I gave up on the Pixel 9 because of the iPhone 16 Pro’s photography style.

If the success of the Fuji X100 series of cameras and the resurgence of point-and-shoot cameras is anything to go by, it’s that we’re back to an era where atmosphere took precedence over pinpoint accuracy. That’s not really surprising. Manufacturers are fighting for “natural” looking images to be crowned the best camera smartphone, but in reality users overwhelmingly use filters from Instagram’s built-in options to VSCO and Lightroom. There is a tendency to But what if there was a way to reach the middle ground?

Filters built into cell phone cameras are nothing new. Xiaomi, vivo and many other brands have had this feature for years. But the iPhone 16 series and its photography style do things differently. I’m here for that. Over the past month, I’ve been dual-wielding my iPhone 16 Pro Max and Pixel 9 Pro, and 9 times out of 10 I choose the iPhone when taking photos. Simply put, shooting with your iPhone has become a lot more fun. Here’s why:

Unlike previous photo styles where effects were effectively baked into the photo, the version shipped with iOS 18 for the iPhone 16 series offers even more versatility. You can dial in settings like midtone adjustment, contrast, and even how much it blends into your image.

Similar to Vivo smartphones, tonal adjustments are built into the processing pipeline, resulting in better-looking shots. But unlike many other smartphones with similar features, the ability to swap out additional features or remove them completely while editing photos is nice. But the reason I’ve been using it has more to do with atmosphere than technical accomplishment.

At the risk of saying, I come from the analog era of photography, and film holds a special place in my heart. Before the ability to use AI to manipulate photos into any shape became commonplace, a photo was exactly what you took. Using iPhone photo styles is similar to loading Portra, Velvia, or expired film. It also has much-needed modern conveniences, such as the ability to remove analog-like gloss and return to the look of the scene. .

I am rediscovering the joy of photography by effectively choosing a customized style based on where I am, the weather, and just as importantly, my mood. I was feeling the warm fall vibes, so I made my own custom changes and switched to a rose gold style, but since I went to the arcade, I cranked up the dramatic settings with more contrast. The goal is not objective accuracy, but feel.

For example, I took a photo of the local subway passing through the middle of a park while I was running. Pixel 9 Pro reproduces images perfectly in terms of accuracy and clarity. On the other hand, photos taken with an iPhone have more atmosphere. For me, the warm tones and raised shadows evoke memories of a bygone era and the impact urban sprawl has had on local green spaces. Objectively, the Pixel takes better shots, and you can capture them on your iPhone too, but photo styles give you creative freedom to express your emotions through your shots.

Continuing with the nostalgia theme, we took a walk in front of a local antique store. This afternoon I was interested in shooting an image that increased the exposure and shadow levels, added warmth, and added a matte touch. A “cozy” style was adopted to enhance the feel and warmth of the craft. Enhanced saturation, warmer hues, and always a slightly softer look go a long way toward recreating how I feel about how the space actually looks.

We headed to the cafe next door to continue the warm and cozy afternoon theme with the same photography style, adding to the very standard food photography. Are the images technically good? No, of course not. But to my eyes, the sterile shots from the Pixel were better at capturing my afternoon mood, even though the Pixel balanced highlights and shadows better and had better definition. It seemed like a better interpretation of what was going on.

As the winter chill has started to settle in a bit in Delhi, I have been out taking pictures in a cooler and more dramatic style of photography. Punched-up highlights and pushed-down shadows transform your great-looking snapshot into an image you can proudly share on social media or use as wallpaper.

For my next shoot, I headed to a local arcade. In a bright, neon-filled environment, you’ll want to start with plenty of contrast. However, I switched to a different style by increasing the saturation level and adding a pink tint to the shot for the perfect 80’s nostalgia look. You can always add these effects later to any image, including those taken with Pixel, but there’s something special about capturing a moment right then and there.

The difference between a snapshot and a photograph is the framing, composition, and feeling conveyed through the photograph. The Pixel 9 Pro on the right is a perfect representation of the real-world setup. In fact, I think the Pixel 9 Pro is better than the iPhone in some ways, with better HDR control and pleasingly sharp shots. The first shot reminds me of playing hide-and-seek among the trees as a child, but the second shot is a decidedly moodier interpretation. High-contrast black and white images, on the other hand, are open to millions of interpretations. Pixel shots, on the other hand, don’t have that. It is the unvarnished expression of objective truth.

The iPhone 16 Pro’s photography style is one of the best I’ve taken photos in a while, as you can instantly change settings from a warm Indian summer afternoon to a gritty film noir or even a souped-up ’80s cyberpunk. It’s fun.

The ability to switch styles after the fact is great, but Apple’s decision to rely on Fuji style recipes is another surprise as they allow you to share these settings and achieve the same creative looks as other photographers. This is an additional feature that should be added. For now, I can only share the numbers you’ll need to dial in manually, but I’d love to see a more in-depth interface for tweaking the baked-in styles to suit your needs. Like presets in Lightroom, they’re built into your camera experience.

I’m well aware that adding what is essentially an advanced filter to an imaging pipeline is nothing new, but like most things from Apple, the implementation is what sells it. Does anyone need to change their phone to get the photo style? Probably not. My main phone is still a Pixel because it has the exact technical precision when it comes to the camera and all the other great things about the Pixel. But when it comes to having fun and being creative with photos, the iPhone definitely wins. Strokes vary from person to person.