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