vs iPhone 11 Pro vs Note 10 Plus vs OnePlus 7T : appareil photo
It has become harder than ever to tell which smartphone offers
the best camera
There are many factors to consider, but ultimately, this is great news for consumers because it means we can happily capture the important moments in our lives and expect solid results.
But some phones trump others. Let's set up the new
Google Pixel 4XL
, the
iPhone 11 Pro Max
, the
Samsung Galaxy Note 10 Plus
, and the
OnePlus 7T
for a four-way camera shot to narrow down the best option currently available.
Camera specifications
First, a quick note on specs.
Pixel4 XL
has a 12.2-megapixel (f/1.7) lens paired with a 16-megapixel telephoto lens offering 2x optical zoom (f/2.4), and both have optical image stabilization (OIS). It has a camera 8-megapixel front (f/2.0).
The
iPhone 11 Pro Max
kicks things off with a triple-camera setup. All three have 12-megapixels, with the main f/1.8 lens, an f/2.0 telephoto lens with 2x optical zoom, and an f/2.4 ultra-wide-angle lens. first two lenses have OIS. The front camera contains 12 megapixels and has an f/2.2 aperture.
The
Samsung Galaxy Note 10 Plus
technically has a quad camera array. There's a 12-megapixel main camera (with f/1.5-f/2.4 variable aperture) and a 12-megapixel telephoto lens with 2x optical zoom (f/2.1) ;both have OIS. The ultra-wide-angle lens has 16 megapixels (f/2.2), and the latter is a time-of-flight camera used to capture depth for portrait mode. has a 10-megapixel lens with an f/2.2 aperture.
Finally, there is the
OnePlus 7T
, which is the most affordable phone on the list, but it also has a triple-camera system. There's a 48-megapixel (f/1.6) primary camera with OIS, a 12-megapixel telephoto lens offering zoom 2x optical (f/2.2) and a 16-megapixel ultra-wide-angle lens (f/2.2). The selfie camera is a 16-megapixel lens with an f/2.0 aperture.
Disclaimer:
Photography is subjective, so the wins I award may not match your favorites, and that's okay. I also used a professionally calibrated monitor to view these photos, so keep in mind that the photos may look different depending on what screen you're viewing them on. During this test, I also took Google's Pixel 3 with me, but for the sake of simplicity, I separated this camera shootout, so so you can check out how the Pixel 4
compares to its predecessor here
.That's why you'll see similar photos between comparisons.
The cube
Pixel4 XL.
iPhone 11 Pro Max.
Samsung Galaxy Note 10 Plus.
OnePlus 7T.
Starting with the Alamo, also known as the Astor Place Cube, not all of these photos are drastically different The Pixel 4 has way too much grain everywhere, and this is the only photo where you see the minus the underside of the cube (however, I like its sky the best). Unfortunately, the iPhone 11 Pro isn't a good shot. The sky is just too overexposed and I'd shoot the Pixel over it.
The OnePlus 7T's shot is pretty good, but look around the edges and you'll notice a bit of distortion Look at the glass panes behind the cube, where it says Astor Place, and you'll see they sit at an angle, unlike to the frames of any other photo. That's weird. The photo is also a little too warm - even the sky has a reddish tint to it, which was definitely not the case in real life.
That leaves the Samsung Galaxy Note 10 Plus in the top slot. It's got some great colors, and while the sky isn't quite as good as the Pixel 4 pictured, it manages to keep it under control while keeping the rest of the photo well exposed.
Winner: Samsung Galaxy Note 10 Plus
Digital Zoom: Statue
Pixel4 XL.
iPhone 11 Pro Max.
Samsung Galaxy Note 10 Plus.
OnePlus 7T.
Google's Pixel4 uses machine learning to clean up and improve digitally zoomed photos. These images were captured at approximately 5x digital zoom on all of these phones.
What I like most about the Pixel photo is its less sharp or processed look. The iPhone comes close, but the leaves aren't as nice to look at and the colors are a little greenish overall .Samsung's shot lags as its details look blurry.
The last two come close, but look at the leaves to the left of the statue, and they look heavily accented in the OnePlus photo. I also prefer the color of the building to the background of the statue in the photo of the Pixel 4, making it a narrow win.
Winner: Google Pixel4XL
Digital zoom: pillars in the distance
Pixel4 XL.
iPhone 11 Pro Max.
Samsung Galaxy Note 10 Plus.
OnePlus 7T.
Here's a clearer example showing the benefits of Super Res Zoom on the Pixel 4. Its image is the clearest not only with the pillars and buildings, but also with the branches and leaves in the foreground, all of which look like a an afterthought on all the other phones. The iPhone comes in last for being too pixelated, followed by Samsung for its lack of detail.
OnePlus isn't far off, but it lacks depth and the overall photo is a bit overexposed. It's another win for the Pixel 4 XL.
Winner: Google Pixel4XL
2x optical zoom: Coffee
Pixel4 XL.
iPhone 11 Pro Max.
Samsung Galaxy Note 10 Plus.
OnePlus 7T.
All of these phones now have a 2x optical zoom option, so let's test it out. These photos of a cafe in Astor Place aren't much different, but we can firmly put the OnePlus 7T last. The photo is completely flat, almost like someone pushed the black levels to non-existent. It's not visually pleasing at all. I then cut the Samsung Note 10 Plus because the skin tones of the two girls are way too bright, just like the girl's hoodie, which almost looks shiny.
The latter two will depend on your personal preference. I think the Pixel photo offers the most natural skin tones compared to the iPhone 11 Pro, and I prefer the darker, browner color of the frame, instead of the version warmer in the iPhone photo. Zoom in all the way and you'll see less grain inside the building in the Pixel 4 photo, giving it the narrow win. I'd be more than happy with the iPhone photo, however.
Winner: Google Pixel4XL
Portrait mode: Dog on a bench
Pixel4 XL.
iPhone 11 Pro Max.
Samsung Galaxy Note 10 Plus.
OnePlus 7T.
You have no idea how difficult it is to take four consecutive photos of a dog in the same pose. Right off the bat, we can scratch the OnePlus 7T again. my dog isn't quite in focus and the whole image looks a bit flat. The iPhone does the best job of accurately outlining my dog's body and applying the blur effect, while Samsung's phone comes in second. The Pixel comes close, but it spoils the part between my dog's right leg and his body. Zoom in as much as possible and the Samsung and iPhone photos are slightly sharper.
The iPhone photo is brighter, warmer, and has a natural blur effect that fades down the dog's body. It's near perfect, and the bokeh effect is superbly strong. The Note 10 Plus comes close here, and I think it does a better job with white balance, but it doesn't quite measure up.
Winner: iPhone 11 Pro Max
Portrait: selfie
1.
Samsung Galaxy Note 10 Plus.
2.
OnePlus 7T.
3.
iPhone 11 Pro Max.
4.
Pixel4XL Portrait Selfie
Let's flip the camera and take a selfie, but let's use portrait mode! There are two highlights here: the iPhone 11 Pro and the Pixel 4 XL. Although I think the OnePlus 7T does a terrific job with HDR , the colors are a little too bright and lacking in contrast, and look closely at my face and you can see it's not quite sharp. The Note 10 Plus takes a great shot, with solid detail and a excellent HDR, but it also lacks contrast.
Take a look at the Pixel and iPhone photos now, and the detail on my face is fantastic. I think the Pixel wins here for its better HDR (although I still like the sky in the Samsung and OnePlus photos), but I prefer also my skin color on the Pixel image because it looks more natural.
Winner: Google Pixel4XL
Food
Pixel4 XL.
iPhone 11 Pro Max.
Samsung Galaxy Note 10 Plus.
OnePlus 7T.
It's an easy win for the iPhone 11 Pro Max There's a reason the food is so red - there's a red heat lamp above me - but the iPhone manages to keep each food item distinct , and even manages to maintain the color of the surrounding area.
The Samsung photo is so red that the food seems to blend into each other, and the OnePlus photo isn't as detailed as the Pixel 4. The latter is still a little too red. Using Night Sight mode on the Pixel 4 (not seen here) I was able to achieve a similar look to the iPhone.
Winner: iPhone 11 Pro Max
Williamsburg Bridge
Pixel4 XL.
iPhone 11 Pro Max.
Samsung Galaxy Note 10 Plus.
OnePlus 7T.
These are all good photos, but I have a soft spot for the Pixel 4 photo because it has the least grain, especially compared to the iPhone and OnePlus photos, and it's the most detailed. I like the color of the rails, as it's a much deeper red shade compared to the other photos.
The iPhone 11 Pro photo is my next favorite, although there are too many yellow tones, and although I think the OnePlus photo is a bit more detailed than the Note 10 Plus photo, the colors seem a little dull and flat.
Winner: Google Pixel4XL
Looking at the balcony
Pixel4 XL.
iPhone 11 Pro Max.
Samsung Galaxy Note 10 Plus.
OnePlus 7T.
It's a surprise. I originally awarded the win to the OnePlus 7T because it lit up the whole photo well, but look closely at the masonry of the central building in this photo, the Pixel and the Samsung photos. They're all in only having the most detail in this low-light photo (no night mode was used). Look closely at the deli sign, and it's the sharpest in the OnePlus photo.
Now zoom in on the iPhone photo and be amazed at the detail it has captured. I prefer to use this photo and brighten it up in the post rather than going with a photo that is poor in detail.
Winner: iPhone 11 Pro Max
Night mode: viaduct
Pixel4 XL.
iPhone 11 Pro Max.
Samsung Galaxy Note 10 Plus.
OnePlus 7T.
You can't go wrong with any of these photos. All of these were captured using each phone's dedicated night mode. If you want the most natural look, the iPhone delivers. The most detailed is the Pixel 4 — look at the trees in the distance, and even the grass at the base of the building to the left — it's much clearer than in the other photos. The OnePlus doesn't perform the best here, with the least details and colors slightly off.
I'm giving the Pixel 4 the win because the difference in detail is noticeable if you look closely and compare it to the iPhone, but I'd totally agree with the iPhone shot as well.
Winner: Google Pixel4XL
Night mode: 2x zoom
Night view.
Julian Chokkattu/Digital Trends
iPhone 11 Pro Max.
Samsung Galaxy Note 10 Plus.
OnePlus 7T.
Interesting little tidbit: you can't use Night Mode on the 2x telephoto lens on some smartphones. This includes the iPhone and OnePlus, while Night Mode works on the Note 10 Plus and Pixel 4. Let's rule out the OnePlus 7T here as it produces horrible tone and it is blurry. Next is Samsung Note 10 Plus which is also blurry and lacks contrast.
The Google Pixel 4 photo has a lot less grain than the iPhone 11 Pro photo, but those two are among the few that aren't blurry. The bridge, in real life, wasn't as yellow as the iPhone claims, but it wasn't as white as the Pixel photo. You can argue for the vibe here, but based on the sharper detail found in the Pixel 4 photo, and that I think his photo is a little nicer, he wins again. You can always edit it to make it warmer if that's what you prefer.
Winner: Google Pixel4XL
Low Light Portrait: Indoor Dog
Pixel4 XL.
iPhone 11 Pro Max.
Samsung Galaxy Note 10 Plus.
OnePlus 7T.
Portrait mode often doesn't work well in low-light scenarios, but it's getting better and better across the board. I posted these four photos on Twitter and asked the internet to pick the best one, and the Pixel 4 XL was a big hit. Why? It does a fantastic job of capturing all of my dog's hair and manages to apply the blur effect perfectly. It also exposes it well without looking too grainy.
The iPhone 11 Pro photo comes next, although it's very dark and my dog is grainy. That's because the blur effect is really good, and my dog is very sharp. It's easy to d just brighten up this photo, and it will be great. OnePlus comes in third because unfortunately my dog is blurry and I'm not a fan of Samsung's photo at all. Of course, my dog is the brightest here compared to n Any other shot, but it completely loses the mood of the scene, overexposes the background, and doesn't retain much detail in my dog's fur.
Winner: Google Pixel4XL
Low-light selfies in portrait mode
1.
Pixel4 XL
2.
iPhone 11 Pro Max.
3.
Samsung Galaxy Note 10 Plus.
4.
OnePlus 7T.
Neither of these phones did very well here in this Portrait Mode selfie on the Williamsburg Bridge. Now I have photos captured without Portrait Mode as well as with Night Mode (only Samsung and Pixel support night mode on the selfie camera), and Samsung came out on top for its most pleasing colors for the normal selfie, but Google won the night mode challenge.
But it's a challenge in Portrait mode, and clearly Apple is dead last. It's a blurry mess with not-so-great colors, but at least the blur effect is strong and precise. The other three photos have similar levels of detail, but I have to choose the Samsung photo because it has pleasing colors. I like the OnePlus photo - I think my face has ideal contrast here - but the blur effect is really weak. The Pixel 4 goes a little too hard with the harsh yellow tones and it also completely knocks my hair out.
Winner: Samsung Galaxy Note 10 Plus
Overall Winner: Google Pixel4XL
The
Pixel4 XL
takes the top spot in this competition with eight wins, with the iPhone in second place, the Note 10 Plus in third, and the OnePlus 7T in last. Does that mean the Pixel 4 XL is the absolute best camera phone? ?Not necessarily. Choosing your favorite photos is a subjective process, and you may not have chosen the same winners as I did. That's because I have a certain style preference, but I have tried to look at the technical details as much as possible.
The two highlights are the iPhone and the Pixel, though, and there's no denying that.
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