They have been doing this since iPhone X. Somewhere along the line "Computational Photography" took over. And the old iPhone where they value true to life photo style turns to HDR high contrast smooth looking Instagram photos.
I remember the old Apple guards used to trash the Samsung / Android photo as being unrealistic. How the tide has turned.
The new Apple resembles very little of the old Apple.
I’ve noticed the same. New iPhones would always look better in the past up until the iPhone 8/X.
I find that the camera of iPhone 8/X looks better than that of iPhone 7. But iPhone XS looks worse to me due to overprocessing, and every iteration after processes more. :(
I just really like the night mode that computational photography brings in, but in every other area it’s a poison pill we’re forced to swallow.
I remember the old Apple guards used to trash the Samsung / Android photo as being unrealistic. How the tide has turned.
The new Apple resembles very little of the old Apple.