This is how you can make your 6s+ shoot better (currently, pano-only) images (jailbreak only, sorry)

I've just finished shooting and analyzing my long-promised (here in Finland, there is very little Sun during the Winter) well-lit low-contrast foliage tests. My hack allows for a LOT better image quality in very good light. Apple made a HUGE mistake by applying too much NR.

Of the several comparative images I've shot, let me show you the ones shot in front of the Frederik Pacius statue, Kaisaniemi park, Helsinki, Finland:

ISO64, iPhone 6s+ hacked (both gammas zeroed out):

CROP: https://www.flickr.com/photos/33448355@N07/23840254566/in/album-72157662022611280/

original full pano: https://www.flickr.com/photos/33448355@N07/23783659131/in/dateposted-public/

ISO40, iPhone 6s+ NOT hacked (factory settings):

CROP: https://www.flickr.com/photos/33448355@N07/23570632890/in/album-72157662022611280/

original full pano: https://www.flickr.com/photos/33448355@N07/23866186365/in/dateposted-public/

The differences between the hacked and the original version speak for themselves. The hacked version, while shot at a higher ISO (64 vs. 40), have far much more subtle details. In the non-hacked pano, the lawn not directly lit by the Sun is almost completely "watercolored" (smeared), unlike with the hacked version. There's a dramatic difference.

Color noise and reducing it in post processing

And, even at ISO 64, the additional color noise is pretty low, while the luminance noise is non-existant. Let me also show you a post-processed (in Capture One Pro) hacked image with CNR=80 and LNR=0:

CROP: https://www.flickr.com/photos/33448355@N07/23239783693/in/album-72157662022611280/

Original full pano: https://www.flickr.com/photos/33448355@N07/23498676899/in/album-72157662022611280/

As you can see, the almost entirely color noise-free C1 output is far more detailed than the default (non-hacked) iPhone output. The latter has extensive low-contrast detail smearing; my version, after the CNR applied in C1, has still far less. That is, you'll always get better output if you shoot with my hacks and, if you feel you do need to reduce color noise, post process the results.

All in all,

you make a HUGE mistake if you do want to shoot quality(!) panos, have a jailbroken (or jailbreakable) iPhone 6s+ but don't apply my hack.

The scene in High Quality

For comparison to a decent pano shot with a Fuji X-E1 camera, here's a high-quality pano of almost exactly the same scene (I've shot it some 2-3 meters closer to the statue back in last Summer): https://photosynth.net/view.aspx?cid=2daf1f56-9591-4704-b7ee-f93a959c5883