DxO Labs Says iPhone 8 Plus Has Best Smartphone Camera They've Ever Tested

[MacRumors]

DxO Labs has declared the iPhone 8 Plus has the best smartphone camera it has ever tested in a new in-depth review.

iPhone 8 Plus set a new record with an overall DxOMark Mobile score of 94, two points higher than its smaller iPhone 8 sibling. iPhone 8 Plus also topped the Google Pixel and HTC U11, which both scored 90 points, as well as last year's iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus which scored 88 and 85 points respectively.

DxO said iPhone 8 models do a better job of capturing HDR scenes. In the comparison below, it found the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus offer better detail preservation and overall exposure than the iPhone 7 Plus. The performance matches that of the Google Pixel, which was released nearly one year ago.

In low light, DxO said the iPhone 8 Plus camera's exposures are generally accurate, with some underexposure in very low light.

iPhone 8 Plus​

DxO said the iPhone 8 Plus is the highest-performing smartphone camera it tested in relation to the bokeh effect, which makes the subject in the foreground sharp while creating an out-of-focus blur in the background.

iPhone 8 Plus​

Google Pixel​

DxO said the iPhone 8 Plus improves slightly over the iPhone 8 in its color performance by completely avoiding visible color shading, even in low light.

DxO said, overall, the iPhone 8 Plus is an "excellent choice" for the needs of "nearly every smartphone photographer."

It features outstanding image quality, zoom for those needing to get closer to their subjects, and an industry-leading Portrait mode for artistic efforts. 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 says it has analyzed the image and video quality of over 10,000 cameras, lenses, and mobile phones, and its tests are generally respected within the industry. The company also sells some consumer-facing products like the DxO ONE camera, which can be plugged into an iPhone's Lightning connector.

The full review is a worthwhile read for additional photos and analysis of the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus cameras.

Article Link: DxO Labs Says iPhone 8 Plus Has Best Smartphone Camera They've Ever Tested

 

[Jefe's MacAir]

That's promising.

 

[syndalis]

Apple raised the bar yet again.

Though I think it is fair to say that at the level smartphone cameras have gotten over the past 2-3 years, whatever flagship you get you are going to get a stunning picture that puts whatever pocket cam you ever owned to shame, and punches in the quality area of a low to mid DSLR.

What amazing times we live in, folks.

 

[alex00100]

My iPhone 6 does amazing photos if you’re shooting in a colourful daylight. What we need is ability to take photos in dark and better ability to zoom.

 

[unobtainium]

This is the main thing I care about (camera), but I’m still holding off until next year. The 7 Plus still takes fantastic photos. The X will probably be even better with it’s improved front facing camera etc. but it’s an unproven (and overly expensive) product. I’ll see what they bring next year.

 

[ACST]

DxO is still irrelevant.

 

[Guigue]

I'm sure it's a great camera, possibly the best, but they've tested *ten* mobile cameras so far... Just to put the "Best we've ever tested" in perspective

EDIT: Maybe not, they just don't seem to have a way to list all their reviews, just the strange 10 item list on the right

 

[sk1wbw]

haha, this will seriously piss off the Android fanboy legion. DxO is relevant when they say an Android phone takes great pictures, but when an iPhone does, they are irrelevant.

 

[ACST]

My iPhone 6 does amazing photos if you’re shooting in a colourful daylight. What we need is ability to take photos in dark and better ability to zoom.

But then you run into laws of physics. ie you need a larger surface area to capture more light and you need to have lenses moving from and to each other to get a real physical zoom.

 

[jimbobb24]

I just wish Apple would not differentiate the camera on the iPhone Plus and iPhone. For me, one of the most important features of a phone is the camera but the plus is unworkable for me as a day to day device (of course maybe the X2 or X3 if they bring back touch ID or I can tolerate pulling out my phone - looking at it, the paying for things).

 

[BornAgainMac]

On the fence with iPhone X vs iPhone 8 Plus. I bet even if I wake up at 3:00am on iPhone X order day, it won't arrive in 2017. But I bet it is possible to stroll into any random retail store and pick up a brand new iPhone 8 Plus in whatever color and size I want on launch day with hardly any lines.

 

[DNichter]

Where does the Note 8 and S8+ rank on this list? Is that a mistake? It has to be, right?

 

[nexusrule]

DxO is still irrelevant.

Less than your comment in regard to this discussion.

 

[Swuycheck]

Will the X use the same camera as the 8+? Or will the X have a better camera?

 

[Mackie924]

haha, this will seriously piss off the Android fanboy legion. DxO is relevant when they say an Android phone takes great pictures, but when an iPhone does, they are irrelevant.

Nah. The scores are so close that the top Android cameras are virtually on the same level. Let's just celebrate how good smartphone cameras have become before flaming the fans of fanboy war.

 

[sk1wbw]

On the fence with iPhone X vs iPhone 8 Plus. I bet even if I wake up at 3:00am on iPhone X order day, it won't arrive in 2017. But I bet it is possible to stroll into any random retail store and pick up a brand new iPhone 8 Plus in whatever color and size I want on launch day with hardly any lines.

IF I had a grand to spend, I would would buy the iPhone X over the Note 8 any day of the week. As The Verge said, the Bixby button on the Note is "hardware bloat".

You know, looking back at that sentence, I realized I'm a poet and didn't know it.

 

[mozumder]

Still not good enough. We need raw capture and editing throughout the camera app.

 

[Jman13]

Where does the Note 8 and S8+ rank on this list? Is that a mistake? It has to be, right?

They haven't retested the Note 8 and S8+. They recently redid their scoring system, so have only tested a handful of phones so far, and Samsung's latest haven't been retested on the new formula.

However, DxO's mobile marks are always a bit odd. The 8 camera looks to be very good, but for my eye, I much prefer the Pixel shot to the iPhone shot in the portrait comparison posted above.

Also, like many mobile phones, there's still tons of processed smearing of fine detail in bright light, which looks terrible when zoomed in. This shot is the first shot they post in the review, and overall tonality and contrast is great...but the grass is one big pile of mush, and a lot of the detail lines in the brick wall near the center are completely blurred out by hyperagressive noise reduction: https://cdn.dxomark.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/080-5_ref.jpg

 

[LordVic]

Promising. how does the iPhone 8 (not plus) compare?

those are decent quality photos for sure. though, need to see more low light.

 

[mctrials23]

Where does the Note 8 and S8+ rank on this list? Is that a mistake? It has to be, right?

I was wondering this. I have seen video comparisons between the 7+ and the S8 and in video the S8 is miles better. Photos wise it seemed as good if not slightly better. Seems odd that the S8 etc aren't in that list.

 

[CarpalMac]

haha, this will seriously piss off the Android fanboy legion.

With the Pixel 2 less than two weeks away, possibly not.

 

[sk1wbw]

With the Pixel 2 less than two weeks away, possibly not.

And the iPhone X not soon after that.

 

[Jsameds]

But then you run into laws of physics. ie you need a larger surface area to capture more light and you need to have lenses moving from and to each other to get a real physical zoom.

I’ve heard this ‘laws of physics’ thing so many times over the past few years but I’d bet that today’s phones would also appear to break ‘the laws of physics’ to somebody talking about phones 15 years ago considering we now have something close to DSLR quality in a camera smaller than a pea.

 

[techspin]

Woohoo! The camera is my main reason for upgrading each year. iPhone X better not do any worse..

 

[zombierunner]

She’d look great on any camera

 

[meaning-matters]

Feel sad for DxO Labs, at 100 they're out of business.