The Blind Smartphone Camera Test Winners! | Summary and Q&A

TL;DR

The blind smartphone camera test reveals the Pixel 7A as the best overall smartphone camera, while the iPhone 15 Pro performs poorly in daytime photos. Computationally-enhanced features in other phones produce overexposed and wonky shots.

Key Insights

• 💌 The Pixel 7A emerged as the People's Champ with the highest overall average Elo rating.
• 💯 The Pixel 8 Pro and Pixel Fold also performed exceptionally well, making it a perfect Pixel podium.
• 👋 The People's Champ award for the best value per dollar went to the Pixel 7A, followed by the Nothing Phone 2.
• 💁 It is essential to consider factors beyond staged photos, such as skin tone representation, auto-focus speed, UI, file format, and video capabilities.
• 📞 Brighter photos often received more votes, highlighting the preference for well-exposed images.

Transcript

(upbeat music) (logo whirring) - All right, y'all have waited patiently for this. Once again, this year, we've run our blind smartphone camera test, scientific style. We always think we know what the absolute best smartphone cameras are, but do we actually know? Like what if we wanted an objective answer straight from real-world data? Literally eve... Read More

Questions & Answers

Q: Which smartphone camera performed the best overall in the blind test?

The Pixel 7A was the highest-rated smartphone camera in the blind test, delivering great results in all three categories.

Q: Why did the iPhone 15 Pro perform poorly in daytime photos?

The iPhone 15 Pro's photo appeared darker compared to the other smartphones, leading voters to choose brighter images in the blind comparison.

Q: Why did some smartphones produce overexposed shots in low-light conditions?

Several smartphones, such as the Galaxy S23 Ultra, pumped up the light excessively, resulting in bad HDR effects and unnatural-looking photos.

Q: Why did the Sony Xperia 1 V perform badly in portrait mode?

The Sony Xperia 1 V struggled with lighting and produced bizarre results in portrait mode, earning it the lowest Elo rating in any category.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• The blind smartphone camera test took 20 smartphones and captured three types of photos: daytime, low-light, and portrait mode.

• The Pixel 7A emerged as the winner for daytime photos with its excellent dynamic range and neutral look.

• In low-light conditions, the iPhone 15 Pro surprisingly took the best photo, while other cameras tended to overexpose the images. The Sony Xperia 1 V performed the worst in portrait mode with strange lighting issues.