Let’s get it out of the way first: The new iPhone 11 Pro has the best overall smartphone camera system I’ve used. That may change when Google releases the Pixel 4 next month, but for now, the iPhone 11 Pro is the champ. And while I have no problem giving credit where it’s due, I’m left with some extremely complicated feelings about Apple’s new flagship imaging devices. Even beyond a few notable drawbacks, I wish it was simpler to know what’s actually going on inside the camera.
If you only hope to point the camera at a subject and get usable—and often pretty impressive—shots, then the 11 Pro is unbeatable. But if you already know how to use a camera—even a previous iPhone camera—there’s a learning curve that might change at any time thanks to software updates, and it could have a real effect on the look of your photos and videos. Plus, the new phone is a reminder that iPhone photography—and smartphone shooting on the whole—is increasingly different than typical photography.
