Apple iPhone 11 Pro vs. iPhone XS: A Side-By-Side Comparison of Photos taken with the cameras

The iPhone 11 Pro was made available last Friday, 20th October. One of the improvements that everyone expects, is a better camera. Apple is very proud of their new camera system on the Pro and Pro Max (they have the exact same cameras, the only difference is the screen size), and they engaged photographers to shoot a series of portraits to showcase what the camera can do. It all looks very impressive, but I think what many of us want to know is… how does it differ from the camera on the XS and XS Max.

above: the iphone xs and 11 pro

Exactly a year ago, I did a comparison of the iPhone X and XS cameras. Today, I returned to the same restaurant and even ordered the same sticks of beef to compare photos taken with the iPhone XS and the new iPhone 11 Pro cameras.

note: ALL THESE PHOTOS WERE NOT FILTERED OR EDITED IN ANY SOFTWARE. THE LEFT AND TOP PHOTOS ARE THOSE TAKEN WITH THE IPHONE Xs; THE ONES ON THE RIGHT AND BELOW ARE TAKEN WITH THE IPHONE 11 pro.

above: salmon don taken with the iphone xs

above: salmon don taken with the iphone 11 pro

above: side-by side comparison of photo taken with iphone xs (left) and 11 pro (right)

The difference in clarity between the two pictures is quite striking. Look at the photo taken with the 11 Pro — the ikura and salmon sashimi on the right has more depth of colour, while the wasabi has clearer texture.

above: portrait mode on the iphone xs (left) and 11 pro (right)

Here’s the same dish shot at an angle in Portrait Mode with both phones. The one taken with the 11 Pro is better focused (sharper and clearer), and has more colour and texture detail. But the obvious difference to me is the noise in the background on the photo taken with the XS. That same area in the 11 Pro photo is a lot smoother.

above: chirashi taken with the iphone xs

above: chirashi taken with the iphone 11 pro

above: side-by side comparison of photo taken with iphone xs (left) and 11 pro (right)

Have a good look at the tamago (egg) and uni (sea urchin); the colours and textures on the 11 Pro picture have more depth. Also, right in the centre, the veins on the toro sashimi (tuna) are also more defined on the 11 Pro picture.

above: a close-up of the toro taken with iphone xs (left) and 11 pro (right)

above: wagyu beef taken with the iphone xs

above: wagyu beef taken with the iphone 11 pro

These pictures had the least difference. At a glance, both photos look fairly similar. It’s only when I zoom in to the beef, that I see subtle differences in texture and highlights. There’s more contrast and again — depth — in the picture taken with the 11 Pro.

above: a close-up of the beef taken with iphone xs (left) and 11 pro (right)

above: sashimi counter taken with the iphone xs

above: sashimi counter taken with the iphone 11 pro

Colours on the 11 Pro photo seem slightly darker, but it’s the way the camera system is detecting and processing the available light. With the 11 Pro photo, the overall picture still does have more clarity and detail.

Conclusion: The camera on the 11 Pro is very impressive. It’s a definite step up from the one on the XS, and if you are thinking of upgrading just for the camera, you won’t be disappointed.