There was a time when photography was a difficult skill; when wet glass plates, large wooden boxes and an in-depth knowledge of chemistry were the photographer’s tools for the trade. In the last few years, the number of skilled photographers and photography enthusiasts has increased owing to the advancements in the digital age. With the advent of more supportive technologies, the technical challenges of photography are continually shrinking. Earlier it was absurd to think of a phone’s photo being featured in a newspaper or magazine. Progressively, this has now become more common.
In the weird and wonderful days between film and digital, producing quality photography was hardly expected, but smartphones are changing the game today. The renowned testing agency, Consumer Reports, released a list of the ‘Best Smartphone Cameras’, and Apple’s iPhone X secured the top spot. The other Apple phones that made it to the list were the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus, with the brand acquiring six of the top ten positions. Samsung Galaxy S8+ was the only non-Apple device in the top five; the device features a single 12MP camera with ƒ/1.7 aperture. This is one of the four Samsung devices in the list of 10 top smartphones for best camera, wherein no Google Pixel or HTC models are mentioned. It somewhat appears surprising to the critics that the 12MP, ƒ/1.8 shooter in the Pixel 2 has not appeared on this list, despite receiving very positive reviews.
Apple has largely dominated the smartphone market for years in a number of key areas. For instance, Apple’s iPhone 4 came with a Retina Display, which dramatically raised the bar in the smartphone industry.
The iPhone cameras may not match the superb image quality of a mirrorless or DSLR camera, but in many situations, they come close. The consumer’s desire to document every aspect of life is well established by now. The social addiction, with an Instagram here and a Facebook image there has certainly shot up from the once-ubiquitous Photo Lab to an instant selfie. As far as user-friendliness is concerned, you can’t beat the best smartphone’s camera in terms of portability, storage capability and sharing options.
Topping the list of Flickr’s most popular camera for multiple years, Apple smartphones have long been some of the most widely used cameras available. The iPhone’s popularity and prestige as a photography device has encouraged continuous improvements to photo quality by the company. Apple has always emphasized the iPhone’s camera as a key selling feature. With each new improvement, image quality of the iPhone gets very close to offering the kind of effects you can get with a DSLR camera.
A leading critic for image quality for smartphones, cameras and lens, DxOMark, released its analysis of the iPhone X’s camera in November, stating it as the best smartphone camera ever tested for still photos. The latest list by Consumer Reports does not include the upcoming Galaxy S9 and the Galaxy S9+, and we eagerly wait to witness how Samsung’s newest devices will measure up to the competition in comparison to the iPhone X.