Smartphones are camera phones. The best budget smartphones with a good camera

Smartphone camera rating 2016 year can be compiled according to different parameters. Most often, to select a phone with a good camera, the characteristics of the front and main cameras are analyzed. Here we are talking about the quality of shooting. But don’t forget that most of the photos are taken in spontaneous conditions, for example, when you need to “check in” in some place, or take a beautiful photo right from the car. Surely, many of you have encountered a situation where something very beautiful and interesting is happening here and now, but until the device is “born” for shooting, the event is already losing its significance. That is why the speed of the camera’s response after pressing the shutter is also important. We offer you a rating of smartphones with a fast camera.

Smartphone with fast camera

In 2016, many manufacturers turned their attention to this parameter, trying to speed up their devices in shooting. For example, when announcing the Google Pixel smartphone, the speed of photography was separately noted, and it was stated that this was a smartphone with a fast camera. The guys from PhoneArena found out whether this turned out to be true.

and, taking and saving photos in HDR format

As we can see, it really turned out to be one of the best in terms of shooting speed. By the way, the iPhone 7 Plus is not far behind the leader with a reaction of 1.13 and 1.33 seconds, respectively, in the normal shooting format. Their “little brother” iPhone SE showed worse results - it takes 2.2 seconds to take a photo. By the way, the LG G5 has exactly the same indicator. By the way, the main competitors of iPhones (Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge) have a slight delay when shooting. But Xiaomi Mi 5 turned out to be one of the worst in the experiment: the smartphone needed almost 3 seconds.

Smartphone Camera Rating 2015

It should be noted that Apple is improving this indicator from year to year. This can be judged by the compiled rating of the fastest smartphone cameras of 2015.

Time required to start the camera, focus, shoot and save a photo

Time required to start the camera, focusand, taking and saving photos in HDR format

As you can see, in the normal shooting format, the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus reached 1.7 and 1.6 seconds, respectively. By the way, during the same test, an obvious flaw in the design of the HTC One M9 was revealed: the smartphone takes almost 4 seconds to take a photo.

If you are interested, we recently published a comparative analysis in terms of charging time of all current smartphones. You can read more about this. Choose a device based on these data!

These days, it’s rare to see a modern user without a smartphone. And where there is a mobile device, there is a camera. Considering the capabilities of ordinary devices is not as interesting as flagships, in which manufacturers strive to install the best sensors and software. With the arrival of the iPhone 7 from one of the strongest players in the market, this process became especially exciting. Online journalists decided to conduct a comparative analysis of the photographic abilities of some of the strongest players in the flagship segment: iPhone 7, iPhone 6s, Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge, LG G5 and Sony Xperia XZ. The results can be found below.

Smartphone camera characteristics:

Scene 1: architecture

The image of the Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge turned out to be brighter and more vibrant, its sharpness and saturation are also fine, which allowed the Korean flagship to become a favorite. We were also pleased with the pictures from the iPhone 7 and LG G5. Although they are not as bright as those of the Galaxy S7 Edge, the shades of green are conveyed more naturally. The iPhone 6s and Sony Xperia XZ show a noticeable dip in sharpness and exposure levels, especially in shadowed areas.

Scene 2: macro photography

In macro photography, the leaders were the iPhone 7 and iPhone 6s, which were able to convey the subject and colors more realistically. And the camera of the Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge is apparently not suitable for this type of shooting. The photo shows a discrepancy in the white balance, which causes the image to take on an unnatural green color. The Xperia XZ suffers from the same drawback, although to a lesser extent. The LG G5 has already coped with the task much better, managing to set the white balance correctly - yellow and green colors look more natural.

Scene 3: landscape

In this case, the LG G5 camera coped with the task best of all - good sharpness and correct color rendition are evident. When examining a fragment in detail, higher detail with a minimum amount of digital noise stands out, as well as natural colors in the frame, without deviation towards cold or warm shades. The Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge performed somewhat worse, but its sharpness and rich colors are impressive. The Sony Xperia XZ camera captured more light, but a lot of noise throughout the frame spoils the overall impression when examining the photo from a close distance. Good light and correct color rendition can be credited to the iPhone 7 and iPhone 6s, but the photos turned out darker than the others, this is especially noticeable in the “six”. Images from the iPhone 7 and iPhone 6s look good, but are inferior to the G5 and Galaxy S7 Edge due to the fact that the images turned out dark, especially on the iPhone 6s.

Engineering thought has reached the ceiling - further improvement of cameras is objectively impossible without a radical change in the design of the smartphone itself. All flagship models are equipped with almost ideal, from a technical point of view, modules, and to determine the winner, you will have to take an alternative route.

While smartphone users race to fill their file storages and social media accounts with photos of cats, landscapes, and their loved ones, engineers are scratching their heads over how to improve already excellent cameras. Moreover, the competition for the latter is even tougher, because the fight is not for likes, but for millions of dollars of potential profit for the company.

A few years ago, looking at the performance of cameras on flagship devices from Apple, Samsung and other A-brands, it seemed that the evolution of these modules was about to stop. High-quality, “silent” photos even in low light conditions, ultra-fast autofocus, optical stabilization when shooting video - what more? However, there is no limit to perfection; the emergence of new features and improvements depends solely on user demand.

By mid-spring, all the leading vendors had already pleased the public with announcements and releases of fresh flagship smartphone models, which means we can draw intermediate results. In this material we will look at the 10 best cameras in mobile devices as of 2020.

All the smartphones presented below take excellent photos and videos, but narrowly focused specialists can still set priorities, highlighting the advantages and disadvantages of a particular model. This rating was compiled according to data from DxOMark experts and other authoritative resources.

Which smartphone has the best camera - Top 12 in 2020

12th place iPhone 11

Unlike its predecessor, the iPhone XR, which had only one lens (a standard wide-angle 12-megapixel module), received an additional ultra-wide-angle camera, which not only added the ability to “reverse” wide-angle zoom, but also significantly expanded the functional scope of the camera as a whole. Among other things, iPhone 11 has: auto-correction, improved Smart-HDR, etc.

11th place Honor P20 Pro and OnePlus 7 Pro

Huawei's sub-brand pleases customers with more affordable price tags and very good cameras, the experience in building which is clearly borrowed from its older brother. The Honor P20 Pro does not have the same zoom capabilities as the Huawei P30 Pro or the latest Samsung smartphones, but it still demonstrates excellent shooting quality, rated by DxOMark experts at 111 points. The hardware characteristics of the camera phone are as follows:

The main lens is Sony IMX586 with a 1/2″ matrix size, 48 megapixel resolution, f/1.4 aperture, optical image stabilization and a focal length of 28 mm;
8-megapixel telephoto camera, matrix size 1/4.4″, aperture f/2.4, focal length 80 mm;
16 MP wide-angle lens with 1/3.06″ size and f/2.2 aperture;
Macro lens with 2 MP matrix.

Like its DxOMark rated neighbor Honor P20 Pro, OnePlus' flagship smartphone has a Sony IMX586 main lens and a 48 MP 1/2″ sensor, but with a slightly less strong f/1.6 aperture and a focal length of 26 mm. Two additional modules are also practically indistinguishable: an 8 MP telephoto, f/2.4 and a 16 MP wide lens, f/2.2, however, the telephoto lens, unlike its competitor, has its own optical stabilization system. The result is a smartphone that is capable of taking photographs and shooting video at a very high level of quality by the standards of 2020, for which it deservedly receives a high place in the ranking of camera phones.

10th place Honor V30 Pro

Another top-end camera phone, developed by Huawei specialists. One of the most noticeable disadvantages of the Honor V30 Pro, in comparison with the same Mate 30 Pro, is the lack of a portrait ToF camera; in addition, the smartphone shoots video of noticeably lower quality, but at the same time wins in direct comparison with many competitors on the market. The list of characteristics is as follows:

Main: 40 MP, matrix size 1/1.7 inches, focal length 27 mm, aperture F/1.6, optical image stabilization;
Ultra-wide-angle: 12 MP, pixel size 1.4 μm, focal length 16 mm, aperture F/2.2;
Telephoto lens: 8 MP, 1/4-inch matrix size, 80 mm focal length, F/2.4 aperture, optical image stabilization.

Separately, it is worth mentioning the dual front camera of the Honor V30 Pro, consisting of a wide-angle (32 MP, F/2.0 aperture) and ultra-wide-angle (8 MP, F/2.2 aperture) lenses. Another advantage of the camera phone is the combination of phase detection and laser autofocus on each of the three main cameras.

9th place Samsung Galaxy S20

The new flagship was positioned, in particular, as the best camera phone in the world, and therefore should stand out not only from its competitors, but also from its peers in the line. At the same time, even the difference between the models was deliberately emphasized - the most budget smartphone did not receive a module Depth sensor, the cost of which is not so high, but in practice many Galaxy S20 users will feel its absence. This camera is designed to improve the now very popular portrait shots with background blur. Otherwise, the technical characteristics of the Galaxy S20 cameras are identical to the S20+ model.

Ultra-wide-angle: 12 MP, dot size 1.4 microns, aperture F/2.2;
Wide-angle: 12 MP, size 1.8 microns, aperture F/1.8, optical image stabilization;
Telephoto lens: 64 MP, 0.8 micron, F/2.0 aperture, optical image stabilization;

8th place Galaxy Note 10, Samsung Galaxy S10, Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus

Samsung Galaxy S10 and Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus

At the very beginning of 2019, they set a high standard for the quality of photo and video shooting for other manufacturers - both gadgets received a triple camera with an additional ultra-wide lens.

16 MP (Ultra-wide angle / F2.2), FF;
Dual Pixel 12 MP OIS (Wide Angle / F1.5 / F2.4), AF;
12 MP OIS (Telephoto / F2.4), AF.

In addition, the Galaxy S10+ model received a dual front camera:

Dual Pixel 10 MP AF (F1.9);
8 MP AF (variable depth of field / F2.2).

DxOMark experts rated the efforts of Samsung engineers at 109 points, and this is a repetition of the high result of the Huawei Mate P20 Pro. Experts consider the main advantage of Korean cameras to be excellent detail and clarity of images even in low light conditions. In addition, the software functionality has been significantly improved, including: expanded capabilities of the “Live Focus” mode, added new Animoji, real-time shooting tips for beginners and specific options for professionals in the Pro section.

In turn, presented in August 2019, the Galaxy Note 10 received a main camera that traditionally does not have any fundamental differences from the Galaxy S10, which was older by six months. However, some minor nuances and software improvements allowed the Galaxy Note 10 to take a high place in the DxOMark camera phone rating, beating the Galaxy S10 due to the quality of video shooting (experts noted a wide dynamic range and autofocus accuracy when observing an object).

7th place Xiaomi Mi CC9 Pro Premium Edition

Perhaps the most anticipated camera phone of 2019, which is rated by DxOMark experts as equal in shooting capabilities to the rating leader Huawei Mate 30 Pro, but at the same time costs significantly less than its competitor.

In the description, the 5-module camera Xiaomi Mi CC9 Pro Premium Edition looks very impressive:

Main lens: 108 MP, 25 mm focal length, f/1.69 aperture, optical image stabilization;
Small telephoto lens: 12.19 MP, 50 mm focal length, f/2.0 aperture;
Large telephoto lens: 7.99 MP, 94 mm focal length, f/2 aperture, optical image stabilization;
Ultra-wide-angle lens: 20.11 MP, 16 mm focal length, f/2.2 aperture;
Macro lens: 2 MP, f/2.4 aperture

Add here two dual LED flashes and you get a camera phone that has no equal on the market in terms of the listed characteristics. However, in fact, the impressive technical description gives a result comparable to more modest, but more carefully designed and high-quality systems, for example, in the same Huawei Mate 30 Pro.

6th place Huawei P30 Pro

Chinese flagship shown at the presentation on March 28, 2019 Huawei P30 Pro expectedly raised a new quality bar for premium-segment camera phones. Successfully continuing the tradition of its predecessors (Huawei P20 Pro and Mate 20 Pro).

To create photos and videos use:

Base lens with 40 MP resolution and f1.6 aperture;
Wide-angle lens with 20 MP resolution and f/2.2 aperture;
Telephoto lens with 8 MP resolution and f/3.4 aperture;
ToF camera;
Front camera with a resolution of 32 MP and f/2.0 aperture.

However, this is that rare case when the advantages of a device are not very noticeable “on paper”, but leave no chance for competitors in practice. The main feature Huawei P30 Pro- this is the ability to shoot in any lighting conditions and even complete darkness:

Such miracles are possible thanks to an innovative spectral sensor with an unusual RYB (red, yellow, blue) structure instead of RGB (red, green, blue), which captures 40% more light.

Another trump card of the camera phone is the possibility of 5x optical, 10x hybrid and 50x digital zoom. The gadget uses a periscopic lens with 5 lenses as a “spyglass”, providing a 125 mm focal length.

5th place Samsung Galaxy S20+

The middle brother of the updated Samsung Galaxy line is significantly inferior to the flagship, but at the same time looks quite decent compared to most competitors. Installed here:

Ultra-wide-angle camera: 12 MP, pixel size 1.4 microns, aperture F/2.2;
Wide-angle: 12 MP, size 1.8 microns, aperture F1.8, optical image stabilization;
Telephoto lens: 64 MP, size 0.8 microns, aperture F/2.0, optical image stabilization;
DepthVision for portrait photography;
Hybrid optical zoom 3x, digital zoom 30x;
Front: 10 MP, size 1.22 microns, aperture F/2.2.

As can be seen from a dry comparison of numbers, the lag behind the flagship is noticeable to the naked eye, however, there are a number of advantages over last year’s models.

In particular, the Samsung Galaxy S20+ is also equipped with a “space zoom”, albeit not as sharp as the Ultra models - it is possible to enlarge the image 4 times through optical zoom and up to 30 times through digital zoom.

The Nonacell mode was not implemented for the S20+ model, but the device received a number of other flagship functions. For example, the Single Take mode, in which all cameras are shot for 10 seconds, and the result is short videos and several of the best shots selected by artificial intelligence.

4th place Xiaomi Mi 10 Pro

Xiaomi's new flagship, dedicated to the tenth anniversary of the company's presence on the market, was equipped with cameras based on the most advanced example of the Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra, only slightly inferior to the Korean manufacturer in detail. The technical characteristics of the Xiaomi Mi 10 Pro cameras are as follows:

Wide-angle: 108 MP, F/1.7 aperture, laser autofocus, optical image stabilization;
Telephoto lens: 8 MP, F/2.0 aperture, 1.0 μm pixel size, PDAF, laser autofocus, optical image stabilization, 10x hybrid optical zoom;
Portrait: 12 MP, aperture F/2.0, size 1.4 microns, 2x optical zoom;
Ultra-wide-angle: 20 MP, F/2.2 aperture.

Experts note that the main achievement of Xiaomi specialists was the improvement of algorithms for processing data from smartphone cameras, which made it possible not only to make the process of shooting and saving the result instantaneous (not least thanks to the Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 chip), but also to implement a whole list of new functions for users, which will certainly be widely used in practice. For example, during the presentation it was shown how, in a couple of clicks, you can add an effect to a photo that creates the illusion of a photo from behind glass, along which “live” drops of water flow. In addition, a lot of work has been done to introduce new video shooting modes, among which support for recording videos in 8K quality stands out.

3rd place iPhone 11 Pro and iPhone 11 Pro Max

In the DxOMark rating, the cameras outperformed South Korean smartphones Samsung Galaxy Note 10+, while the overall rating of iPhones was significantly reduced for video shooting capabilities - only 117 points, 124 for photos and 102 for video. However, company experts noted that Apple managed to introduce the technologies necessary to directly compete with the best camera phones on the market within a year.

Following trends, Apple has equipped its flagship smartphones with a triple camera with the following characteristics:

12 MP main wide-angle lens with ƒ/1.8 aperture;
12 MP telephoto lens with ƒ/2.0 aperture;
Ultrawide 12 MP lens with ƒ/2.4 aperture and 120-degree viewing angle.

In addition, in 2019 smartphones, Apple has implemented , which improves the quality of photos and videos taken in conditions of extremely low ambient lighting, which is important for all lovers of mobile photography without exception.

2nd place Huawei Mate 30 Pro

If we look at the technical characteristics of the Huawei Mate 30 Pro cameras, there are not so many differences with its predecessor P30 Pro and they relate primarily to the ultra-wide-angle camera:

Main: 40 MP, 1/1.7-inch matrix size, 27 mm equivalent focal length, F/1.6 aperture, PDAF autofocus, optical image stabilization;
Ultra-wide-angle: 40MP, matrix size 1/1.54 inches, 18 mm focal length, F/1.8 aperture, PDAF;
Telephoto lens: 8 MP 1/4-inch matrix size, 80 mm focal length, F/2.4 aperture, PDAF, optical image stabilization;
ToF 3D portrait camera.

So, for shooting photos and videos, roughly speaking, two separate modules of 40 MP resolution each are responsible, and the first has optical stabilization, while the second noticeably reduces the quality of videos when using digital camera motion correction.

In fact, the Huawei Mate 30 Pro camera can offer a higher level of detail in the corners of the photo when shooting during the day and slightly less noticeable noise in low-light conditions; other differences are almost impossible to notice with the naked eye.

As for video, the main feature here is the slow motion mode with a frequency of 7680 frames per second. In the video below you can compare this SlowMo with a frequency of 960 fps.

1st place Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra

Of course, the best camera phone on the market at the time of its release, which fully met and even exceeded the expectations of fans of Samsung products. From a technical point of view, the device is equipped with the following main modules:

Ultra-wide-angle camera: 12 MP resolution, 1.4 µm pixel size, F/2.2 aperture;
Wide-angle: 108 MP, pixel size 0.8 μm and 2.4 μm in Nonacell dot merging mode, F/1.8 aperture, optical image stabilization;
Telephoto lens: 48 MP, size 0.8 μm (1.6 μm in Nonacell mode), aperture F/3.5, optical image stabilization;
Depth Sensor: Portrait camera;
Hybrid optical zoom 10x, digital zoom 100x;
Front camera: 40 MP, pixel size 0.7 μm (1.4 μm in Nonacell mode), aperture F/2.2.

As can be seen from the description, the front camera of the flagship has been significantly improved compared to both previous models in the line and the younger versions of the Galaxy S20 / S20+ with last year’s 10-megapixel lens installed.

However, the main innovations concerned, of course, the main camera, which has the latest 108-megapixel module of Samsung's own production, which takes pictures with the highest level of detail and can combine pixels using Nonacell technology to obtain the optimal image in terms of quality and energy consumption. In practice, this means that the user can, for example, enlarge the resulting image several times, cut out the scene from the background and get a picture that is almost as detailed as the original image.

Another interesting new feature is support for shooting video in 8K resolution. Actually, such functionality is not in great demand on the market, because monitors with such a high resolution are still very rare, but owners of new Samsung 8K TVs may well be interested in purchasing a flagship smartphone.

In addition, we cannot fail to mention the 4x optical, 10x hybrid and 100x digital zoom, which allows, with the proper skill, to shoot objects at a very long distance in quite acceptable quality.

Camera test: Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra and iPhone 11 Max Pro

Articles and Lifehacks

For those who would like to purchase an advanced camera phone, but do not yet know where to stop, we have compiled a rating of the very best smartphones of recent years with a wonderful camera available on the Russian market.

It should be noted right away: a good camera is not a cheap pleasure, and models for connoisseurs of high-quality photographs belong to the top, or at best, upper middle price segment.

So, let's go! This is how the TOP turned out

Last – phablet Blackberry DTEK60 , announced in October 2016. Built on a 14 nm 4-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 chipset, 4 GB of RAM and a luxurious AMOLED display with 2K resolution. The 21-megapixel camera with f/2.2 aperture is equipped with phase detection autofocus, allows you to shoot in HDR mode, and also record video in 4K resolution. Price – from 29 thousand rubles.

Pros of the model:

Quad-core Qualcomm MSM8996 Snapdragon 820 processor operating at 2.15 GHz.
5.5-inch AMOLED display with a resolution of 1440x2560.
Support for LTE networks.
Qualcomm Quick Charge 3.0 fast charging function.
21-megapixel main camera with autofocus.
Wide angle
Fingerprint scanner.
Branded data protection tools.

Cons of Blackberry DTEK60:

The maximum screen brightness is not too high.

In 5th place – model Sony Xperia XA1 , announced in February 2017. The basis for the device was the 8-core Mediatek Helio P20 platform. The 5-inch display with HD resolution is somewhat surprising on a gadget of this class. 23-megapixel Exmor RS IMX-300 camera with a sensor size of 1/2.3", f/2 aperture, equipped with a pulse LED flash and autofocus. Video recording - FullHD only. Price - from 21 thousand rubles.

Pros of the model:

8-core Mediatek Helio P20 MT6757 processor operating at 2.3 GHz.
5-inch S-IPS display.
Lots of built-in memory – 32 GB.
The maximum capacity of Micro SD cards is up to 256 GB.
Support for LTE networks.
Pump Express+ 2.0 fast charging function.
23-megapixel main camera Exmor RS IMX-300 with autofocus.
Front camera Exmor RS IMX-219 with a resolution of 8 megapixels.
Fingerprint scanner.

Cons of Sony Xperia XA1:

Insufficient display resolution - 720x1280.
Insufficient battery capacity – 2300 mAh.

At 4 positions – flagship Huawei P9 Plus , announced in April 2016. 16 nm 8-core Hisilicon Kirin 955 chipset, 5.5-inch AMOLED display with FullHD resolution. The camera was created jointly with Leica and consists of two modules: color and monochrome. This significantly improves the quality of pictures, especially in low light conditions. f/2.2 aperture, laser autofocus, very high-quality macro photography, RAW format support, a very convenient and multifunctional application for working with the camera and processing the resulting photos. The obvious disadvantages are the lack of optical stabilization and the inability to shoot video in resolutions higher than FullHD. Price – from 30 thousand rubles.

Pros of the model:

8-core Hisilicon Kirin 955 processor operating at 2.5 GHz.
Current version of Android OS 6.0 Marshmallow.
5.5-inch AMOLED display with a resolution of 1080x1920.
2.5D glass.
Lots of RAM – 4 GB.
The maximum capacity of Micro SD cards is up to 128 GB.
Support for LTE networks.
Good battery capacity – 3400 mAh.
Dual-module 12-megapixel main camera with autofocus.
Front camera with a resolution of 8 megapixels.
Fingerprint scanner.
Thin metal body of the device.

Cons of Huawei P9 Plus:

Inability to record video in 4K resolution.

In 3rd place – phablet LG G6 , announced in February 2017. Built on a 4-core 14 nm Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 platform. Note the atypical aspect ratio of the 5.7-inch display - 18:9. The camera is 13-megapixel, two-module: one module with a high aperture (f/1.8), the second with a lower aperture (f/2.4), but with a very wide viewing angle - 125°. The arsenal includes hybrid autofocus, digital and optical stabilization, and 8x digital Zoom. Price – from 39 thousand rubles.

Pros of the model:

Quad-core processor, Qualcomm MSM8996 Snapdragon 821, clocked at 2.35 GHz.
The latest version of Android 7.0 Nougat OS.
5.7-inch S-IPS display with a resolution of 1440x2880.
2.5D Gorilla Glass 5.
Lots of RAM – 4 GB.
Lots of built-in memory – 32 GB.
The maximum capacity of Micro SD cards is up to 2 TB.
Support for LTE networks.
Good battery capacity – 3300 mAh.
Dual-module 13-megapixel main camera with autofocus.
Wide-angle front camera with a resolution of 5 megapixels.
Fingerprint scanner.
Metal body of the device.
Protection against moisture and dust according to IP68 standard.

Cons of LG G6:

Combination slot for memory cards.

2nd place takes the model Samsung Galaxy S8 , announced in March 2017. A magnificent Super AMOLED display and a chipset at the forefront of progress - 10 nm Samsung Exynos 8895. The dual-module 12-megapixel camera Samsung S5K2L2 also does not disappoint: 6 lenses, support for Dual Pixel technology, optical stabilization, f/1.7 aperture, 4K video shooting capability.

Pros of the model:

8-core processor, Samsung Exynos 8895, clocked at 2.3 GHz.
The latest version of Android 7.0 Nougat OS.
5.8-inch S-IPS display with a resolution of 1440x2960.
Protective glass Gorilla Glass 5.
Lots of RAM – 4 GB.
Lots of built-in memory – 64 GB.
The maximum capacity of Micro SD cards is up to 2 TB.
Support for LTE networks.
Acceptable battery capacity is 3000 mAh.
Front camera with a resolution of 8 megapixels.
Fingerprint scanner.
Iris scanner.
Thin metal body of the device.

Cons of Samsung Galaxy S8:

Combination slot for memory cards.

Tops the rating Apple iPhone 7 Plus , announced in September 2016. 5.5-inch display with HD resolution, fresh Apple A10 chipset. Dual-module camera, Sony Exmor RS: telephoto with f/2.8 aperture and wide-angle module f/1.8. 5x optical Zoom, 10x digital, optical stabilization, 4K video recording, RAW format support. The sensors are protected by sapphire glass. The price in the 256 GB version is from 50 thousand rubles.

Pros of the model:

Quad-core processor, Apple A10 Fusion APL1W24, operating at 2.37 GHz.
5.5-inch S-IPS display with a resolution of 1080x1920.
Lots of RAM – 3 GB.
A lot of built-in memory – up to 256 GB.
Support for LTE networks.
Acceptable battery capacity is 2900 mAh.
Dual-module 12-megapixel main camera with autofocus and optical stabilization.
Front camera with a resolution of 8 megapixels.
Fingerprint scanner.
Thin metal body of the device.
Protection against moisture and dust according to IP67 standard.

Cons of Apple iPhone 7 Plus:

There is no memory card slot.

photos

By the way, all of these devices, with the exception of Mate 9, you chose yourself by voting - a link to the results is at the end of the material. We just replaced the Huawei P9 Plus with a more current flagship of the brand with a new Leica camera - it’s more interesting.

There were five stories, six smartphones. The scoring method is the same. The device that took first place in the reader's vote received 6 points, the second - 5 points, the third - 4 points, and so on up to 1 point for sixth place. Then we summed up the points scored in each story and thus received the final rating.

	Selfie	Day	Night	Macro	Portrait	Bottom line
Xiaomi Mi 5S	2	2	1	3	1	9
Sony Xperia XZ	3	1	4	1	4	13
Huawei Mate 9	1	6	3	2	3	15
Samsung Galaxy S7 edge	4	5	5	4	2	20
iPhone 7 Plus	6	3	2	5	5	21
Google Pixel	5	4	6	6	6	27

6th place: Xiaomi Mi 5S (9 points)

Although the Xiaomi flagship took the very last place, it performed very well. All of its competitors are at least twice as expensive, but in some tests (day, macro, selfie) the gadget was able to rise above sixth place. Let's be honest: for its 20,000 rubles, the gadget takes pictures just great.

The persistent Chinese flagship showed a depressingly poor result only in the selfie test. However, for some reason the readers of the site voted very actively for this blurry self-portrait with completely lost details: surprisingly, it took fifth place, not sixth.

5th place: Sony Xperia XZ (13 points)

Sony's flagship camera still has the same problem as before: excessively high resolution. Competitors have 12 megapixels, but here there are as many as 23! It looks cool in the specifications table, but in reality this approach results in noise and loss of detail. After all, the more photosensitive elements on a small matrix, the less light falls on each of them.

Even in the simplest daytime test, on a fragment cut out from the center of the frame, it is clear that the image seems to “ripple.” But compared to the Xperia X Performance, which failed in the previous blind test, the new Sony flagship now very rarely overexposes frames and works much better with color - the processing algorithms have noticeably “pumped up”, the picture has become nicer and more realistic. And the selfie camera is very good here.

4th place: Huawei Mate 9 (15 points)

Huawei's huge flagship with a dual Leica camera was found to be two full lines lower in the reader's rating than in the editorial rating.

For some reason, the Mate 9's sharp and detailed selfies received the least votes. Readers also did not appreciate the color rendition close to natural tones and the ability to bring the camera very close to the subject in a macro scene, although the daytime shot was in the “top” of both ratings.

3rd place: Samsung Galaxy S7 edge (20 points)

The winner of the previous blind test this time has to be content with a modest third place. This surprised us too, but the editors’ opinion coincides with the opinion of the readers. The selfie camera here was already quite weak: colors are okay, but sharpness and detail are not very good. And now the automation of the main module has also become weird: an overexposed night frame with a bias towards yellow tones plus the purple face of the girl from the portrait is a bit overkill. Actually, these two errors prevented the S7 edge from overtaking the iPhone 7 Plus in both ratings.

However, the Korean flagship is still doing great in terms of sharpness and detail, as well as shooting speed and autofocus speed. The last two parameters, although they are still among the best in the class, are unfortunately not taken into account in this test: we look only at the picture quality.

2nd place: iPhone 7 Plus (21 points)

Our readers really liked the shots taken by the new Apple flagship: the iPhone 7 Plus has one first place (selfie) and two second places (macro, portrait). The editors only partly agree with this choice: well, how could a yellow blurry portrait, in which the detailing is even worse than Sony’s, take first place in the voting on the plot? Mystery.