iPhone 18 Pro Claims Second Place on DXOMARK While Huawei Pura 80 Ultra Maintains the Lead

The smartphone camera landscape has a new contender near the top, as Apple's latest flagship enters rigorous benchmark testing. While it delivers impressive performance across multiple categories, competition at the absolute peak remains fierce.

DXOMARK Performance Breakdown for the New Apple Flagship

Apple has officially entered the DXOMARK camera benchmark with its newly released iPhone 18 Pro, showcasing exceptional photography and video capabilities. Despite its high score, it still trails slightly behind the champion—the Huawei Pura 80 Ultra.

DXOMARK has published the comprehensive imaging scores for the device, placing the flagship second in both global and ultra-premium categories. The handset accumulated an impressive overall score of 172 points, sitting just 3 points shy of the 175-point benchmark set by Huawei's top-tier offering. Furthermore, the device achieved 157 points in portrait photography, 150 points in low-light conditions, and 138 points in zoom performance.

Testing highlights that the device excels in low-light scenarios, producing remarkable detail, accurate exposure, and superior noise reduction under difficult lighting. It delivers precise exposure paired with natural contrast and a wide dynamic range.

Significantly, this generation marks the introduction of a variable aperture on an Apple device—a major hardware upgrade that directly challenges features found on the Huawei Pura 80 Ultra. This addition helps keep multiple subjects sharp in group photos while granting users greater manual adjustment options.

Video recording also benefits from advanced stabilization, yielding smooth, natural-looking footage even when recording at 60 fps while in motion. Texture rendering remains well-balanced alongside controlled noise levels.

Even with these impressive attributes, certain limitations prevent it from surpassing the current leader:

• Minor color casts and occasional white balance fluctuations can impact overall color consistency.
• Extended zoom capabilities lag behind select competing flagships.
• Lens flare can occasionally become noticeable depending on the shooting environment.
• Visible shifts in brightness occur when transitioning between photo and video previews.

Hardware-wise, the device features a 48MP primary wide shooter with an f/1.48 aperture, accompanied by a 48MP ultrawide-angle lens running at an f/2.2 aperture, and a dedicated 48MP telephoto zoom sensor.

What score did the iPhone 18 Pro achieve on DXOMARK?

The device earned a total score of 172 points, securing the second position in both global and ultra-premium rankings.

Which smartphone currently holds the top DXOMARK camera rank?

The Huawei Pura 80 Ultra remains at the very top of the leaderboard with a score of 175 points.

What new camera hardware feature was introduced by Apple?

The latest model introduces a variable aperture for the first time on an Apple smartphone, improving group portraits and user control.

How does the zoom performance compare?

While the telephoto capabilities are strong, long-range zoom performance still falls slightly behind some competing flagship devices.

🔎 Ultimately, Apple's latest entry solidifies its status as a powerhouse in mobile photography and videography. While innovations like variable aperture and superior stabilization narrow the gap, reigning champions like Huawei continue to set a remarkably high standard in the global mobile imaging competition.