Well, the iPhone 15 Pro Max cameras are better than i expected. But you need the correct setting in order to get to that quality. For example the 5x camera, makes by default horrible JPG's - looking like a digital enlargement.

Only RAW

I changed all my settings, and shoot only Apple ProRAW plus, in order to get the real Raw files. When using the Night mode, it really delivers nicely. Like a nice enhancement of the already good iPhone 13 Pro Max (main) camera. The super wide angle seem to be better in quality. Not superb, but better.

With all the above mention in mind - the output are good, especially considering that this comes from a "poky" mobile phone. So, at least something i feel is nice to use, in all the cases when I do not have any camera with me. The Night Mode in RAW, is really something out of the ordinary. It also makes the bigger stars pop out, without that the weakest stars "litter" the whole sky (which makes the main signs and it's brighter starts often "drown").

So, yeah, i love it.

But then again - I only do RAW files. As soon i use JPG - because i got something wrong with the (many) settings, i find the output often inferior (especially on the telephoto side, i find that quality horrible).

I should say; JPG's get worse compared to when when you create then in post processing at the computer (or in the iPhone) from a real (Apple ProRAW) / RAW file.

Otherwise... everything feels pretty much the same.

Which is funny, given that this is a phone i bought 3 years later - but in essence doesn't really feel different compared to my iPhone 13 Pro Max.

I find the black "Pill" above on the screen, pretty annoying - stealing space and looks weird from a layout perspective.

A strange "solution", to be honest.

2x zoom lens probably fake (digital enlarged)

That one, which i assume is supposed to be equivalent a normal 48 mm lens, is fake - i think. The resolution looks like a digital enlargement, and not like a native lens.

So: 0.5x is real (13mm). 1x is real (24mm) and 5x is real (120mm). Anything in between will be digital zoomed, and you don't get so fine details anymore.

I also reverted back to the 48 MP Apple ProRAW Max format - as it seems to give better details (especially when scaled down manually in post processing). Night Shots will - regardless - always be 12 MP RAW.

The JPG quality i don't like, when you shoot in "portrait mode". sure it looks cool, and good on an iPhone screen. Especially because the background is less distracting - but the quality isn't top notch. Also the colors are a bit off in my opinion.

Too bright and a bit contrast poor 24mm ƒ1.8 !?

Also i noticed that all my 1x lens (24mm) images, when i open them, are too bright. And a bit low on contrast. I have to investigate if that is because of the camera, or my Photoshop Adobe RAW default settings when i open the RAW files. Nevertheless, it all can be corrected since it is a RAW file. But i need to correct almost every photo in order to look nicer.

• Native 24mm ƒ1.8 | ISO 125 • 1/29000th sec ƒ 1.8 (-2/3 stops) (+ color corrected photo), Apple ProRAW

• Simulated 48mm ƒ1.8 | ISO 64 • 1/2000th sec ƒ 1.8 - - less fine details. Apple ProRAW. Apple blows it up digitally, using same 24mm lens

• Native 13 mm ƒ2.2 | ISO 50 • 1/2300th sec ƒ 2.2 - - (color & contrast corrected photo), Apple ProRAW

• Native 120 mm ƒ2.8 | ISO 50 • 1/1250th sec ƒ 2.8 - - (color & contrast corrected photo), Apple ProRAW