Smartphones are complete adequate for portrait shots- abundant and controlled lighting conditions, cooperative and station subjects.
What's really the point here is that Apple has managed to get one of their sponsored photographers to promote their product globally... again.
Most people are very unquestioning when it comes to media consumption. I would bet you the majority of people on the street, when presented with a "shot on iphone" statement with a nice picture will assume (through deliberate act of omission by Apple) that there were no other accessories used. Try it!Original Post Deleted
Honestly, although it's a bit of a gimmick (and perhaps misleading) I think it's still impressive that Time commissioned this project. It's a nod to how accessible technology has become, and I'm all for more of that.