Standard Photo
- The Blind Smartphone Camera Test was designed to scientifically answer the question: What is the best smartphone camera out right now?
- 16 total phones were tested, including flagships, mid-rangers, and some unexpected contenders.
- Each phone took the same exact photo for three types of photography: standard daylight, low light, and portrait mode snaps.
- Images were compressed, stripped of EXIF data, and assigned a letter for data processing purposes.
- The power ranking was determined using an ELO rating algorithm, forming a power ranking of smartphone cameras.
- Thousands of people tested the algorithm and voted for the better photo each time, forming a statistically significant winner.
- Pixel 6A won Standard Photo category.
Low Light Photo
- 16 total phones took the same exact photo in the low light category.
- Photos were compressed, stripped of EXIF data, and assigned a letter for data processing purposes.
- An ELO rating algorithm was used to form a power ranking of smartphone cameras.
- Thousands of people tested the algorithm and voted for the better photo each time, forming a statistically significant winner.
- Pixel 7 won Low Light Photo category.
Portrait Mode Snap
- 16 total phones took the same exact photo in the portrait mode snap category.
- Photos were compressed, stripped of EXIF data, and assigned a letter for data processing purposes.
- An ELO rating algorithm was used to form a power ranking of smartphone cameras.
- Thousands of people tested the algorithm and voted for the better photo each time, forming a statistically significant winner.
- Pixel 7 won Portrait Mode Snap category.
Overall Winner
- With the highest average ELO rating across all three categories, the overall winner of The Best Smartphone Camera in 2022 is the Pixel 6A
- The Asus Zenfone 9 came in 3rd, Pixel 7 Pro in 2nd, and Pixel 6A in 1st
- Winning in one category did not necessarily guarantee winning in other categories
- If we consider the importance of Standard Photo to be 3 times higher than Low Light or Portrait Mode photos, then Oppo Find X5 Pro becomes the overall winner
Biggest Losers
- Sony Xperia 1 IV and Moto Edge 30 Ultra performed terribly in the tests
- Despite its world-class sensor and advanced apps, Sony Xperia 1 IV had the lowest average ELO rating across all categories
- Moto Edge 30 Ultra had the most overall losses
Votes per Dollar
- Pixel 6A and Realme 10 Pro+ were the best performers when taking into account the launch price of the phone
- Moto Edge and Sony Xperia 1 IV were the biggest losers in terms of bang for the buck
Biggest Discrepancy
- The biggest discrepancy between two phones in any category was Portrait Mode, Pixel 7 Pro vs. Sony Xperia 1 IV in which Pixel 7 Pro won with 98% of the votes
Standard Mode Photos
- In Standard Mode, the 3 darkest photos were the biggest losers
- Brightest photos were over exposed and still performed better than the darkest photos
Night Mode Photos
- Neutral and correctly exposed photos performed the best
- 2 brightest and 2 darkest photos lost out
Low Light Photos
- Vivo X80 Pro was the low light king
- iPhone 14 Pro had an over-HDR’d photo and still got 11th place
- Moto Edge Plus had an over-sharpened photo
- iPhone SE was the only phone without a night mode and fared the worst
Portrait Mode Photos
- Had the most variety
- Judging was based on correct exposures, sharpness and other effects
Poll Results
- Pixel 6A was the overall winner in the 2021 blind test bracket-style social media poll
- The Realme 10 Pro+ and Pixel 6A offered the best value in terms of smartphones with camera released in 2022
- The Pixel 7 Pro absolutely dominated the portrait mode category
- Galaxy S22 Ultra had the best cutout of the entire competition, closely followed by the Zenfone 9
- The three photos which received the fewest votes were also the brightest
- Brightness of photos is important, but you can be too bright
What do you think?
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