iPhone 8 Plus Has the Best Performing Smartphone Camera Ever

iPhone 8 Plus Has Best Performing Smartphone Camera Ever Credit: CNET
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The iPhone 8 Plus has the best performing camera ever installed in a smartphone, according to well-respected camera firm DxO Labs. What’s more, the camera installed in the iPhone X is expected to be better.

While the smaller iPhone 8 scored a very respectable — and similarly record-breaking — 92 in the company’s DxOMark Mobile testing, the iPhone 8 Plus was awarded the highest score in still photography ever achieved by a handset camera: 94. For comparison’s sake, the last record was a 90 held by the Google Pixel. In addition, the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus scored 85 and 88 points last year, respectively.

In their testing and in-depth review, DxO said that both models of iPhone 8 performed much better than the previous iPhone 7 Plus. Specifically, for HDR capture, the new handset cameras boast better detail preservation and overall exposure quality than last year’s iPhone 7 Plus. The Labs noted that HDR quality was on-par with performance seen in the Google Pixel.

As far as iPhone 8 Plus-specific features, the device’s zoom feature scored a full five points better than the zoom on the iPhone 7 Plus. Another significantly upgraded feature is Portrait Mode, with DxO claiming that it’s the best bokeh effect smartphone camera that it’s ever tested. Presumably, that’s due to the significantly upgraded processor and internals of this year’s handset.

In addition, the camera performed well in low-light environments — with generally accurate exposure. The iPhone 8 Plus’ color performance is also a bit higher than its smaller sibling, as it avoids visible color shading even in low light. The company wrote that the phone is a “natural” for photographers wanting to shoot indoors.

“It features outstanding image quality, zoom for those needing to get closer to their subjects, and an industry-leading Portrait Mode for artistic efforts,” DxO wrote in its in-depth review. “It is at the top of our scoring charts in nearly every category — and in particular, its advanced software allows it to do an amazing job of capturing high-dynamic range scenes and images in which it can recognize faces.”

DxO Labs concluded that the camera on the iPhone 8 Plus was the “best smartphone camera (they’ve) ever tested.” The company added that the iPhone 8 Plus is an “excellent choice” for “nearly every smartphone photographer.”

According to its website, DxO Labs has tested and analyzed over 10,000 cameras and lenses — including those installed in mobile devices. The company’s opinion is well-respected — and, as a result, its DxOMark testing is an industry standard as far as ranking camera image quality.

And if there’s one device that could beat the iPhone 8 in terms of camera quality this year, it might be another Apple smartphone. While the iPhone 8 Plus and the iPhone X share similar camera upgrades, the latter device will ship with a wider aperture. DxO notes that the iPhone X’s camera will likely be on “the cutting edge of zoom and portrait performance.”

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