Which phone has better camera quality, the Asus ROG Phone 9 Pro or the latest iPhone

Camera Quality Comparison: Asus ROG Phone 9 Pro vs. iPhone 16 Pro Max

When comparing the camera quality of the Asus ROG Phone 9 Pro and the iPhone 16 Pro Max, several key factors emerge based on recent reviews and camera scores.

Camera Specifications

| Feature | Asus ROG Phone 9 Pro | iPhone 16 Pro Max |
|-----------------------------|-----------------------------|-----------------------------|
| Main Camera | 50 MP (Sony Lytia 700) | 48 MP (sensor-shift stabilization) |
| Telephoto Camera | 32 MP (3x optical zoom) | 12 MP (5x optical zoom) |
| Ultra-wide Camera | 13 MP | 48 MP |
| Selfie Camera | 32 MP | 12 MP |

Performance Overview

1. Camera Scores:
- The Asus ROG Phone 9 Pro achieved a PhoneArena Camera Score of 137.6, showing improvements over its predecessor but still trailing behind flagship competitors like the iPhone[1][2].

2. Image Quality:
- Dynamic Range: The iPhone's images exhibit a wider dynamic range with richer colors and deeper blacks, making them appear more vibrant and lifelike compared to the ROG Phone, which often produces images that look overexposed or washed out[2][3].
- Detail and Clarity: At 3x zoom, the iPhone's shots are noted to be sharper and less noisy than those from the ROG Phone, despite the latter having a native telephoto lens[2]. At 10x zoom, both phones struggle with noise, but the iPhone maintains better detail overall[2].
- Low-Light Performance: The ROG Phone performs decently in low-light conditions, aided by its gimbal stabilization, but still falls short of the iPhone's ability to retain detail without excessive noise reduction[3][5].

3. Video Capabilities:
- Both phones support high-resolution video recording, with the ROG Phone capable of recording up to 8K at 30fps. However, video quality from the iPhone is generally regarded as superior due to better dynamic range and color accuracy[1][6].

4. Selfies:
- Selfie quality is also a strong point for the iPhone, which tends to produce more vibrant and detailed images compared to the ROG Phone's selfies, which can appear washed out[2][6].

Conclusion

Overall, while the Asus ROG Phone 9 Pro offers significant improvements over previous models and is suitable for casual photography, it does not match the camera capabilities of the iPhone 16 Pro Max. The iPhone excels in dynamic range, color accuracy, detail retention in various lighting conditions, and overall image quality, making it the superior choice for photography enthusiasts.