In a closely watched showdown of smartphone camera capabilities, Apple‘s flagship iPhone 15 Pro Max has secured the second spot in DxOMark’s rigorous photography test. Unveiled alongside the standard iPhone 15, iPhone 15 Plus, and iPhone 15 Pro during Apple’s highly anticipated Wonderlust event on September 12, this top-of-the-line device proved its mettle in various photography categories.

The iPhone 15 Pro Max earned an impressive score of 154 points in the DxOMark test, falling just short of the leader, Huawei’s P60 Pro, which clinched the top spot with 156 points. Notably, when viewed on an HDR-enabled display, the iPhone 15 Pro Max exhibited commendable brightness and contrast in the captured images.

The DxOMark evaluation highlighted several strengths of the iPhone 15 Pro Max’s camera system, including almost-perfect exposure control, faithful representation of natural colors and skin tones, and swift and precise autofocus. Additionally, the phone received praise for its video stabilization capabilities, enhancing the quality of video recordings.

However, the DxOMark report also pointed out certain areas where the iPhone 15 Pro Max fell short. While its new zoom functions demonstrated promise, they lacked consistency across all zoom ranges. The phone struggled to mitigate unwanted artifacts such as flare, ghosting, and aliasing, particularly in low-light conditions.

In contrast, Huawei’s P60 Pro emerged as the victor in this camera face-off. Armed with a 48-megapixel main sensor boasting optical image stabilization (OIS), a 13-megapixel ultra-wide camera, and another 48-megapixel telephoto camera with 3.5x optical zoom and astonishing digital zoom capabilities of up to 100x, the P60 Pro’s camera setup outperformed the iPhone 15 Pro Max. The rear camera modules were complemented by an LED flash and a 13-megapixel front camera sensor.

Beyond the camera prowess, the iPhone 15 Pro Max boasts other remarkable features, including Apple’s Ceramic Shield material for enhanced durability and a stunning 6.7-inch Super Retina XDR OLED display. Powered by the A17 Pro chipset, the device also carries an IP68 rating for dust and water protection. Furthermore, like its predecessor, the iPhone 14 Pro Max, it promises an impressive battery life of up to 29 hours.