when it comes to the performance of your iPhone.

How does camera quality compare between models

1.      iPhone 13 Pro Max

Rear Cameras

12 MP, f/1.5, 26mm (wide), 1/1.7″, 1.9µm, dual pixel PDAF, sensor-shift OIS

12 MP, f/2.8, 77mm (telephoto), PDAF, 1/3.5″, OIS, 3x optical zoom

12 MP, f/1.8, 13mm, 120˚ (ultrawide), 1/3.5″, PDAF

Front Camera

12 MP, f/2.2, 23mm (wide), 1/3.6″

A new feature provided by the iPhone 13 Pro Max is macro photography, with the device able to focus on items up to 2cm from the lens.

Buy a refurbished iPhone 13 Pro Max at The Big Phone Store – from £778

2.      iPhone 13

Rear Cameras

12 MP, f/1.6, 26mm (wide), 1.7µm, dual pixel PDAF, sensor-shift OIS

12 MP, f/2.4, 120˚, 13mm (ultrawide)

Front Camera

12 MP, f/2.2, 23mm (wide), 1/3.6″

The iPhone 13 offers the same software features for photography, with slightly downgraded specs given that the telephoto lens is removed.

Buy a refurbished iPhone 13 from The Big Phone Store – from £639

3.      iPhone 12 Pro Max

Rear Cameras

12 MP, f/1.6, 26mm (wide), 1.7µm, dual pixel PDAF, sensor-shift OIS

12 MP, f/2.2, 65mm (telephoto), 1/3.4″, 1.0µm, PDAF, OIS, 2.5x optical zoom

12 MP, f/2.4, 13mm, 120˚ (ultrawide), 1/3.6″

Front Camera

12 MP, f/2.2, 23mm (wide), 1/3.6″

The iPhone 12 Pro Max offers three lenses and night mode portraits were made possible by a LiDAR scanner.

Buy a refurbished iPhone 12 Pro Max from The Big Phone Store – from £629

4.      iPhone 12

Rear Cameras

12 MP, f/1.6, 26mm (wide), 1.4µm, dual pixel PDAF, OIS

12 MP, f/2.4, 13mm, 120˚ (ultrawide), 1/3.6″

Front Camera

12 MP, f/2.2, 23mm (wide), 1/3.6″

The iPhone 12 has a dual camera system and a new wide f/1.6 aperture wide lens that moderately improved low light performance.

Buy a refurbished iPhone 12 at The Big Phone Store – from £413

5.      iPhone 11 Pro Max

Rear Cameras

12 MP, f/1.8, 26mm (wide), 1/2.55″, 1.4µm, dual pixel PDAF, OIS

12 MP, f/2.0, 52mm (telephoto), 1/3.4″, 1.0µm, PDAF, OIS, 2x optical zoom

12 MP, f/2.4, 120˚, 13mm (ultrawide), 1/3.6″

Front Camera

12 MP, f/2.2, 23mm (wide), 1/3.6″

The iPhone 11 Pro Max has a triple rear camera array and portrait mode that offered advanced bokeh (blur) and depth control.

Buy a refurbished iPhone 11 Pro Max at The Big Phone Store – from £424

6.      iPhone 11

Rear Cameras

12 MP, f/1.8, 26mm (wide), 1/2.55″, 1.4µm, dual pixel PDAF, OIS

12 MP, f/2.4, 120˚, 13mm (ultrawide), 1/3.6″

Front Camera

12 MP, f/2.2, 23mm (wide), 1/3.6″

The iPhone 11 offered an upgrade on the dual lens camera system of the iPhone X, and improved the megapixel count of the ultrawide lens.

Buy a refurbished iPhone 11 from The Big Phone Store – from £295

7.      iPhone X

Rear Cameras

12 MP, f/1.8, 28mm (wide), 1/3″, 1.22µm, dual pixel PDAF, OIS

12 MP, f/2.4, 52mm (telephoto), 1/3.4″, 1.0µm, PDAF, OIS, 2x optical zoom

Front Camera

7 MP, f/2.2, 32mm (standard)

The iPhone X introduced a dual camera array and offered impressive performance with a wide angle f/1.8 lens and telephoto f/2.4 lens and burst mode.

Buy a refurbished iPhone X from The Big Phone Store – from £183

8.      iPhone 8

Rear Cameras

12 MP, f/1.8, 28mm (wide), PDAF, OIS

Front Camera

7 MP, f/2.2

The iPhone 8 has a single 12MP wide camera and 2x optical zoom, offering portrait mode with five lighting effects.

Buy a refurbished iPhone 8 from The Big Phone Store – from £149

When should I upgrade my iPhone for a tangible improvement in camera quality?

We would recommend that, in order to reap the most benefits when it comes to camera quality, you should upgrade your iPhone every two generations at the most. Now that the increases in perfomance with each generation are diminishing drastically, it is easy to save money upgrading your device every 3/4 generations if you look after it well enough.

Check out our line of refurbished iPhones if you want to upgrade your old device, and see our page for selling iPhones to make some cash for your old device.