In Might 2023, we evaluated the perfect smartphones for his or her final digicam efficiency for Q1 2023. Since then, we’ve been capable of consider extra cameras from flagship telephones that launched at MWC and after: the Xiaomi 13 Pro (02/27/2023), the Honor Magic5 Pro (02/27/2023), and the Xiaomi 13 Ultra (06/12/2023).
Right here is our collection of the 5 Greatest Digital camera Smartphones for Q3 2023. We’ve not obtained our arms on the iPhone 15 Professional Max but, and we’ll replace this text after the launch of the Google Pixel 8 Professional.
The costs of the 5 smartphones go from €1,499.99 (~$1570) to $1099 (launch costs that will not mirror the present costs). To pick the perfect units for cell images, we use a number of standards. We examine in precedence the digicam prowess, and by order or significance, the show high quality, the system’s pace, the economic design, and the battery life.
We evaluated the digicam potential utilizing our proprietary Ubergizmo CAMERA HW rating*, and for this comparative evaluate, we shot pictures with every lens of every smartphone’s principal digicam system. You possibly can study extra by going to the benchmark web page.
Our present choice consists of smartphones that we had time to play with and evaluate. Nevertheless, new cellphones with nice images capabilities are consistently being launched, and we’ll replace this choice within the coming months.
*Our CAMERA HW rating solely consists of the principle rear digicam system and doesn’t take into account the entrance selfie digicam. It’s generated by algorithms based mostly on the technical specs of the digicam {hardware}
1/ Xiaomi 13 Extremely
Excessive
- Final principal digicam system with 4 lenses, together with 1” principal sensor and a 5X optical zoom
- Glorious SoC efficiency
- Glorious massive show with 2600 Nits theoretical peak brightness
- IP68
- Quick 90W charger within the field (~$40 worth) – about 40 min for a full cost
Low
- The costliest of the choice
- No 4K video recording for the selfie digicam
- No U.S. availability
International launch on June twelfth, 2023 – launch worth €1499.90 (~ $1,570)
Digital camera specs highlights:
- Extensive angle (principal) 23mm 50MP f/1.9-4.0 variable aperture, OIS
- Ultrawide angle 12mm 50MP f/1.8
- Telephoto 75mm 50MP f/1.8, OIS optical zoom 3.2X
- Telephoto 120mm 50MP f/3.0, OIS, optical zoom 5X
- Selfie Entrance Digital camera, 21 mm 32 MP, f/2
The Xiaomi has a quad 50 Megapixel rear digicam system, which is sort of distinctive Xiaomi got here up with a design that’s highly effective and really well-balanced. The main 23mm digicam makes use of a Sony IMX989 50MP sensor with sizeable 1.5-micron sensing pixels. The sensor is about 57% bigger than the iPhone 14 Professional Max, and the lens is optically stabilized to maximise the pictures’ sharpness.
The 75mm and 120mm zoom cameras even have optical stabilization, and each are powered by a Sony IMX858 sensor, which is a high-end alternative since this chip will also be present in main cameras of different contenders. 120mm isn’t absolutely the strongest zoom on a telephone, however it ought to produce terrific zoom pictures.
Even the 12mm Ultrawide digicam is supplied with the identical Sony IMX858 sensor, which makes it essentially the most potent ultrawide digicam on this group. This one doesn’t have OIS however would possibly outperform lesser stabilized sensors.
Like all Android smartphones in our prime digicam telephones Q3 2023 choice, the Xiaomi 13 Extremely options Qualcomm’s newest Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 flagship System-on-Chip (SoC), some of the highly effective cell processors in the marketplace. For the worldwide market, Xiaomi affords a single model with 12GB of RAM and 512GB of storage. The Xiaomi 13 extremely delivers the most effective performances of this choice, each on the CPU and the GPU sides. (Test the efficiency comparability graphic on the finish of the article).
The beautiful 6.73” AMOLED show with 1-120Hz adaptive refresh and a QHD+ decision of 3200 x 1440 delivers glorious picture high quality and a formidable 2600 NITs theoretical peak brightness.
2/ Honor Magic 5 Professional
Ubergizmo Digital camera HW rating: 213
Excessive
- Nice principal digicam system with 3 lenses
- Very Good SoC efficiency
- Excellent massive show
- IP68
- 66W charger within the field (~$40 worth) – about 45 min for a full cost
- The most important battery of this choice (5450 mAH)
Low
No U.S. availability
International launch on February twenty sixth, 2023 – launch worth €1199 (~ $1,255)
Digital camera specs highlights:
- Extensive angle (principal) 27mm 50MP f/1.6, OIS
- Ultrawide angle 13mm 50MP f/2
- Telephoto 95mm 50MP f/3, OIS, optical zoom 3.5X
- ToF Sensor 0.3MP
- Selfie Entrance Digital camera, 12 MP, f/2.4
The Honor Magic 5 Professional comes with triple 50 Megapixel digicam sensors, augmented by a ToF (time of flight) sensor, for computing bokeh (background blur). Essentially the most crucial cameras, the 27mm main (OIS) and the 95mm zoom (OIS), have optical stabilization that reduces the chance of blurry pictures.
Each these cameras characteristic the Sony IMX858 sensor, which could be very in style on the excessive finish this yr. The IMX989 is about 12% bigger, so not all 50 MP sensors are equal, however Honor’s large-aperture f/1.6 lens maximizes the sensor floor utilization, and general, the Magic 5 Professional has the most effective main digicam {hardware}.
Its 95mm zoom is sweet however much less excessive than the 230mm zoom that different cameras might need. Likewise, the 13mm Ultrawide digicam could be very first rate however barely under common when in comparison with the opposite contenders on this listing.
In essence, the Magic 5 Professional emphasizes its assets and finances utilization within the main 27mm digicam. That’s not a foul technique, however the efficiency between its inner cameras isn’t essentially the most balanced,
Powered by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, just like the three different Android telephones in our choice, the Honor Magic 5 Professional delivers excellent efficiency. Within the Geekbench 5 multi-core benchmark that evaluates the CPU efficiency, the Magic 5 Professional that includes 12GB of RAM is barely above the Galaxy S23 Extremely however underneath the iPhone 14 Professional Max, the Xiaomi 13 Extremely, and the Xiaomi 13 Professional.
Test the efficiency comparability graphic on the finish of the article.
The attractive quad-curve 6.81” OLED show affords the bottom decision of the 4 Android telephones in our listing however barely larger than the iPhone 14 Professional Max’s 2796×1290 decision. The LTPO panel has a 1-120Hz adaptive refresh fee and delivers 1800 NITs theoretical peak brightness, which is barely above the one discovered within the Galaxy S23 Extremely however under the iPhone 14 professional max (2000 NITs), the Xiaomi 13 Professional (1900 NITs) and the Xiaomi 13 Extremely (2600 NITs).
3/ Xiaomi 13 Professional
Ubergizmo Digital camera HW rating: 205
Excessive
- Nice principal digicam system with 3 lenses
- Nice design with ceramic again
- At 219g, the lightest of the choice
- Nice SoC efficiency
- Glorious massive show with a excessive 522 PPI
- IP68
- Uber-fast 120W HyperCharge charger within the field (~$40 worth)
- 0 to 98% in 20 minutes, the quickest charging pace right here
Low
- Costly in comparison with the competitors in the identical Digital camera HW rating vary
- No 4K video recording for the selfie digicam
- No U.S. availability
International launch on February twenty sixth, 2023 – launch worth 1299 € (~ $1,360)
Digital camera specs highlights:
- Extensive angle (principal) 23mm 50-MP f/1.9, OIS
- Ultrawide angle 14mm 50-MP f/2.
- Telephoto 75mm 50-MP f/2, OIS
- Selfie Entrance Digital camera, 32 MP, f/2
The Xiaomi 13 Professional additionally includes a triple 50MP digicam setup within the rear, with a 23mm main (OIS) digicam, a 75mm zoom (OIS), and a 14mm ultrawide digicam. There’s no bokeh sensor, however we don’t take into account this to be a crucial factor as telephones such because the iPhone, Galaxy S, and Pixel have confirmed that it’s attainable to realize glorious Bokeh, with no devoted sensor.
The first digicam is backed by a Sony IMX989 sensor, which explains why its {hardware} is so well-ranked. Nevertheless, its lens doesn’t appear to be as high-performing because the Xiaomi 13 Extremely, which is designed to rank on the prime.
The 75mm zoom digicam can be akin to the iPhone 14 Professional Max’s and is extra constructed for portrait images than excessive zoom. The Ultrawide digicam could be very first rate however can be the weakest of the telephones current on this listing, so there’s nothing particular to brag about.
That includes the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 mixed with 12GB of RAM, the Xiaomi 13 Professional delivers glorious efficiency, particularly for gaming.
The 6.73” LTPO AMOLED show affords WQHD+ 3200×1440 decision, with the best 552 PPI of all of the telephones right here, adaptive 1-120 Hz refresh fee, and 1900 NITs peak brightness.
4/ Samsung Galaxy S23 Extremely
Ubergizmo Digital camera HW rating: 201
Excessive
- Most important digicam system with 4 lenses, together with 200 MP sensor within the main module
- Two high-quality telephoto modules, one is a un 10X optical zoom
- Stunning design, IP68
- Glorious SoC efficiency
- Glorious massive show with the S-Pen
Low
- Costly
- “Quick” charger (45W) isn’t offered, and prices about $50
- At that worth, the charging pace might have been sooner
Introduced on February 1st, 2023, accessible since February seventeenth, 2023 – launch worth $1,199.99.
Digital camera specs highlights:
- Extensive angle (principal) 24 mm, 200 MP, f/1.7, OIS,
- Ultrawide angle 13 mm, 12 MP, f/2.2, OIS
- Telephoto 69 mm, 10 MP, f/2.4, OIS, optical zoom 3X,
- Telephoto 230 mm, 10 MP, f/4.9, OIS, optical zoom 10X
- Selfie Entrance Digital camera 26 mm, 12 MP, f/2.2
The Samsung Galaxy S23 Extremely wants no introduction and has been a digicam reference for a few years. The 2023 S23 Extremely version stays the most effective digicam techniques in the marketplace, however it’s truthful to say that Samsung has not invested as a lot within the elements as a few of its rivals.
As a substitute, it’s sticking to its technique of providing an especially excessive 200MP sensor (OIS) on its main digicam, paired with an excessive 230mm zoom that has been universally applauded by customers. In long-distance zoom contest, the S23 Extremely is the perfect of all, and this has been confirmed time and time once more.
It will get a CAMERA HW rating of 201, which is excellent however nearly equal to the S22 Extremely.
When you love portrait images, there’s additionally a 69mm zoom, which is OK, however its 10MP sensor is noticeably weaker than the S23 Extremely main digicam, whether or not measured by degree of particulars or coloration accuracy.
Lastly, the 12MP ultrawide (HW) digicam is nice however has but to see a lot evolution. Nevertheless, it stays one of many higher ultrawide cameras on this group as a result of different OEMs usually neglect this operate, although ultrawide pictures are very talked-about. Whereas 12MP might sound small, 50MP ultrawide sensors usually have tiny pixels (right down to 0.65-micron). This UW digicam has 1.4-micron pixels as a substitute.
Geared up with Qualcomm’s newest System-on-Chip (SoC), the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, the S23 Extremely affords excellent efficiency particularly for gaming (examine the efficiency comparability graphic on the finish of the article).
The 6.8” 1440p AMOLED show with an adaptive refresh fee 1-120 Hz delivers a formidable picture high quality and affords 1750 NITs theoretical peak brightness that we measured at 1045 NITs. The show isn’t the best decision or the best brightness of this choice, the Xiaomi 13 Professional delivers 552 PPI (vs 501 for the S23 Extremely), and the Xiaomi 13 Extremely delivers a formidable 2600 NITS peak brightness.
5/ iPhone 14 Professional Max
Ubergizmo CAMERA HW rating: 200 (similar because the iPhone 14 Professional with an similar digicam system)
Excessive
- Excessive-quality digicam sensors and lenses
- Glorious SoC efficiency
- Stunning show
IP68
Low
- At 240g, the heaviest smartphone on this choice
- Gradual charging (30W)
- Charger not included
Introduced September 14, 2022, accessible since September 24, 2022– launch worth $1,099.
Digital camera options highlights**
- Extensive angle (principal) 24 mm, 48 MP, f/1.78, OIS,
- Ultrawide 13 mm, 12 MP, f/2.2,
- Telephoto 77 mm, 12 MP, f/2.8, 3X optical zoom,
- Selfie 23 mm, 12 MP, f/1.9
Amongst all of the smartphones we chosen right here, the iPhone 14 Professional Max possesses the weakest technical specs, aside from its digicam system. Nevertheless, at $1099, it’s now the most affordable of our choice.
The Apple gadget show delivers the bottom pixel density, its battery has the smallest battery capability (4352 mAh vs. 5000 mAh for the others and 5450 mAh for the Honor Magic 5 Professional) alongside the slowest charging pace.
On the graphics efficiency aspect, the iPhone 14 Po Max isn’t pretty much as good in some widespread benchmarks (which mirror many of the present video games) as its Android friends with an identical dimension and outfitted with the perfect Qualcomm chip, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2. With newer benchmarks, it does an excellent job. Nevertheless, it delivers the perfect CPU efficiency of all of the units we chosen. (See graphics efficiency charts on the finish of this text).
That mentioned, the 6.7” OLED show is superb, and the sound high quality the stereo audio system ship is without doubt one of the finest, simply behind the Galaxy S23 Extremely.
The iPhone 14 Professional Max exhibits Apple’s effort to shut the hole in relation to digicam {hardware}. Previously couple of iterations, Apple has caught up with Samsung in general digicam {hardware} power, and also you not hear folks discuss a lot about massive photograph variations between the 2 rivals, besides in relation to long-zoom efficiency, the place Samsung stays the definitive chief.
The similarity in rating isn’t fully shocking. Regardless of the 48MP vs. 200MP, the first sensor dimension is similar to the S23 Extremely. We discovered the 14 Professional’s 77mm zoom to be a bit higher than Samsung’s 69mm zoom, however the Ultrawide cameras are tied and the perfect on this group.
We selected to evaluate the iPhone 14 Professional Max for this choice, although the iPhone 14 Professional options the identical digicam at a cheaper price level ($999 launch worth). One of many principal variations is its smaller display dimension, at 6.1”. On one hand, we choose massive shows, and however, it was logical to think about an iOS smartphone with an identical dimension to the remainder of our listing.
The not too long ago launched iPhone 15 Professional Max options an upgraded principal digicam system, and we’ll replace this text within the upcoming weeks.
Conclusion
The arms race within the cell digicam house has resumed, and producers resembling Xiaomi and Honor are doubling down by investing in spectacular sensors which are virtually 50% bigger than main established rivals. Over time, this funding can repay not solely in picture high quality but additionally in fame and branding.
Utilizing our rating, we’ve beforehand demonstrated that Samsung constructed its digicam fame by investing in higher digicam {hardware}. Huawei used an identical technique.
Clearly, there’s extra to a telephone expertise than how highly effective the digicam {hardware} is, however it’s also clear that digicam efficiency is much more necessary than battery life, in response to latest buyer surveys.
Filed in . Learn extra about Android, Camera Benchmarks, Editor’s Choice, iOS, Qualcomm, Smartphone Reviews and Snapdragon 8 Gen 2.
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