Even after facing a couple of strong challengers, the iPhone 16 Pro Max remains our top pick for the best camera phone. For my next photo shootout, I want to see how it fares against the one of the best Android phones around in the OnePlus 12. That’s why I shot over 200 photos with the iPhone 16 Pro Max and OnePlus 12 to see which phone can out-duel the other with their respective cameras.
In my 200 photo face-off between the iPhone 16 Pro Max and Pixel 9 Pro XL, it was a one-sided affair win for Apple. Meanwhile, my 200 photo shootout with the iPhone 16 Pro Max and Galaxy S24 Ultra turned out to be a much closer race. Samsung’s flagship came the closest to matching Apple’s, but it still wasn’t enough.
Inherently, the iPhone 16 Pro Max should come out on top here against the OnePlus 12 because it costs a whole lot more — $1,199 versus the OnePlus 12’s $799 cost. The iPhone 16 Pro Max features a 48MP main shooter, 48MP ultrawide, 12MP telephoto with 5x optical zoom, and a 12MP selfie camera. In contrast, the OnePlus 12 packs a 50MP main, 48MP ultrawide, 64MP telephoto with 3x optical zoom, and a pixel crunching 32MP selfie camera.
Just like all of my other 200 photo shootouts, both phones were on hand to take the same sequence of photos. Then later on, I preview what I’ve captured on a monitor to detail all of their differences.
Taking into consideration how Apple came out on top in our iPhone 15 Pro Max vs. OnePlus 12 head-to-head comparison, this one might turn out to have the same result. (The iPhone won that overall comparison.) Or I could be wrong? Let’s find out.
iPhone 16 Pro Max vs OnePlus 12: Daytime
I will say that the OnePlus 12’s main camera holds up nicely against the iPhone 16 Pro Max’s one. Details are excellent between the two, like how they capture the facade of the skyscraper in the first set of shots in the gallery above.
However, the OnePlus 12 tends to overexpose the highlights, which inherently gives its photos a slightly brighter look — but the iPhone casts a more even exposure that’s truer to life. It’s a close one in my opinion looking through the images, but the iPhone 16 Pro Max narrowly wins the daytime scene.
Winner: iPhone 16 Pro Max
iPhone 16 Pro Max vs OnePlus 12: Dynamic range
Surprisingly, I prefer the OnePlus 12’s dynamic range performance. The first set of images overlooking one of the entrances to Bryant Park shows how the OnePlus 12 brightens the shadow in the trees — all without overexposing the blue sky and the area where the sun’s at in the background.
In the other set of images in the gallery above, like the one with the metal figurine, I can again visibly see how OnePlus' camera boosts the brightness. The same applies to the last set of images with the giant LCD billboard on the side of the building.
Winner: OnePlus 12
iPhone 16 Pro Max vs OnePlus 12: Ultrawide
Although it might be hard to make out in some of the photos above, the iPhone 16 Pro Max has a wider 120-degree field of view with its ultrawide camera — compared to the 114-degree one of the OnePlus 12. This is one of the reasons I prefer the iPhone 16 Pro Max, mainly because I’m able to squeeze in more of the scene into the frame.
There’s also a little bit more definition in the details around the building in the first set of images above, specifically in the brick work and some of the signs littered across the street.
Winner: iPhone 16 Pro Max
iPhone 16 Pro Max vs OnePlus 12: Colors
Due to how the OnePlus 12 has a penchant to brighten the highlights in a shot, the inadvertent consequence is that it produces duller colors than the iPhone. With the colorful skyscraper shot, the iPhone 16 Pro Max’s colors look richer and deeper.
I know it becomes more evident when I look at some of the other images I captured inside of Whole Foods, like the lemons and oranges sitting on their shelves. The oranges in the OnePlus 12’s photo looks duller.
Winner: iPhone 16 Pro Max
iPhone 16 Pro Max vs OnePlus 12: Macro
I took a bunch of macro shots of the flowers around Bryant Park and inside of Whole Foods, but the one thing I notice the most snapping them is that I’m able to get closer with the iPhone 16 Pro Max.
The first set of pink flowers is proof of this as the OnePlus 12 can’t get as close. But you still can’t count it out because I think it balances out the shot with good details and that creamy out-of-focus background. While these qualities are great in their own right, the iPhone 16 Pro Max offers more detail around the flower and stem.
Winner: iPhone 16 Pro Max
iPhone 16 Pro Max vs OnePlus 12: Selfie
In another case where more megapixels doesn’t always translate to being better, the 32MP selfie camera in the OnePlus 12 still can’t outperform the 12MP shooter in the iPhone 16 Pro Max. In the first set of selfies, I can instantly tell that the OnePlus 12’s shot is much softer with the details around my face.
But more importantly, I much prefer the skin tone that the iPhone 16 Pro Max produces. It’s much more natural looking compared to the OnePlus 12’s more washed out look.
Winner: iPhone 16 Pro Max
iPhone 16 Pro Max vs OnePlus 12: Portrait
I’ve already explained how the OnePlus 12’s main camera does nicely for daytime shots, but with portrait photos, it’s a mixed bag. I shot all the portrait photos of myself in the gallery above at 1x zoom, and the OnePlus 12 is too inconsistent with its results.
Take a look at the first set of portrait photos: the OnePlus 12’s dynamic range fails to mitigate the strong light sources in the background. As a result, it over-exposes those areas — and you can see in the other set how the exposure is too inconsistent. But for the most part, they both manage to isolate me from the background. The iPhone 16 Pro Max is consistently better here.
Winner: iPhone 16 Pro Max
iPhone 16 Pro Max vs OnePlus 12: Zoom
For all the zoom photos in the gallery above, I captured them at 5x first and then at 25x. The OnePlus 12 can zoom much more than that — but I want the output to be as even for this test.
I will admit that the OnePlus 12’s 64MP telephoto camera puts up some really good shots despite having the shorter 3x optical zoom. I thought the iPhone 16 Pro Max would be light years ahead with its 5x optical zoom, but I can see how OnePlus is effectively applying pixel binning to enhance its telephoto shots.
The W 41st Street sign is a prime example of this because at 25x, it still manages to capture the textures of the sign. However, the iPhone has a smidge more definition with all of its zoom shots — so that’s why it gets the win here.
Winner: iPhone 16 Pro Max
iPhone 16 Pro Max vs OnePlus 12: Panorama
This one’s an easy win for the iPhone 16 Pro Max, mainly because the OnePlus 12 struggles at toning down the highlights in the scene. You can see it in the clouds with the first set of photos in the gallery, but it gets worse with the one I shot around Madison Square Garden in New York City.
Winner: iPhone 16 Pro Max
iPhone 16 Pro Max vs OnePlus 12: Low light
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: low light is still the biggest area of opportunity for OnePlus to upgrade its camera performance. These low light photos I captured with the two camera phones are proof of this because the OnePlus 12 just simply can’t compete against the iPhone 16 Pro Max.
Starting with the first set of photos with the tree and night sky, the iPhone 16 Pro Max’s night mode delivers a much brighter detail that inherently draws out the details all around the tree — whereas the OnePlus 12 is darker. This is a recurring theme in nearly all of the other photos I captured, but the OnePlus 12 does take a better moon shot (with the help of AI).
Winner: iPhone 16 Pro Max
iPhone 16 Pro Max vs OnePlus 12: Verdict
First and foremost, I want to say that the OnePlus 12 is an excellent camera phone — one that I can confidently rely on when I need to take a photo. However, if you want the best quality out of the camera without any post editing, the iPhone 16 Pro Max can’t be matched. It’s the best camera phone around for that reason, led by an incredible main camera that’s masterful at taking photos under low light conditions.
But to OnePlus’ credit, I’m surprised most by how well its main and telephoto cameras stack up to the best iPhone. At the end of the day, the phone’s still a step down from what the iPhone 16 Pro Max offers. Although, I think it’s worth mentioning that you’re paying a lot more to get the best quality — and for some people, I think they’d be willing to accept some of the OnePlus 12’s shortcomings.
More from Tom's Guide
- OnePlus 13 image leaked — here’s our first look at the flagship phone
- Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 SE launch date just tipped — and it’s much sooner than we thought
- Google Photos tipped for big changes — including a new 'Timeline' feature
