iPhone 16 display worse than some budget Android phones: DxOMark rating

Apple released its latest iPhone 16 series on September 9, 2024. As always, the Cupertino tech giant has made a huge deal out of its latest iPhone 16 lineup, with support for Apple Intelligence, a new camera control button, all-new processors, and updated features. cameras. Sticking with its obsession with 60Hz screen refresh rates, Apple released the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus this year with the same display technology. Well, for some, this dated display may not mean much. However, the iPhone 16 display test result from DxOMark will definitely disappoint you.

Apple’s latest flagship, the iPhone 16, scored mediocre. 142 points in DxOMark display analysis, is far from being a premium smartphone. With this result, the iPhone took 40th place on the laboratory display board. The latest Android flagships such as the Google Pixel 9 Pro XL (1st place) and Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra (4th place) took a place in the top ten. Forget the top spots: the iPhone 16 lags far behind several more affordable Android smartphones, such as the Galaxy A35 5G and Pixel 9a, which managed to score 143 and 145 points respectively. This isn’t just disappointing, it’s a shame for Apple.

DxOMark is an independent website that scientifically evaluates smartphones, lenses, and cameras. They test and evaluate smartphones, making it easier to make a purchasing decision. Here are DxOMarks’ thoughts on the iPhone 16 display rating.

Analysis of iPhone 16 display rating in DxoMark

DxOMark identified some shortcomings of the iPhone 16’s display, such as inconsistent brightness, low brightness and contrast in certain conditions, and a lack of smoothness. Here’s why the iPhone 16 ranks 40th on the DxOMark global chart:

• 60Hz refresh rate: Today, even mid-range and affordable Android devices have stopped using 60Hz screens. However, Apple’s 2024 flagship, the iPhone 16, still features a 60Hz screen, which may partially affect the smoothness of the display and result in less smooth animations.
• Variable average brightness: One of the problems with the iPhone 16 display is brightness. Apple mentioned that the iPhone 16 supports a peak brightness of 2,000 nits, and DxOMark’s analysis also found a figure closer to 1,969 nits. DxOMark notes show that the iPhone 16 displays accurate colors when viewed indoors and outdoors. However, the iPhone 16 display has inconsistent average brightness in HDR10 and SDR videos. Additionally, the phone’s automatic brightness adjustment feature makes the screen difficult to read in low-light conditions.
• Orange composition with True Tone: While the display’s colors are nice, DxOMark also noticed a slight orange tint when viewing HDR10 photos and videos with True Tone enabled.
• Inconsistent and unintentional touch gestures: Touch responses on the iPhone 16 are quite fast and accurate, but sometimes it can be difficult to interact with the corners of the device. There are also quite a few unintentional touches that occur when holding the iPhone in landscape mode. DxOMark also notes that the touchscreen sometimes becomes unresponsive when you hold the phone with one hand and use the camera button.
• SDR content lacks contrast in low light conditions: In low light conditions, SDR content lacked contrast and brightness, but HDR quality was good. This creates a brightness mismatch between SDR and HDR, creating brightness “spikes” when switching between SDR and HDR content.

There are some areas where the iPhone 16 performs well. Here’s a quick look at what’s great about the iPhone 16’s display:

• iPhone 16’s display delivers beautiful, accurate colors for easy readability indoors and outdoors.
• The motion blur and on-screen frame drop control are quite good.
• With the exception of corners, touch responses on the iPhone 16 are quite fast and accurate.
• With acceptable flicker levels, color consistency, well-controlled brightness, and effective blue light filtering, iPhone 16 earns the DXOMARK Eye Comfort designation.

With such a low display rating, the iPhone 16 easily outperforms even mid-range Android smartphones. Well, this is simply unacceptable, because we are talking about Apple’s latest flagship iPhone. It’s time for Apple to ditch 60Hz screens and make major improvements to its iPhones. Instead of adding new buttons, it would be much better if Apple made some noticeable improvements to the display, charging speed, and other areas.

Given the leaks about the iPhone 17, we can assume that Apple will offer a good 120Hz ProMotion display across the entire iPhone lineup in 2025. Again, Apple has a history of repeating history and sticking to it. All we can say is: Wake up, Apple!