Of particular relevance and significance, this is in the article published by Andrew Lanxon. With the increased efforts to incorporate AI into smartphones, Apple cannot afford to forget that it was high-quality and authentic photography that made an iPhone camera special in the first place.
Lanxon, an expert photographer, says that he appreciates AI when it is used for a purpose, such as Photoshop or an intelligent assistant. Nevertheless, he is worried that mobile companies such as Apple are now attempting to use AI as a workaround to rectify a stagnant hardware camera or downgrade the hardware altogether. He makes the comparison between such devices as the Pixel 9 Pro and Xiaomi 15 Ultra because of the more software-centric improvements rather than genuine innovation in the hardware of the camera.
In his view, this move dilutes the experience for those users who care about making real and high-quality photos. Xiaomi switching variable aperture hardware in 14 Ultra to software in 15 Ultra is an example, since he was already disappointed since the software tug cannot mimic the actual thing.
Lanxon appreciates the classic style of Apple, which is the tendency to work with technologies such as ProRaw, ProRes, and Deep Fusion, not to fake pictures but to make them even better. By enhancing the physical qualities of its cameras and only supplementing the art of photography with AI, Apple has been able to stay ahead of the game.
The fear is that as Apple Intelligence has now become a target, Apple will end up following trends, rather than doing what photographers and creative users enjoy: the possibility of correct color, depth, and emotional connection to the photos, which feel real. Even the increasing popularity of real cameras and film photography displays that people never stopped appreciating real moments being captured in an adequate form.
It might be true that the scene created by the AIs might be impressive at first sight, but it will not convey the emotional depth of a true-to-life experience. It is no less than a hope that Lanxon has, i.e., to allow AI to aid creativity and not allow it to take over the core aspect of photography. With iPhone 17 next in the pipeline, he hopes that Apple will maintain the essence of real image quality rather than having the flashy-looking AI tools as the star.
