We came across Emperor Norton I roaming around Chinatown in San Francisco. Shot on iPhone X.

The same shot from the iPhone 8 Plus.

Another mural presents a colorful backdrop for portraits, this time with some more distance between the subject and the background. Shot on iPhone X.

Compare the image on this page with the next photo to see how similar portraits from both phones can be in good lighting. Shot on iPhone X.

The same image taken on the 8 Plus.

Who needs the lighting effects in portrait mode when you can use the real sun? Shot on iPhone X.

The front-facing TrueDepth camera on the iPhone X can create the portrait mode for selfies. It's a pleasing effect.

Another selfie from the iPhone X using portrait mode on the front-facing camera.

The X doesn't always get it right for blurring out the background on objects other than people.

Both phones did a good job of detecting multiple subjects in the frame and blurring the background appropriately. Shot on iPhone X.

Compare this shot (from the iPhone X) with the next slide. No flash, portrait mode and some very low light. Exposure: f/2.4, 1/30, ISO 500.

This is the same photo taken on the iPhone 8 Plus. Notice the difference in exposure and how the 8 Plus' photo looks more muddy and has more noise. Exposure: f/2.8, 1/60, ISO 1250.

Here's a shot taken on the wide lens on the iPhone X in low light. Exposure: f/1.8, 1/5, ISO 80.

And the shot on the 2x lens. Exposure: f/2.4, 1/13, ISO 160