In a new review for the iPhone 6s, DxOMark concluded that the camera on the 2015 iPhone line deserved a score of 82, equal to that of the score it gave for the iPhone 6 one year ago. The website measured seven factors (exposure and contrast, color, autofocus, texture, noise, artifacts, and flash) to determine an overall score for the camera on the iPhone 6s, giving the lowest marks to texture and noise (via CNET).

Scores-photo

From our tests, images are generally well-exposed and for the most part colors are vivid and pleasing outdoors. However, there are occasional differences in exposure noticeable between consecutive captures in very bright outdoor scenes, typically due to the inconsistent activation of the HDR mode.

There is also a slight but consistent underexposure in extremely low light levels (5 lux); the result however is still quite usable and an improvement over the iPhone 6. White balance is reliable though inevitably some inaccuracies were noticeable at times, with a slight yellow cast visible in some outdoor scenes. Although this cast was present in captures from the iPhone 6 the cast was slightly stronger and more noticeable on the 6s.

A score of 82 is the same as the iPhone 6 in 2014, but also behind the 87 given to the Sony Xperia Z5 and the 86-scoring Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge. Apple's rivals also won in a series of similar video tests, scoring between four and six points higher than the 80 awarded to the iPhone 6s.

DxOMark's closing statement regarding the new iPhone line is a bit similar to the overall consensus found elsewhere online regarding the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus. The French optics and image processing firm described the smartphone as a "good balance of performance and top-notch user experience," but not an entirely compelling upgrade from an iPhone 6 or 6 Plus, especially when considering solely the camera and video tests conducted by the firm.

Tag: DxOMark
Related Forum: iPhone

Top Rated Comments

Pelea Avatar
133 months ago
The new iPhone cameras are pretty much certainly the best available in any smartphone anywhere.
purple is pretty much certainly the best available color out of any color anywhere.
Score: 16 Votes (Like | Disagree)
oneMadRssn Avatar
133 months ago
I knew it, they just half-assesly bumped up the pixel count on the same sensor size.
If the pixel count is higher, but the noise, artifacts, color, etc. are no worse, than that is a great improvement. Typically, higher pixel count means more noise, more artifacts, worse color, etc. The fact they got higher pixels without sacrificing the other attributes is great.

This means the picture is just as good as before, except you can crop it more without worrying about loosing detail, or you can zoom further in after taking the photo than you could before.
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
doelcm82 Avatar
133 months ago
I knew it, they just half-assesly bumped up the pixel count on the same sensor size.
If that's all they had done, the score would have been much lower for the 6S.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Dilster3k Avatar
133 months ago
I knew it, they just half-assesly bumped up the pixel count on the same sensor size.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ZacNicholson Avatar
133 months ago
I have the 6s + and i can tell the camera is better
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
dannyyankou Avatar
133 months ago
If the image quality is just as good and has 50% more pixels, that's great.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

maxresdefault

Where's the New Apple TV?

Monday December 22, 2025 11:30 am PST by
Apple hasn't updated the Apple TV 4K since 2022, and 2025 was supposed to be the year that we got a refresh. There were rumors suggesting Apple would release the new Apple TV before the end of 2025, but it looks like that's not going to happen now. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said several times across 2024 and 2025 that Apple would...
iPhone Top Left Hole Punch Face ID Feature Purple

iPhone 18 Pro Launching Next Year With These 12 New Features

Tuesday December 23, 2025 8:36 am PST by
While the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max are not expected to launch for another nine months, there are already plenty of rumors about the devices. Below, we have recapped 12 features rumored for the iPhone 18 Pro models. The same overall design is expected, with 6.3-inch and 6.9-inch display sizes, and a "plateau" housing three rear cameras Under-screen Face ID Front camera in...
iOS 26

iOS 26.3 Brings AirPods-Like Pairing to Third-Party Devices in EU Under DMA

Monday December 22, 2025 3:20 pm PST by
The European Commission today praised the interoperability changes that Apple is introducing in iOS 26.3, once again crediting the Digital Markets Act (DMA) with bringing "new opportunities" to European users and developers. The Digital Markets Act requires Apple to provide third-party accessories with the same capabilities and access to device features that Apple's own products get. In iOS...
top stories 2025 12 20

Top Stories: iOS 26.3 Beta, Major Apple Leaks, and More

Saturday December 20, 2025 6:00 am PST by
You'd think things would be slowing down heading into the holidays, but this week saw a whirlwind of Apple leaks and rumors while Apple started its next cycle of betas following last week's release of iOS 26.2 and related updates. This week also saw the release of a new Apple Music integration with ChatGPT, so read on below for all the details on this week's biggest stories! Top Stories i...
iOS 26

iOS 26.2 Adds These 8 New Features to Your iPhone

Monday December 22, 2025 8:47 am PST by
Earlier this month, Apple released iOS 26.2, following more than a month of beta testing. It is a big update, with many new features and changes for iPhones. iOS 26.2 adds a Liquid Glass slider for the Lock Screen's clock, offline lyrics in Apple Music, and more. Below, we have highlighted a total of eight new features. Liquid Glass Slider on Lock Screen A new slider in the Lock...
iPhone Top Left Hole Punch Face ID Feature Purple

iPhone 18 Pro Features Leaked in New Report, Including Under-Screen Face ID

Tuesday December 16, 2025 8:44 am PST by
Next year's iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max will be equipped with under-screen Face ID, and the front camera will be moved to the top-left corner of the screen, according to a new report from The Information's Wayne Ma and Qianer Liu. As a result of these changes, the report said the iPhone 18 Pro models will not have a pill-shaped Dynamic Island cutout at the top of the screen....
iPhone Fold Vertical Feature

Why Apple's Foldable iPhone May Be Smaller Than Expected

Tuesday December 23, 2025 5:21 am PST by
Apple's first foldable iPhone, rumored for release next year, may turn out to be smaller than most people imagine, if a recent report is anything to go by. According to The Information, the outer display on the book-style device will measure just 5.3 inches – that's smaller than the 5.4-inch screen on the ‌iPhone‌ mini, a line Apple discontinued in 2022 due to poor sales. The report has led ...
iPhone Chips

Apple Clings to Samsung as RAM Prices Soar

Monday December 22, 2025 6:17 am PST by
Apple is significantly increasing its reliance on Samsung for iPhone memory as component prices surge, according to The Korea Economic Daily. Apple is said to be expanding the share of iPhone memory it sources from Samsung due to rapidly rising memory prices. The shift is expected to result in Samsung supplying roughly 60% to 70% of the low-power DRAM used in the iPhone 17, compared with a...