Cameras on the new iPhones are only just slightly better

MANHATTAN BEACH, Calif. - Let’s cut to the chase. If you’ve been thinking about ditching your iPhone 7 Plus for a new model — specifically the 8 Plus (starting at $799) or the iPhone X coming in November — because the camera is new and improved, the new camera is indeed marginally better.

But most consumers will have a hard time seeing the difference.

THE BASICS

Our tests with the iPhone 8 Plus (which has almost the same camera as in the iPhone X) showed slightly better color and sharpness. The phone can rock it with smooth, super-slow motion that improved upon what the iPhone 7 Plus has and offers some software trickery that can make your portraits look even more professional. Additionally, both the 8 Plus and X have the new A11 “Bionic” chip, the fastest processor ever for an iPhone, promising faster renders of high-intensity 4K video files.

Photography has become a major selling point for new smartphones, with each new model released by manufacturers said to now have their best camera ever. That’s what Google claimed with last year’s Pixel, Samsung with the new Galaxy S8 and now Apple as well. All three cameras are indeed incredible. They have better image quality now than point-and-shoot cameras, and they’re always with us, thus giving us the tools for more photo opportunities.

I thought the iPhone 7 Plus was indeed Apple’s best camera to date, so for the purposes of this story, I’ve chosen to compare the 7 Plus to the 8 Plus, period.

Remember that Apple in 2016 introduced a new concept to “iPhoneography” with the 7 Plus, by putting a dual-lens system for Plus owners, offering the standard 28 mm wide-angle lens (the same as on the standard iPhone) along with a 56 mm “Portrait” lens, for a more professional look for photos of people. Consumers buying the Plus instead of the smaller iPhone get the dual cameras, plus the larger 5.5-inch LCD screen, to the smaller 4.7inch screen on the iPhone 7 and 8.

The same dual-lens system is back on the 8 Plus and the new iPhone X edition, the state-of-the-art model coming in November. The X has a few new photo features as well, including a faster Portrait lens with optical image stabilization.

I defy most consumers to be able to spot the differences between photos taken on the 8 Plus and 7 Plus.

VIDEO

The video is improved, but the video on the iPhone 7 Plus was also stellar.

The 8 Plus has several new recording modes: 4K resolution at 24 frames per second, or 60 frames, both for different cinematic looks, plus a new Slo-Mo mode at 240 frames per second. This is some of the smoothest, slowest Slo-Mo we’ve seen to date. That’s higher than possible on the 7 Plus, which maxes out at 240 frames per second but at 720p.

LOW LIGHT

Apple says the 8 Plus performs better in low light than the 7 Plus. We were out in the sand at 5:30 a.m., ready to test it out.

The verdict: Yes, it performs well in poor lighting situations, but then, so does the iPhone 7 Plus. At 5:55 a.m., all our images looked really poor, noisy and dark — on both devices. But at 6:29 a.m., once light started making its way into our day, things started to improve radically.

BOTTOM LINE

The 8 Plus has the best camera Apple has released to date and works beautifully in a variety of different conditions. That it can do so much is a wonder.

But if you currently have a 7 Plus and want to swap it for the new one for a better camera, my recommendation would be to hold on to what you have, unless you just have this itch to spend money.

The differences in the older camera and the new one are slight, and the most striking feature, the Portrait-mode software tricks, could be pulled off with a variety of free photo apps, most notably Adobe Lightroom Mobile or Google’s Snapseed.

The 8 Plus is a great phone, but there’s this new model coming in just a few weeks, with an all-new design and an even better camera and ... stop me if you’ve heard this one before.