Apple‘s latest iPhone 17 Pro has achieved a remarkable milestone by claiming the top position in DxOMark’s selfie benchmark rankings. The device impressed reviewers with its exceptional front camera performance, outperforming strong competitors such as the Honor Magic6 Pro and Google Pixel 9 Pro XL.
The front-facing camera of the iPhone 17 Pro introduces a redesigned 18 MP sensor housed in a square-shaped module with an f/1.9 aperture. This upgrade replaces the earlier 12 MP sensor found in the iPhone 16 Pro and introduces an innovative ability to seamlessly switch between horizontal and vertical orientations without rotating the phone—an especially valuable feature for social media creators.
Performance and Image Quality Insights
According to DxOMark’s official analysis, the new iPhone earned an impressive 154 points based on factors such as exposure precision, dynamic range, and color consistency. The Honor Magic6 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max shared the next spot with 151 points each, emphasizing how close the competition has become in this field.
DxOMark’s experts noted that Apple retains its signature warm skin tone reproduction, while the wider 20 mm focal length of the new sensor enables group selfies with less distortion. Improvements in Apple’s image processing pipeline play a crucial role in enhancing fine details and preserving natural lighting balance even in challenging environments.
Low Light and Motion Handling
In bright daylight, the iPhone 17 Pro maintains natural contrast and offers superior HDR performance. However, DxOMark also highlighted minor drawbacks such as slight image noise in dim lighting and occasional instability during motion capture. Despite these small limitations, the iPhone 17 Pro still delivers a substantial leap in selfie quality compared to the previous generation.
Overall, the iPhone 17 Pro’s advancements showcase Apple’s continued commitment to camera innovation, confirming its dominance at the top of the DxOMark selfie leaderboard.