The iPhone has one of the best cameras of any smartphone. What makes it my favorite is that I can take my iPhone out of my pocket and, most times, get the best shot possible. There are no tricky settings or adjustments to make—it’s as simple as a tap.
However, while Apple focuses on computational photography and improves HDR with new generations of Smart HDR, the photography experience becomes more about software decisions than hardware—even though the new chips play a big part in photo processing.
That said, it has become more common for social media users to complain that their photos look worse, even though the hardware is getting better. As a user, I have also experienced this, as I was not fond of Night Mode shots with iPhone 13 Pro, and basically, all my iPhone 14 Pro photos don’t look as good as I hoped they would.
Image source: Christian de Looper for BGR
This situation reminds me of the iPhone XR days and the introduction of Smart HDR. At the time, Apple said it would continue to improve this feature in future updates to adjust the tone. While it did happen, I assume the company also struggled with future versions of Smart HDR, which is why I was unhappy with some of my photos taken on the iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro.
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With the iPhone 15 Pro and the new 48MP sensor, my photos looked better than ever. However, they also lacked detail, and occasionally were blurry. This is when I discovered a TikTok trend—and several posts on Reddit and social media—that changing one single setting could greatly improve my iPhone camera experience.
Turning Prioritize Faster Shooting off improved my iPhone photos
My photos looked better after I turned off Prioritize Faster Shooting (Settings > Camera > Tap the toggle next to Prioritize Faster Shooting). With this setting on, Apple prioritizes the speed at which photos are taken but uses less processing power if you’re shooting several photos simultaneously, which is why it might seem like your photos look off.
This setting is useful if you want to take quick pictures of subjects in motion. However, I strongly recommend turning it off. Even if you’re taking several photos of someone, you’re probably not pressing as quickly as you think. By doing so, you ensure your photos have crisper details and avoid the feeling that something is blurred.
Of course, there are several tweaks you can make to improve your iPhone’s camera abilities. BGR offers a few other helpful camera tips in the article linked below.
