While the iPhone 18 Pro excels in low-light shooting and video stabilization, its performance in telephoto, long-distance zoom, and color reproduction in certain scenarios still falls short.
By Frank Ulom
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Published on September 20, 2026
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2 min read
DXOMARK has released its camera score for the Apple iPhone 18 Pro, which received 172 points, ranking second globally, only behind the Huawei Pura 80 Ultra. While the iPhone 18 Pro excels in low-light shooting and video stabilization, its performance in telephoto, long-distance zoom, and color reproduction in certain scenarios still falls short, thus preventing it from reaching the top spot.
For reference, the Huawei Pura 80 Ultra ranks first with 175 points, a position it has held since August 2025.
DXOMARK states that low-light photography is one of the iPhone 18 Pro’s strengths, achieving a low-light test score of 150, the highest on the current list. Tests show that the phone retains rich detail in complex lighting conditions, while also offering accurate exposure control, low noise, wide dynamic range, and natural contrast.
In terms of video, the iPhone 18 Pro also demonstrates strong stabilization capabilities, maintaining good image stability even during shooting while moving. 60fps video recording further improves the performance of moving images.
However, telephoto performance remains one of the iPhone 18 Pro’s weaknesses. DXOMARK gives it a telephoto score of 143, while the highest score in this category currently comes from the OPPO Find X9 Ultra , reaching 173. Furthermore, the iPhone 18 Pro lags behind some competitors in long-distance zoom capabilities.
DXOMARK also pointed out that the iPhone 18 Pro exhibits slight color cast and white balance changes in some scenarios, and may also show noticeable glare in certain lighting conditions. Furthermore, there are brightness differences between photos and video previews.
Overall, the iPhone 18 Pro’s camera system excels in low-light photography and video recording, and brings new shooting capabilities with its variable aperture. However, there is still room for improvement in telephoto, long-distance zoom, and some color consistency aspects. Therefore, it ultimately ranked second with a score of 172.
