Do you need a (real) camera?

Modern processors and the photoenhancing software that runs on them means current smartphones take incredible photos. But keeping smartphones small enough to fit in your pocket means they’ll never accommodate the hardware that makes dedicated cameras so good at their job. Specifically, real cameras have bigger sensors, so that they can capture more light, and therefore more detail. The same thing applies to all the glass on big camera lenses that feeds light to those sensors. And anyone who wants to really control aperture or shutter speed should know that the sliders on smartphonecamera apps are simply a simulation of the mechanical parts on a real camera. All that said, for most of us who take photos and look at other people’s photos, backup and sharing is so convenient that, unless you really love the medium, the images your phone captures are probably good enough for however you’ll use them. But if you really love photography, you will need a dedicated device. Think of it as a chef’s knife compared to a Leatherman.

The iPhone 11 Pro’s wide, ultra-wide, and telephoto cameras simulate the fidelity of a dedicated camera.