Following its Apple iPhone 12 Pro camera review, DxOMark has published its verdict of the iPhone 12 Pro Max, confirming what many already know: The latest and biggest iPhone is indeed a camera beast. But it’s not the best.

The camera-ratings website gave the Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max an overall score of 130, while the scores for photo, zoom, and video are 138, 68, and 113, respectively. It’s enough to rank the phone in fourth place overall, trailing the Huawei P40 Pro, Xiaomi Mi 10 Ultra, and the top-ranked Huawei Mate 40 Pro.

For comparison, the iPhone 12 Pro got a score of 128, matching the Xiaomi Mi 10 Pro but falling behind its larger, more expensive sibling. Last year’s iPhone 11 Pro Max notched an overall of 117, albeit under older testing protocols. Interestingly, the iPhone 12 Pro Max’s video score of 113 is the second-highest result in DxOMark’s smartphone rankings, tied with the P40 Pro and behind the 116 of the Mate 40 Pro.

DxOMark concluded that the phone’s video performance is “excellent” and said that Dolby Vision HDR support results in higher dynamic range and pleasant skin tones. Auto-focus is also accurate and fast, while the phone’s built-in stabilization is effective when shooting while walking or panning.

When it comes to stills, the Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max provides “very good imaging performance” and boasts the “most impressive imaging capabilities to date” in an iPhone. Its photo score of 138 is second only to Huawei’s Mate 40 Pro, with only two points between the two flagships. DxOMark noted that it handles night shots and noise better than the Max, though the phone actually takes a step back in minimizing image artifacts.

SEE ALSO: Apple iPhone 12 series’ Philippine prices revealed

The iPhone 12 Pro Max features a triple-camera system (four if you include the LiDAR sensor for depth sensing) with 12-megapixel sensors across the standard, ultra-wide, and telephoto units. It can record 4K Dolby Vision HDR video at up to 60 frames per second.

Compared with the other iPhone 12 models, the iPhone 12 Pro Max’s has a nearly 50% larger main sensor with sensor-shift stabilization and 2.5x optical zoom via the telephoto lens.

Apple iPhone 12 Pro max specs

• 6.7-inch Super Retina XDR OLED screen, 2,778 x 1,284 resolution, HDR and True Tone support
• Ceramic Shield glass front
• Apple A14 Bionic with 5G (5nm)
• 128GB/256GB/512GB
• Triple 12-megapixel, f/1.6 (main), 12-megapixel, f/2.4 (ultra-wide), and 12-megapixel, f/2.2 (telephoto) rear cameras, optical zoom up to 5x, digital zoom up to 12x, 4K at 60 fps/HDR at 60 fps
• LiDAR scanner
• 12-megapixel, f/2.2 front camera
• Face ID (front camera system)
• Up to 17 hours video playback
• MagSafe wireless charging up to 15 watts
• Qi wireless charging up to 7.5 watts
• Wired fast charging up to 20 watts
• IP68 rating for maximum depth of 6 meters up to 30 minutes
• iOS 14
• Colors: Silver, Graphite, Gold, Pacific Blue

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