The iPhone Camera is More Confusing Than Ever: A Personal Experience

When I walked into the Steve Jobs Theater for the iPhone 16 launch last week, something caught my eye. The first person I noticed wasn’t using an iPhone to snap photos but a compact digital camera. And not just any camera — it was a PowerShot, Cybershot, or Coolpix, something straight out of the early 2000s. The resurgence of these 6-megapixel, CCD-sensor cameras highlights a growing sentiment among some photographers who are moving away from phone photos that look “overprocessed” and gravitating toward the raw, harsh contrast of early digital cameras.

This shift in photographic preferences isn’t lost on Apple. With the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro, Apple has made a bold move: giving users unprecedented control over image processing through overhauled Photographic Styles. While the idea is refreshing for those who want more personalization, it also makes the iPhone camera more complex than ever.

The Evolution of Photographic Styles

Photographic Styles first appeared with the iPhone 13, allowing users to apply specific looks—like warmer or cooler tones—directly into the image processing pipeline. These weren’t simple filters layered on top of photos but baked into how the camera processed the image. With the iPhone 16, Apple has taken this concept further, giving users control over undertones, saturation, and contrast to fine-tune skin tones and apply film-like color casts.

For the first time, users can apply Photographic Styles to photos after they’ve been taken, adding a layer of post-processing flexibility that wasn’t available before. This expanded control is likely to appeal to those who miss the depth and nuance of shadows in their photos. However, it also introduces a dizzying array of options that make the iPhone camera feel more like a professional tool than an everyday smartphone camera.

The new Photographic Styles on iPhone 16 offer deep customization, but they can be overwhelming.

Customization Overload

As I tested the iPhone 16 camera over the past week, I found myself overwhelmed by the flood of new options. Do I want my iPhone camera to act like a Fujifilm X100 with its nostalgic black-and-white tones? Should I optimize undertones for my child’s skin tone or my own? Or should I stick with Apple’s “Standard” mode and adjust later? There’s an immense level of customization, and while that might be exciting for some users, it can leave others unsure of how to approach it.

Adding to the confusion is the fact that Photographic Styles don’t stick by default. If you select one, leave the camera app, and come back, it resets to the default unless you manually change the settings. This wasn’t the case with older models like my iPhone 13 Mini, where styles were sticky. Navigating this new landscape of options can be a frustrating experience for users who aren’t aware of these subtleties.

The Problem with HEIF

On top of all these options, users are required to shoot in HEIF (High-Efficiency Image Format) to access the new Photographic Styles. HEIF, Apple’s preferred image format, stores more data in a smaller file compared to JPEG, but it’s not as universally supported. While platforms have increasingly adapted to HEIF, the format still isn’t as widely accepted as JPEG, leading to compatibility issues. In some cases, you may find yourself unable to upload an image to a website, only to discover that your .heic file won’t work. Apple’s current solution for converting HEIF to JPEG involves emailing the image to yourself—a cumbersome workaround for a modern device.

Apple’s Camera Dilemma

The iPhone camera needs to be all things to all people. It must be able to capture important moments, from the perfect shot of your child blowing out birthday candles to a quick snap of your grocery receipt. It’s the only camera most people have with them at all times, and its versatility is its greatest strength. But how do you make a camera that satisfies everyone’s needs all the time?

Apple’s answer is to hand over control to the user. If you want the standard look—smooth skin tones, boosted shadows, and balanced highlights—the iPhone’s default settings will deliver. But if you crave more contrast or warmer tones, the tools are now at your fingertips. This might be the most customizable camera Apple has ever made, but it also demands more from users to navigate the maze of settings and options.

Apple’s iPhone 16 camera offers unprecedented control, but navigating the new settings can be overwhelming.

Conclusion: A Missed Opportunity for Simplicity?

In many ways, the iPhone 16 offers the most personal camera experience Apple has ever made. Yet, it’s also the most confusing. The array of new features, combined with the requirement to shoot in HEIF and manage non-sticky Photographic Styles, may leave users feeling overwhelmed. While the camera is technically impressive and capable of producing stunning images, many users may not experience its full potential due to the complexity involved.

In its quest to please everyone, Apple has created a camera that might only appeal to a select few—those who are willing to put in the time to figure it all out. For the rest of us, the iPhone camera may feel more like a tool that’s gotten too complicated, when all we really want is a simple, beautiful photo.