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Apple has trouble keeping up with its Android competition. We've enactment the crème de la crème of high-end smartphones from 2022 to the test. The Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max, Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra, Google Pixel 7 Pro oregon Vivo X80 Pro - find retired which telephone comes retired connected apical of this camerathon successful our review.
Marcus Herbrich, 👁 Daniel Schmidt (translated by Katherine Bodner), Published 01/09/2023 🇩🇪
After having examined flagship smartphones' camera quality at the opening of past year, we've present taken a bully look astatine today's smartphone elite with the top imaginable to person the champion camera connected the market. Due to its constricted availability, we decided not to see the Xiaomi 12S Ultra, though its large Sony IMX989 and fantabulous representation prime would person made it an perfect campaigner for this comparison.
Instead, we volition beryllium looking astatine the iPhone 14 Pro Max, the Pixel 7 Pro, the Vivo X80 Pro and the Galaxy S22 Ultra. We utilized a Samsung flagship with Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen.1 for our pictures. We were capable to find definite prime differences successful the camera betwixt this mentation and the European mentation with the in-house Exynos 2200, but arsenic the differences are minor, our results are inactive valid for the Exynos version arsenic well.
All smartphones are rather likewise priced. Only the Pixel 7 Pro starts retired with a recommended terms beneath 1,000 Euros. All devices were up to day astatine the clip of investigating and were tested via their integrated camera apps with AI enactment turned on.
| Camera setup: back | 108 MPix (f/1.8, 1/1.33, OIS) | 50 MPix (f/1.85, 1/1.31", OIS) | 50 MPix (f/1.6, 1/1.3", OIS) | 48 MPix (f/1.78, 1/1.28", IOS) |
| Telephoto lense(s) | + 10 MPix (f/2.4, 1/3.52", OIS) + 10 MPix (f/4.9, OIS) | + 48 MPix ( f/3.5, 1/2", OIS) | + 12 MPix (f/1.9, 1/2.93", OIS) + 8 MPix (f/3.4, 1/4.4", OIS) | + 12 MPix (f/1.78,) |
| Ultra wide space lense | + 12 MPix (f/2.2, 1/2.55") | + 12 MPix (f/2.2) | + 48 MPix (f/2.2, 1/2.0") | + 12 MPix (f/2.8) |
| Camera setup: front | 40 MPix (f/2.2, 1/2.82") | 10.8 MPix (f/2.2) | 32 MPix (f/2.5, 1/2.8") | 12 MPix (f/1.9) |
| Software version | S9080ZCU2BVL1 | TQ1A.221205.011 | 13.1.10.18.W30 | 16.2 |
High-resolution main cameras person been a modular constituent of high-end Android smartphones for galore years and are becoming much communal for Apple phones arsenic well. What surely passes for aged chapeau for Android users is uncharted territory for Apple users: pixel binning. Th process involves computationally enlarging the existent magnitude of idiosyncratic pixels successful bid to seizure much airy and representation details. All smartphone cameras successful this examination usage pixel binning, which means that the solution of the photos mostly doesn't equate to the camera sensor's resolution. All 4 smartphones besides usage algorithms to automatically get the astir retired of each photo. Except for the representation photos, each pictures were taken successful photograph mode (the Vivo X80 Pro's Zeiss mode is not activated ex-works).
comparison of flagship smartphones' main cameras
Let america statesman with the astir important facet of a smartphone: its main camera. Our trial samples each execute good oregon adjacent precise well, albeit with amazingly disposable differences successful representation sharpness successful precise bully lighting.
The Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra provides the astir sharpness erstwhile photographing objects that are adjacent up, portion the Pixel 7 Pro has disposable deficits. Although the Korean Galaxy smartphone adds a small excessively overmuch sharpness astatine times, the Google flagship often produces blurred pictures, peculiarly on the outer edges. Similarly, the Vivo X80 Pro blurs the contented of our photos, though we similar the look of the pictures it produces successful general. This besides goes for the iPhone 14 Pro Max, though the Apple flagship doesn't bash peculiarly good successful presumption of sharpness and achromatic balance.
The Samsung telephone besides creates the astir appealing Bokeh effects. Even with a comparably elemental taxable specified arsenic our plot gnomes, the Pixel 7 Pro makes unexpectedly superior errors successful the delineation of the blurred areas. The X80 Pro's representation is not arsenic crisp arsenic the ones taken with the iPhone 14 Pro Max, fto unsocial the Galaxy S22 Ultra. The Google flagship makes up crushed erstwhile photographing houses, with plentifulness of details and realistic colors that lucifer the representation taken with the iPhone 14 Pro Max (although the Apple flagship doesn't show good structures successful rather the aforesaid detail). This is wherever the Vivo X80 Pro shines, portion its colour reproduction is excessively chill and the representation has been overly brightened. Samsung's Galaxy S22 Ultra can't rather reproduce the earthy coloring of the image's taxable either.
Image Comparison
Choose a country and navigate wrong the archetypal image. One click changes the presumption connected touchscreens. One click connected the zoomed-in representation opens the archetypal successful a caller window. The archetypal representation shows the scaled photograph of the trial device.
BaumBuchregalHausZwergePortrait
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All trial candidates uncover monolithic weaknesses successful the dark. We were astir pleased with the photos taken with the Pixel 7 Pro, though airy sources are somewhat overexposed. The X80 Pro and Galaxy S22 Ultra are reasonably adjacent behind, and the Vivo, successful particular, shows a bully dynamic scope and HDR processing. This cannot beryllium said of the iPhone 14 Pro Max, which leaves Apple plentifulness of country for improvement. Bright areas of the representation are massively overexposed and look washed out. Image sharpness cannot vie with the Android contention successful precise debased lighting.
On a well-lit street, connected the different hand, the iPhone 14 Pro Max tin support up with its companions, though we inactive similar the Galaxy S22's performance. Compared to the Apple flagship, the Samsung telephone avoids the reddish hue and has a amended dynamic range. Here too, the precise bully Vivo X80 Pro's colors crook retired excessively cool.
Image Comparison
Choose a country and navigate wrong the archetypal image. One click changes the presumption connected touchscreens. One click connected the zoomed-in representation opens the archetypal successful a caller window. The archetypal representation shows the scaled photograph of the trial device.
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There are 2 camps erstwhile it comes to ultra-wide space shots. While the Galaxy S22 Ultra and Vivo X80 Pro do good erstwhile the taxable is reasonably adjacent up, the Pixel 7 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max seem to fare amended astatine a greater region to the subject.
The Samsung flagship and the Vivo X80 Pro some instrumentality bully pictures of our candles and Christmas tree, achieving satisfactory representation sharpness and debased graininess. The Google and Apple phones person much trouble with these 2 aspects, connected apical of the subpar achromatic equilibrium connected the iPhone 14 Pro Max. Photos taken of the thoroughfare successful daylight pb to precise antithetic results: The location walls are overmuch excessively blurry and colors are inaccurate successful the pictures taken with the Galaxy S22 Ultra and the Vivo X80 Pro. The Pixel 7 Pro, meanwhile, captures a batch of details and achieves earthy coloring. The iPhone 14 Pro Max' ultra-wide space camera besides takes bully pictures, with flimsy deductions successful colour accuracy.
All 4 cameras bash a batch little good astatine debased lighting and tin hardly adjacent beryllium utilized for societal media content. When pressed, we would accidental the Vivo X80 Pro has the champion low-light show portion the iPhone 14 Pro Max scores the lowest marks. Because adjacent successful the reasonably well-lit Santa Claus motif, it is the lone examination instrumentality that misses the people with colour temperature.
The ultra-wide space lenses tin beryllium utilized for macro shots if needed, truthful users who are funny successful photographing subjects successful adjacent proximity volition payment from immoderate of the 4 phones successful this comparison. The representation prime is satisfying, though the absorption scope is precise narrow.
Image Comparison
Choose a country and navigate wrong the archetypal image. One click changes the presumption connected touchscreens. One click connected the zoomed-in representation opens the archetypal successful a caller window. The archetypal representation shows the scaled photograph of the trial device.
KerzenStrasse Haus - Low LightWeihnachtsmann - Low Light
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We consciously focused connected a realistic zoom scope (3x, 5x, 10x) that tin execute bully results successful mundane use. In presumption of optical zoom, the iPhone 14 Pro Max features a telephoto lense with 3x zoom portion the Pixel 7 Pro uses 5x zoom. The Galaxy S22 Ultra has 2 telephoto lenses with 3x/10x optical zoom, and the Vivo X80 Pro provides 2x and 5x optical zoom.
None of the manufacturers tin execute decent representation prime successful the dark, and adjacent successful daylight and successful a well-lit room, each smartphones execute importantly little prime astatine 3x zoom. Overall, the Pixel 7 Pro and the iPhone 14 Pro Max execute the champion results successful this scenario, though Apple erstwhile again has issues with colour calibration.
The Vivo X80 Pro achieves decent sharpness successful our photograph with 5x zoom, but the iPhone 14 Pro Max besides does good successful perfect lighting. The Pixel 7 Pro and Galaxy S22 Ultra's photos person an overly lukewarm colour somesthesia and are much blurry.
While the Google telephone (like the iPhone 14 Pro Max) doesn't bash peculiarly good astatine 10x zoom, the Samsung flagship manages to nutrient a decent, albeit overly crisp image. The Vivo telephone manages to seizure the steeple rather nicely, which is somewhat astonishing arsenic it uses hybrid zoom, dissimilar the Samsung flagship.
Image Comparison
Choose a country and navigate wrong the archetypal image. One click changes the presumption connected touchscreens. One click connected the zoomed-in representation opens the archetypal successful a caller window. The archetypal representation shows the scaled photograph of the trial device.
5x-Zoom10x-Zoom5x-Zoom10x-Zoom3x-Zoom
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All flagships nutrient bully pictures successful daylight, though look details look alternatively blurry with the Pixel 7 Pro, even successful perfect lighting. The Galaxy S22 Ultra's selfie besides has less details than the ones taken with the Vivo X80 Pro or iPhone 14 Pro Max. All pictures taken with a beforehand camera were taken with the pre-defined settings, to find retired which smartphones reflector their photos. All 4 smartphones let you to acceptable your ain penchant successful the settings. None of the smartphones tin connection the aforesaid sharpness and opposition erstwhile taking photos successful debased lighting arsenic compared to outdoors. The Vivo telephone is inactive the astir convincing, with passable representation prime successful wintry country lighting.
Image Comparison
Choose a country and navigate wrong the archetypal image. One click changes the presumption connected touchscreens. One click connected the zoomed-in representation opens the archetypal successful a caller window. The archetypal representation shows the scaled photograph of the trial device.
Selfie im FreienSelfie im Innenbereich
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Ambitious amateur photographers volition surely execute precise bully results with immoderate of our candidates, arsenic each of the flagship smartphones let elaborate adjustments and settings. Still, the pre-defined camera settings and representation algorithms for automatic country designation and colour calibration pb to precise antithetic results depending connected the shaper and the subject. While idiosyncratic preferences ever play an important relation successful the country of photography, our results bespeak that the Galaxy S22 Ultra and the Vivo X80 Pro provide the champion show successful the astir important class - the main camera. Both smartphones execute consistently good some successful daylight and astatine nighttime and are bully all-rounders erstwhile it comes to zoom and wide-angle photographs, albeit not ever achieving the champion effect successful each idiosyncratic comparison.
Those who worth a earthy and close colour strategy supra each other whitethorn privation to debar the iPhone 14 Pro Max or different support a adjacent oculus connected colour calibration. Although different flagship phones sometimes person weaknesses successful colour accuracy, this shortcoming is simply a communal thread successful each lenses successful the Apple flagship. The iPhone 14 Pro Max is besides intelligibly affected by agleam lights successful acheronian surroundings. This is thing Apple volition person to enactment connected successful future.
Like the iPhone 14 Pro Max, the Pixel 7 Pro features a bully camera, peculiarly considering the device's comparably debased terms point, but is not afloat convincing crossed the board. Its shortcomings see the main camera's representation sharpness arsenic good arsenic the blurry images taken with the beforehand camera.
Whichever of these devices you take - you tin spot that they volition nutrient bully photos, adjacent if sharpness oregon achromatic equilibrium isn't ever perfect. There is nary azygous all-rounder that intelligibly beats its contention successful each category.
Did this examination not see the close smartphone for you? If you're looking for a telephone with a bully camera, wherefore don't you person a look astatine our list of the champion camera smartphones, which is regularly updated to see the 10 champion camera phones we've reviewed.
The Pixel 7 Pro is straight disposable from the Google store as good arsenic from different third-party sellers specified arsenic Amazon for astir $750.
The Snapdragon mentation of the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra 5G is disposable for $1200 astatine Trading Shenzen.
The iPhone 14 Pro Max is disposable from Apple in each colour and retention variations from $900. Sellers specified as Amazon and BestBuy will yet merchantability it astatine a little price.
The Vivo X80 Pro is disposable for astir $860 from Trading Shenzen.
I person ever been precise passionately funny successful mobile technologies, particularly smartphones. Being a tech enthusiast means the half-life of my devices isn’t precisely long, and being the latest hardware is not capable to suffice arsenic the shaper and operating strategy play a insignificant relation – the astir important facet for maine is that the instrumentality is state-of-the-art. After posting for Mobi Test I joined Notebookcheck successful 2016, wherever I person been pursuing my enthusiasm for exertion by reviewing the latest smartphone, tablet, and accessory trends.
Translator: Katherine Bodner - Translator - 294 articles published connected Notebookcheck since 2017
I completed my master's grade successful translation astatine the University of Vienna a fewer years agone and person been moving arsenic a translator for English, German and French ever since. I archetypal started translating for Notebookcheck successful 2017 and person learned much astir computers than I ever imagined, and I person adjacent go the idiosyncratic my household turns to for proposal erstwhile it comes to user electronics. Other than that I besides absorption connected everything connected to sustainability and renewable energy.
Marcus Herbrich, 2023-01- 9 (Update: 2023-01- 9)
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