The Samsung Galaxy S III was a rousing success, but the years since its launch in 2012 and now have caused memories of its innovative design to fade. Samsung Galaxy S III official shots The Galaxy S III (the last in the series to use Roman numerals) was unveiled in London in early May 2012. Samsung raked in 9 million pre-orders from 100 carriers worldwide before the phone was released a month later. It sold 20 million units in the first 100 days of availability, then reached 30 million sold in November. By the time the S III was relegated to the history books, it reportedly sold...
Saturday, November 30, 2019
Flashback: Samsung Galaxy S III had both brains and brawn
Huawei Watch GT 2 review
The Huawei Watch GT 2 announcement was somewhat overlooked as it was part of the event that gave us the Mate 30 series. As things unfolded since the smartwatch got far wider availability so we decided to test if its two-week battery life claim materializes in real life and what else it has to offer. Huawei Watch GT 2 specs Body: 46mm: 45.9 x 45.9 x 10.7 mm, 41g weight 22mm strap; 42mm: 41.8 x 41.8 x 9.4 mm mm, 29g, 5 ATM water resistance; Stainless Steel frame, ceramic back Display: 46mm: 1.39" OLED, Resolution 454x454, 326 ppi; 42mm: 1.2" OLED, Resolution 390x390, 326 ppi OS:...
Samsung Galaxy Note10 and Note9 phones are already getting December security patch OTA
Yes, you read that correctly, December security patches, even though, as of writing this, it is still technically November. You won't hear us complain, though, especially since Samsung kind of managed the same feat for the November Galaxy S10 security patch, which started seeding in late October. If this becomes a habit, the Korean giant definitely deserves some praise. As things currently stand, Galaxy Note10 and Note10+ users in about 25 Europe markets should be able to fetch an N97*FXXS1ASKB OTA package, thorough the phone's update menu. As for the Galaxy Note9, as far as we can...
ZTE's unveils and details MiFavor 10 OS, based on Android 10
ZTE just unveiled its latest UI effort to go on top of Android 10 and power future, as well as some of its existing smartphones. Along with it - a nifty infographic, summarizing all the key points in the new OS upgrade was dropped on Weibo. MiFavor 10 infographic Since it is in Chinese, we'll do our best to go over the key points. Icons and dark mode In keeping with current trends, MiFavor is also going as dark as it can on the OS UI. Dark mode support, which is still not finalized and being worked on, is accompanied by plenty of black backgrounds and white text throughout...
Vivo iQOO Neo with Snapdragon 855+ passes through TENAA
Vivo appears to be developing a certain pattern when it comes to its iQOO line. Especially the Neo part of it. First there was the original iQOO Neo, rocking a Snapdragon 845 chipset, followed only a few month later by the iQOO Neo 855. That one swapped in a Snapdragon 855 and sprinkled just a few bonuses, like slightly faster charging and a bigger selfie camera. Other than that, the phones are identical both inside and out. Now, according to a new TENAA certification listing and perfectly in-tune with earlier rumors, vivo will be doing yet another refresh to the Snapdragon 855+ inside the...
Indian vivo V17 to feature a punch hole display and L-shaped quad camera
vivo will launch the V17 in India on December 9, but this isn't the same V17 that debuted in Russia last week, which is also known as the S1 Pro in the Philippines. The Russian V17 sports a 6.38" FHD+ AMOLED display with a waterdrop notch, but according to a recent report, the Indian version will feature a 6.44" OLED panel with a punch hole in the top-right corner. Another difference between the Russian and Indian V17 units is that the former has a diamond-shaped quad camera on the back, but the latter will sport an L-shaped quad camera setup. Alleged leaked image of Indian vivo...
New batch of Redmi K30 leaks: official renders of front, back and info on specs and prices
The Redmi K30 has been frequenting the rumor mill lately. Unfortunately, some of the info and "live photos" in particular of the device have been proven fake. This, however, is to be expected with the kind of interest the successor to the very popular Xiaomi Redmi K20/Mi 9T line has been generating. As per a new batch of rumors and leaks, however, we might not have to wait much longer to get the full story. LU Weibing - VP of the Xiaomi group and general manager of Redmi has officially hinted at some sort of early K30 event happening next week. Mukul Sharma, a leakster we have...
Realme X2 Pro, 6GB RAM and 64GB storage option spotted on India website
A few fays ago, Realme officially brought the X2 Pro to India, causing quite the stir with its aggressive pricing for the flagship. Local buyers can get one in Neptune Blue and Lunar White colors starting at INR 29,999 ($420) for the 8GB/128GB version and INR 33,999 ($470) for the 12GB/256GB model. The only catch being that supplies are currently limited and invite-only flash sales are being held. Definitely not ideal. A new potential development, however, might signal an improvement in availability in the near future. The Realme X2 Pro has been spotted on the company's...
Huawei Watch GT 2 launching in India on December 5
The Huawei Watch GT 2 announced in September will make its way to India on December 5. We don't have the pricing and availability details of the Watch GT 2 yet, but we know it will be sold through Amazon.in and Flipkart in the country. The Watch GT 2 is powered by the Kirin A1 SoC, which is the same chipset that powers the Huawei FreeBuds 3 wireless earbuds. The smartwatch will come in two sizes - 42mm and 46mm. The smaller version features a 1.2" AMOLED screen of 390x390 pixel resolution, while the larger variant sports a 1.39" AMOLED display having a slightly higher resolution...
LG G8 ThinQ receiving stable Android 10 update
LG announced the Android 10 beta program for the G8 ThinQ in South Korea last month, and now we are tipped that the company has started rolling out the stable build of Android 10 for the G8 ThinQ in the country. The update comes with software version G820N20c. A detailed changelog is currently unavailable, but we know that the new build brings in the November 2019 security patch to the G8 ThinQ along with Android 10 features. Stable Android 10 update for LG G8 ThinQ The Android 10 update should reach all the South Korean G8 ThinQ units in a few weeks, but it's unclear when it...
Friday, November 29, 2019
Chinese retailer lists Huawei nova 6 ahead of launch revealing color and storage options
The Huawei nova 6 arriving on December 5 has been listed on Chinese retailer VMall's website in four colors and two memory options - 8GB/128GB and 8GB/256GB. The smartphone will come in 4G and 5G versions, and if the VMall listing is to be believed, the former will only be available in 128GB storage option and come in Black, Blue, and Blue-Purple gradients. The 5G variant, on the other hand, will come in both 128GB and 256GB storage options and will be available in Red color as well. Huawei nova 6 The listing doesn't include any specs of the Huawei nova 6, but the images...
Deal: Sony Xperia 10 is less than half its usual price at just $169.99 unlocked
Sony unveiled the mid-range Xperia 10 at MWC this February alongside the Xperia 1 flagship. Like that high-end model, the Xperia 10 also has a supertall screen with a 21:9 aspect ratio, making for a pretty unique look (especially when you add in Sony's blocky design language). While you may not watch a lot of 21:9 video content on your smartphone, this aspect ratio may also make you scroll less inside any apps that rely on that vertical action a lot - like, say Facebook, or Instagram. The display is definitely the Xperia 10's main claim to fame and its clear differentiator from the...
Black Friday: LG G8 ThinQ can be yours for just $399.99 for a few more hours
As you may have noticed, there are a lot of Black Friday deals around. That said, rarely does one offer come by that basically takes a high-end smartphone that still has up-to-date specs and cuts its price down to the level of a mid-ranger. This is one of those though. Amazon is currently selling the LG G8 ThinQ for just $399.99. That's a whopping $450 off the phone's introductory price. One caveat is that you only have a few more hours to take advantage of this crazy low price point. The other caveat is that the handset comes with a "pre-installed selection of Amazon apps", including...
UK deals: save £150 on the Galaxy Note10+, £200 on the Note10+ 5G until Monday
Samsung's UK arm is going all-in with the Black Friday madness, and it has some very interesting deals waiting for you in the official online store. Until December 2 (and while stocks last), you can: Save £150 off Galaxy Note10+ 4G 256GB - was £999 now £749 Save £200 off Galaxy Note10+ 5G 512GB - was £1199 now £999 Save £200 off Galaxy Note10+ 5G 256GB - was £1099 now £899 Buy an S10/S10+ and get a free pair of AKG N60 headphones Buy an A Series smartphone and get a free pair of U Flex Headphones Until December 3, you can also: Save £150 on the Galaxy...
Xiaomi posts record Q3 revenues, but smartphone sales drop
Xiaomi's revenues for the third quarter of 2019 were higher than ever at $7.63 billion, but how it got there is more interesting. The company's IoT and Smart Home divisions were the main forces behind the growth while the Smartphone division fell slightly. Smartphone sales still make up the bulk of the sales at $4.59 billion, however, this number is 7.8% down year on year. Xiaomi shipped 32.1 million smartphones in Q3, which puts it in fourth place globally (9.2% market share as per Canalys). IoT devices and other consumer electronics accounted for $2.22 billion of the total revenue,...
Black Friday: Huawei, Honor and Xiaomi deals in Germany
In the latest round of Black Friday discounts, Amazon Germany is offering select Huawei, Honor and Xiaomi phones with variable discounts. Starting with Huawei, the budget P Smart Z is now going for 175 with an added 16GB micro SD card while the P30 lite is down to 239. There's also last year's Mate 20 Pro for 449. If you're looking for a smartwatch, Huawei is offering its Watch GT Sport for 109 as well as the Watch GT 2 bundled with a Huawei Band 3e fitness tracker and a Huawei CM510 Bluetooth speaker all for 249. Honor is also hosting some sales with the Honor 20 Lite and a...
vivo V17 with punch hole coming on December 9 in India
vivo is hosting an event on December 9 in India which will be centered around the V17, which won't be the same as recently announced V17 (why do you have to be like that vivo?). There will be one at least one major change as the press invite shows the phone will come with a punch hole in the display which looks like the S5 This suggests the phone might take after the S5, rather than its namesake from a different country, but we'll have to wait a bit longer to find out. How long exactly we'll have to wait until somebody does something about the super confusing naming vivo often uses is...
Oculus shows how not to do a Black Friday sale
VR is still on the pricey side so maybe you were hoping to grab some hardware and games to play through a Black Friday sale. Unfortunately for you, the Oculus deals are pretty bad. First off, hardware discounts are small, just $50 off an Oculus Rift S or Go. Second, the sale mostly offers bundles ranging from 200 to 45. The problem with that is that you can't pick and choose which games you get. For example, one of the pricier bundles, the Black Collection, features Superhot VR (which you probably already have) and Electronauts (which you maybe don't want). Even if you could live with...
Samsung A11, A31 and A41 to come with 64GB base storage
Samsung's Galaxy A-line was a big hit in the past year and the company will aim to carry on the success in 2020 with its new additions like the A11, A31 and A41. These models were tipped to come with the SM-A115X, SM-A315X, and SM-A415X model numbers and the big news is that they will all start at 64GB of onboard storage. Looking back, the A10 and A30 both started at 32GB so the move to 64GB is more than welcome. We recently got our first look at the A51 and A71 which should come with new Infinity-O AMOLED displays and a rectangular camera cutout on the back. There is still no word if...
Promo videos detail Honor V30's cameras, Honor posts official camera samples
With the launch of the new Honor V30 and V30 Pro Honor is trying to establish itself as a maker of premier camera phones alongside parent company Huawei. It shares much of its technology, including the 40MP Sony IMX600 sensor with a RYYB filter, plus the powerful NPUs of the Kirin 990 chipset. Honor published a couple of promo videos extolling the virtues of what it calls "Matrix Camera Technology" - the combination of the sensor, NPU and processing algorithms that achieve impressive low-light capabilities and smooth video stabilization. The videos brag more than they inform,...
Samsung trademarks new "Bright Night" camera sensor for S11 series
The Samsung Galaxy S11 leaks have been coming in bunches lately and the latest one comes from a patent filed with the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO). It details a new camera sensor dubbed "Bright Night" which according to the description will be used in smartphones and tablets. This mnight be an all-new dedicated sensor for night time photography and videos which will debut on the S11 series or a fancy name for the large-sensor 108MP camera. Bright Night sensor patent details Samsung already used "Bright Night" as a dedicated night mode on the S10 and Note10...
Huawei Watch GT 2 will be sold through Amazon and Flipkart in India
The Huawei Watch GT 2 unveiled in September is expected to debut in India next week. The company hasn't announced the launch date yet, but it has added the 'Notify me' button on its official Indian site and confirmed that the smartwatch will be sold in the country through Amazon.in and Flipkart. The Watch GT 2 is powered by the Kirin A1 SoC and will come in two sizes - 42mm and 46mm. The former will be available in Night Black shade while the latter will have three color options to choose from - Matte Black, Pebble Brown, and Titanium Grey. The smaller version sports a 1.2" AMOLED...
Samsung Galaxy Note10 gets a new Android 10 beta with major bug fixes
Samsung has started seeding the stable build of Android 10 for the Galaxy S10 series, but the rest of its 2019 Galaxy flagships - Note10 and Note10+ are still testing the beta. Today Samsung released a new beta build for the Note10 duo which brings in December 2019 security patch and several major bug fixes. The new firmware, sporting version number N97*FXXU1ZSKN, fixes issues related to the world clock in the always-on display, disconnection while using Bluetooth headset, and error in display SD card files in the My Files app. Check out the screenshot below for the complete...
Black Friday: nubia Red Magic 3S discounted for the whole weekend
Black Friday is upon us and the gaming smartphone nubia Red Magic 3S joins the fun. The phone is available globally and for the next four days nubia is discounting it by $50/50/£50. There are also bundles and accessories that are $20/20/£20 off their usual price. The nubia Red Magic 3S is offered in three variants - the first two come with 8/128 GB in either Eclipse Black or Mecha Silver and are $30/30/£30 down. However, the latter will be available starting tomorrow, November 30. The Cyber Shade version comes with 12 GB RAM and 256 GB storage across the globe, and the...
Feast your eyes on these new vivo X30 lifestyle shots
vivo is announcing the new X30 lineup next month and the company has been ramping up its teaser campaign for the past few weeks. We already know what the back will look like with its periscope shooter, but today the official Weibo account revealed the first lifestyle shots of the phone. The vivo X30 is seen in Red and Pearl White/Aurora gradient, starring Liu Wen, one of the most famous Chinese supermodels. vivo X30 vivo claims the X30 will be the phone both for professional shots and its 60x zoom, and a fashion accessory to complement your outwear. The reddish...
Samsung reveals Android 10 update roadmap for its devices in the Philippines
A few days ago Samsung revealed the Android 10 update roadmap for its devices in Israel and later followed it up by detailing the schedule for Indian and Chinese units. Now the company has revealed its plans for Android 10 rollout in the Philippines. The Korean tech giant will release Android 10 with One UI 2.0 for the Galaxy M20 and Galaxy S10 trio in January 2020, however, the company has already started seeding the update for the S10 series so it may reach Filipino units sooner than that. Later in February, Samsung will seed Android 10 for a total of seven devices, which include...
The nubia Z20 launches in Twilight Blue, gets Black Friday discount
The dual-screened nubia Z20 launched back in October in Diamond Black is now available in the gorgeous Twillight Blue color we reviewed. Starting today, you'll be able to pre-order the nubia Z20 in Twilight Blue with shipments scheduled for December 2. And as a bonus if you subscribe to the nubia mailing list, you'll be able to claim a free set of wired Noobz Earphones (normally $14.90). And until December 3 nubia has a $50/50/£50 discount in effect for the nubia Z20 across its online stores in USA, Canada, the EU, UK, Australia, Hong Kong, Israel, Japan, Singapore, Indonesia,...
Thursday, November 28, 2019
Oppo Reno3 Pro 5G battery size revealed
Oppo will unveil the Reno3 and Reno3 Pro 5G next month. The latter will sport a curved edge display and flaunt a glass body with a thickness of 7.7mm (excluding the camera bump). While that does sound impressive, we were worried this would come at the cost of battery capacity. Yet now Oppo VP Brian Shen has said that won't be the case and the Reno3 Pro 5G will pack a 4,025 mAh battery, which is solid even by today's standards. For comparison, some of the recently launched phones in the lineup like the Reno2 and Reno Ace pack a 4,000 mAh cell and have a thickness of 9.5mm and 8.7mm,...
Here's a full frontal render of the Oppo Reno3 Pro 5G
Just yesterday Oppo VP Brian Shen teased the upcoming Reno3 Pro 5G on Twitter, with an image that shows part of its right side. Not 24 hours later, the Internet has produced a full frontal render of the smartphone, so without further ado, here it is in all its glory. Ladies and gentlemen, the Oppo Reno3 Pro 5G. As you can see, there's a punch-hole on the left for the single selfie cam, which is either smaller than most, or the handset itself is rather big. The Reno3 Pro 5G will be the Chinese company's first dual-mode 5G smartphone (that means it works with both standalone and...
Save up to 30 on the Black Shark 2 Pro and 60% on accessories, today only
Xiaomi's gaming-focused sub-brand, Black Shark, is holding a sales event today, very appropriately named Black Shark Friday. Amazing word association aside, this has the potential to save you up to 30 or £30 off the price of the Black Shark 2 Pro smartphone. Here's how that works. You get 10 or £10 off through a voucher you receive if you are a voter of the Legendary Loot Campaign. An additional 20 or £20 is headed your way as a cashback once you submit a product review. But wait, there's more. You can save 60% off the Black Shark Gamepad 2.0 Stand, the Black Shark Gamepad Right...
Xiaomi Mi Note 10 is down to $439.99, cheapest price yet
Black Friday is looming and so the deals are starting to pour in. And it's not just older devices that you can purchase for a lot less than usual, there are even offers for recently launched smartphones. Case in point: the Xiaomi Mi Note 10. This is a decidedly intriguing penta-camera device with a 108 MP main snapper on the back and not one but two zoom cams on its sides (with an additional ultrawide and a dedicated macro cam). And you can now grab one for just $439.99, when you buy from Gearbest and apply the promo code GBXMNT10BF at checkout. This reseller normally asks for...
Honor V30 Pro Beijing photo tour - check out the camera samples
Honor unveiled the V30 Pro and V30 the other day - if you have missed them this will get you up to speed. China is the duo's debut market with updates on international availability hopefully to follow soon. It will undoubtedly depend on whether Huawei manages to get itself out of the tough position that the US band put it in. Either way the V30 and V30 Pro are exciting phones as we established in our hands-on review. One of its most interesting bits is undoubtedly its camera so we decided to dig a little deeper. With the dust settled, a V30 Pro unit acquired and some time spent in...
Asus ROG Phone gets Android 9 Pie at last
Last year's Asus ROG Phone was the brand's first entry in the gaming smartphone category. Even though Android 9 Pie was already available on several devices at the time of its release, the ROG Phone launched with Android 8.1 Oreo. Now, the ROG Phone is finally getting a taste of Pie, just as other manufacturers are pushing their Android 10 updates. The new firmware comes with the lengthy v16.0410.1910.91 model number. It's an official OTA update and is being rolled out in stages so it should be arriving in more regions soon. Complete Changelog Upgraded system to Android...
Samsung Galaxy S10 series stable Android 10 is now available for download
Earlier today, we Samsung's One UI 2.0 stable update started hitting the Galaxy S10 series in Germany. Initially only available to those part of the beta program it is now seeding to all phones in the country. Galaxy S10 owners in Germany have started receiving the Android 10-based update which comes in at just over 1.9GB in size and also brings the December security patch. This should signal that more regions will also get the update soon. Now if you don't live in Germany and hate waiting, the folks over at SamMobile have the firmwares for all three versions of the S10 ready for...
Realme may spin-off from Oppo to become fully independent
Realme may soon spin off from Oppo entirely, reveals one of its head executives. While it operates fairly independently from its parent company (it already has its own R&D and marketing departments), Realme still shares resources with Oppo. Going forward, the company is expected to "build up its own ecosystem and production lines," says Chung Hsiang-wei, Chief Commercial Officer at Realme Taiwan. However, the spin-off relies on Realme's business continuing to expand. Which is what seems to be happening as it was recently ranked #7 in global shipments as well as being named the...
Black Friday: Apple's 10.2-inch iPad down to just $249, Pixel 3a up fro grabs at $299
The Apple iPad 10.2 has been the most affordable entry to the company's tablet realm and with the arrival of the holiday sales, it's gotten a further price drop. A bunch of US retailers including Amazon and Walmart are knocking off $80 off its base 32GB Wi-Fi only model and are selling it for $249. The 128GB model is getting an even steeper $100 discount and is now $329. The cellular configurations are also being discounted with the 32GB model going for $379 ($79 off) while the 128GB version is $459 ($99 off). If you're eyeing an affordable phone with solid camera performance, the...
Jony Ive formally out of Apple
Jony Ive is now formally and officially not working for Apple. Apple's perennial Design chief announced in the summer that he would be leaving the company but up until yesterday still featured in Apple's exec page. Not anymore, giving the move closure. Ive formed the design firm LoveFrom with long-time friend and work partner Marc Newson and has Apple as a client, so the working relationship will continue. But it isn't clear yet if Apple will appoint a new Chief Design Officer in Ive's stead. Jony Ive's departure from Apple comes at an important time when the company is at work...
Leakster claims the real Galaxy S11 camera design will not be so "messy"
If you're not a fan of the Galaxy S11+ camera as seen in renders, you may be glad to hear that Ice Universe claims they are inaccurate. The leakster is regarded as knowledgeable in the matters of Samsung, but does have logic on his side too. The S11 is supposed to have a 5x periscope zoom camera and all periscope designs we've seen so far have a rectangular aperture. This allows more light to reach the sensor (which is similarly rectangular), so it's unlikely that Samsung will switch to a circular lens. But that's not what the renders show - they show multiple circular lenses and no...
The best smartphone cameras of 2019
With 2019 slowly but surely coming to an end and all major smartphone launches of the year behind us, now seems like a good time to recap and have another close look at the many smartphone camera reviews we have published this year, and pick our favorite smartphones for you (note we will still test a number of smartphone cameras before the end of the year and update this list accordingly if necessary).
As of this writing, we’ve tested 31 smartphone main cameras this year, covering everything from very affordable budget devices to the flagship models from all major brands. At device launches over the past twelve months, we’ve seen important innovations in terms of hardware, with some models boasting as many as five individual cameras (for example, the Nokia 9 PureView and the Xiaomi Mi 9 CC Pro Premium Edition), as well as new and improved computational methods on the software side of things.
As one would expect, these technological developments have resulted in notable performance improvements compared to previous years, and 2019 has seen new highs for our overall DXOMARK Camera scores as well as for most sub-scores. The overall score is a great indicator for a smartphone’s all-round camera capabilities, but if you have more specific imaging requirements, it’s best to dive deeper and have a closer look at the sub-scores as well. —And that’s exactly what we’ve done in compiling the list below. So without further ado, here are our favorite smartphone cameras for 2019, by category:
Best all-rounder: Huawei Mate 30 Pro / Xiaomi Mi CC9 Pro Premium Edition
The Huawei Mate 30 Pro and Xiaomi CC9 Pro Premium Edition currently share the top spot in the DXOMARK Camera rankings, making both devices an excellent choice for mobile photographers who need top-end performance in any mobile photo or video situation.
Both devices come with cutting-edge camera hardware but differ in some areas. The Huawei features a primary camera with a 40Mp Quad-Bayer sensor and a f/1.7-aperture lens. It’s accompanied by a 3x tele-module and an ultra-wide camera with a very large (1/1.54″) sensor and a lens with an 18mm-equivalent field of view.
The Xiaomi manages to top the Huawei in terms of camera modules, offering a total number of five. The primary camera with a 108MP Quad-Bayer sensor produces 27MP image output. There is also a 20MP ultra-wide camera with a 16mm-equivalent field of view, and not one but two tele-lenses: a short telephoto that provides a 2x zoom factor (50mm equivalent), and a long telephoto that multiplies the primary camera’s equivalent focal length by approximately 3.5 (94mm-equivalent). (There’s also a dedicated macro camera that we did not test, as it falls outside our DXOMARK Camera test protocol.)
Overall, the two cameras’ test results are excellent in virtual all areas, and the differences between the two for most sub-scores are fairly minor. However, if you have very specific requirements, it might be worth having a closer look at the differences to pick one of our top-ranked devices over the other.
The Huawei achieves a slightly better Photo score, mainly due to better management of image noise and artifacts. Thanks to its dual tele-lens approach, the Xiaomi performs better when zooming, though, delivering excellent quality across the entire zoom range; further, it also offers a slightly wider field of view with its ultra-wide camera than the Huawei. In terms of video, the Xiaomi just edges out the Mate 30 Pro, largely thanks to better color rendering, lower noise levels, and more reliable video autofocus. No matter which of the two you pick, though, you’re shooting images and video with one of the very best smartphone cameras currently on the market. (Note, though, that the availability of the Xiaomi Mi CC9 Pro Premium Edition is currently limited to some Asian markets.)
For more information, detailed test data, and image and video samples, read our full reviews:
Also consider: Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max
If you’re invested in Apple’s iOS ecosystem, the iPhone 11 Pro Max is a safe bet for any mobile photographer. At 124 points, it lags a little behind the best in class in terms of Photo score, but still delivers very good results in most conditions; moreover, it is currently our joint number one device for Video.
Best for video: Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max
Modern smartphones are capable of recording high-quality video footage at high resolution, and with a Video score of 102, Apple’s latest flagship, the iPhone 11 Pro Max, is the best of the bunch.
It’s one of only a few smartphones capable of recording HDR footage, which results in a very wide dynamic range, and the Apple clips show highlight and shadow details even in difficult high-contrast conditions. Moreover, exposure is generally good in most conditions. iPhone footage also shows very pleasant color rendering, with only some white balance instabilities when recording indoors.
Detail is excellent as well, especially when using the 4K resolution mode, and image noise is very well under control in bright light. (It can become a little more visible when recording in dimmer conditions, however.) In addition, the iPhone’s autofocus system performs well in video mode, with smooth transitions and good tracking capabilities, and the stabilization does a good job at keeping things steady most of the time. Only when recording while walking is a jello effect frequently visible in iPhone video clips.
Apple has always put a lot of emphasis on the video performance of its devices. This has resulted in huge popularity among the mobile video community and an abundance of choices in terms of mobile video accessories, such as external microphones, video grips, and lighting solutions, as well as video editing apps. In combination with excellent video output quality, this makes the latest top-end iPhone an ideal choice for mobile videographers, journalists, vloggers, and other content creators who want to shoot high-quality video with extremely lightweight and compact equipment.
For more information, detailed test data, and image and video samples, read our full review and article on new camera features on the iPhone 11 Pro Max:
Also consider: Xiaomi Mi CC 9 Pro Premium Edition
The Xiaomi Mi CC 9 Pro Premium Edition achieved the same high Video score as the iPhone 11 Pro Max in our testing, with fairly minimal differences between the two. Thanks to its HDR recording and mobile video ecosystem, the iPhone just edges it out, but video shooters who prefer the Android operating system cannot go wrong with the Xiaomi. Just make sure you can actually get hold of one, as it is not currently available in all markets.
Best for zoom: Xiaomi Mi CC9 Pro Premium Edition
Zoom is still one of the very few areas—if not the only area—where conventional compact cameras still have the edge over smartphones. However, thanks to the advent of dedicated optical tele-lenses, smartphones have been able to reduce the gap considerably over the past two years or so, and the Xiaomi Mi CC9 Pro Premium Edition is the device that comes closest to “real camera” zoom performance.
It crushed the competition in our tests and set a new high Zoom sub-score of 109, thanks to a complex and innovative zoom system that is currently unrivaled. It uses two different focal length telephoto cameras, as well as an imaging pipeline that has been optimized for this unusual setup, to provide high-quality telephoto images across our entire range of tested focal lengths. The cameras start by offering true optical zoom at 2x and at a roughly 4x standard smartphone focal length. In contrast to most other devices with dedicated tele-cameras that we have tested, the Xiaomi does a particularly good job of producing quality telephoto images at both its native focal lengths and at other tested focal lengths in between.
In our testing, the Xiaomi preserved fine details noticeably better than even on the best competitors at medium and long range. Some artifacts are visible in zoomed images, especially ringing, but despite that room for improvement, the latest Xiaomi flagship is currently the device of choice for those who require the ability to zoom in on their smartphone cameras.
For more information, detailed test data, and image and video samples, read our full review:
Also consider: Huawei P30 Pro
The Huawei P30 Pro cannot quite keep up with the Xiaomi in terms of image detail, especially at longer zoom distances, nor in between the native focal lengths of its primary and dedicated tele-cameras. However, thanks to a 5x tele-module with folded optics and clever image-merging technology, it is not far off, and might be easier to get ahold of in many countries than the Xiaomi, which is currently reserved for certain Asian markets only.
Best for ultra-wide: Samsung Galaxy Note 10+ 5G
If interior images, landscapes, and group shots make up an important proportion of your photographic portfolio, you are likely to appreciate the ultra-wide cameras that have become pretty much a standard feature on high-end smartphones over the past couple of years or so. Not all ultra-wide cameras are the same, though—we found huge differences in our test results in terms of both effective field of view and general image quality.
If you want to make sure your ultra-wide images cover a very wide angle of view and show good image quality across a variety of shooting situations, the Samsung Galaxy Note 10+ 5G is the smartphone of choice in 2019. With a Wide sub-score of 42, it is currently the best device for this test category in our database, thanks to a combination of one of the widest fields of view in the business (12mm-equivalent), with very good image quality in bright outdoor conditions as well as under typical indoor lighting.
Despite its very wide lens, the Samsung is capable of maintaining good image quality across all tested focal lengths (from 12mm- to 20mm-equivalent). Some artifacts—for example, face deformation towards the corner of the frame (anamorphosis) and chromatic aberrations are quite noticeable, but this is true for most ultra-wide cameras; this said, the Note 10+ 5G generally controls distortion is well, with it only slightly visible in the corners of the frame.
Target exposure is generally accurate, and images show a wide dynamic range; we observed some clipping only indoors. Color rendering is good as well, with vivid and pleasant colors, and the auto white balance system produces good results even under artificial lighting. As for detail, the Samsung does well in outdoor conditions, but loses some points when shooting under typical indoor lighting. Noise is quite visible in blue skies, even when shooting in bright light, and noise levels indoors are slightly higher than the best-in-class devices.
As with all current ultra-wide cameras, there is still some room for improvement for the Galaxy Note 10+ 5G, but is still the current best pick if an ultra-wide camera is high on your list of priorities.
For more information, detailed test data, and image and video samples, read our full review:
Also consider: Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max
The iPhone 11 Pro Max’s ultra-wide camera performed almost on the same level in our tests as the Galaxy Note 10+ 5G’s. However, the iPhone offers a slightly more narrow field of view and there’s generally more image noise in all conditions. On the plus side, the iPhone rendered fine detail and textures better.
Best for Night photography: Huawei Mate 30 Pro
Until not too long ago, smartphone cameras were capable of achieving good results in bright light conditions, but you wanted to make sure to carry your DSLR or large-sensor compact camera with you when shooting low-light or night images. Things have changed now. Thanks to a combination of new sensor technologies and innovative computational imaging methods, many of the latest generation of high-end smartphones are more than capable of delivering good results in dim conditions—and the Huawei Mate 30 Pro is the best among them.
Its primary camera uses an unusually large 1/1.7″ Quad-Bayer sensor, and Huawei has implemented frame-stacking technology and other computational trickery to enhance the camera’s light-gathering capabilities even further. As a result, the Mate 30 Pro scores an impressive 61 points in our Night tests, the currently best score in our ranking.
This score is based on good exposure and color saturation down to extremely low light levels, and on well-exposed cityscape shots with wide dynamic range and low noise levels. The latter is a particular strength of the Huawei when shooting in low light, even if under close inspection, detail can look a little soft in low-light conditions.
In addition, the Mate 30 Pro deploys an interesting flash-triggering strategy in flash-auto mode. When the scene is bright enough for the camera to achieve an accurate target exposure, low noise, and good detail, the flash does not trigger. When it gets too dark, it triggers the flash, which secures good exposure and detail on faces, but means that the background will be underexposed. This is generally a sensible strategy for capturing good image quality in almost any low-light situation.
The Huawei also comes with a dedicated night mode that performs fairly well for landscape scenes, with low noise and decent target exposure. We did observe some color issues when using this mode, though—for example, overaccentuated green areas. All in all, though, the Mate 30 Pro can’t be beaten for low-light smartphone photography, and is a safe bet for anyone who regularly takes images in dim conditions.
For more information, detailed test data, and image and video samples, read our full review:
Also consider: Huawei P30 Pro
The P30 Pro uses very similar hardware in its primary camera as its cousin Mate 30 Pro, and therefore (unsurprisingly) delivers quite similar results. Night images tend to show higher noise levels than the Mate 30 Pro, but overall, the P-series model still performs remarkably well in low light.
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