iPhone XS Max Apple is embarassingly behind Google now in Phone photography

[NovemberWhiskey]

that's pretty cool. hope apple implements it soon.

Androids have often had tech advantages over Apple. It's why I went from my 3GS over to the 4G Androids with large screens. It took Apple something like 2 years to catch up with the 5.

You know what? I hated my time over on Android. In hindsight, I probably would have been happier with the 4 despite the fact that it had a smaller screen and only 3G (and no notification bar, no control center, etc.) I had a Droid X, X2, Galaxy Nexus, and maybe some other silly Droid.

I wasted so much time flashing ROMS and customizing my phones. A lot of new and cutting edge stuff, but the basics were still rough.

I remember saying stupid things like "the Evo 3D Max" or whatever it was called, with that ridiculous 3D tech was a game changer. It wasn't.

I came back to Apple when the 5 came out (LTE and larger screen) and haven't looked back.

 

[Greenmeenie]

Check out this camera comparison video between the Pixel 3 vs the iPhone Xs.

The Pixel 3 may have an amazing night mode and dynamic range but falls short on some camera features compared to the iPhone Xs-

- No HEIF support yet for space saving photos
- Low resolution using the "Top shot feature," 3 megapixels for recommended frames and 1 mp for the others.
- No 4k 60 fps video capture
- No 1080p 240 fps capture
- No built-in time-lapse mode in the stock camera
- Worse video sound recording quality
- Lower resolution panorama capture
- The super res zoom feature improves on digital zoom but can't match a dedicated tele lens for sharpness.

Exactly my point.

 

[gnomeisland]

That is an amazing use of computational photography and no doubt the result of the millions of images uploaded and indexed by Google. However, that’s one (albeit very cool) trick. It also only works with still lifes or very, very still people. So cool, but limited use.

Personally I think the second lens on the iPhone is a more generally useful distinguishing feature (on the phones that have them). Otherwise the differences between iPhone and Pixel seems to come down mostly to choices and priorities. Depending on your needs their may be a clear winner because each one has at least a few features the other lacks but saying Apple is years behind is strange hyperbole.

 

[davedvdy]

The XS/XS Max cameras hold up very well to the Pixel 3 which sometimes may fare a bit better or vice versa. I'm not too concerned with the cameras, they are exceptionally great.

In terms of benchmarks however, the XS, XS Max and XR wipe the floor with the Pixel 3.
That does carry over drastically in real world use vids too by a very clear mile.

https://bgr.com/2018/10/24/iphone-xr-vs-pixel-3-xl-speed-test-googles-phone-cant-compete/

 

[ECUSnare]

Lol

The photographer aficionado will want minimal light to make their photo artistic, the average consumer will care about just having a better lit photo in total darkness which is exactly the purpose of this tech

The photographer aficionado will either 1) use a different camera for more flexibility+different lens combo or 2) use a third party app like Lightroom Mobile that allows them to not only edit to their heart's desire, but also shoot in an uncompressed format. I hate for this to sound degrading, but the tech in even the iPhone 7 Plus (if used correctly) can grab some stellar shots (I've sold a few, fwiw).

 

[Jordan921]

https://www.theverge.com/2018/10/25/18021944/google-night-sight-pixel-3-camera-samples

It’s embarassing how far behind Apple is in a tech that Apple was ahead for years up to a couple of years ago

Who cares? My Max takes very good pictures. I’m not worried about what android does. The iPhone does everything I want it to do.

 

[boomer11]

A camera alone doesn't make a phone great but Google does some magic with software. This feature is available on their 3 year old phones. Let's not pretend every other phone manufacturer wouldn't want this on their phone.

 

[goobot]

The tech is cool but what stops someone from just using the flash and getting just as good a photo on an iPhone?

 

[craigio85]

What’s embarrassing is when one armchair camera engineer sneers at Apple. Or Google. Or any multi billion dollar company that happens to be producing, quite frankly, jaw droppingly good cameras. As if any of them have anything to be embarrassed about.

 

[The Game 161]

Actually I think google has more to be embarrassed about with the pixel than apple. Camera aside their release has been somewhat of a nightmare

Picture wise there is little difference in quality from the Xs/max

 

[robotphood]

I can’t believe the people here that find this technical feat incredible are in the minority. It’s not perfect and it’s limited but I certainly would not mind having it. I’m sure most iOS users aren’t concern at what google is doing but competition can be a good thing.

The tech is cool but what stops someone from just using the flash and getting just as good a photo on an iPhone?

You might be able to pull it off with photos taken of closer objects but the flash wouldn’t produce some of the scenery photos shown.

 

[Shanghaichica]

There’s nothing embarrassing about the camera on the Xs/Xs Max. It might not be as good as the pixel 3 but it’s still a very capable camera.

This is not a new thing. Since the pixel OG the reviews have been gushing over the camera.

 

[Packers1958]

It’s just a $43 camera. What more do you want? If you want to take really good pictures, spend what you paid for on the iPhone, and get a real camera.

 

[Shanghaichica]

Check out this camera comparison video between the Pixel 3 v.s the iPhone Xs.

The Pixel 3 may have an amazing night mode and dynamic range but falls short on some camera features compared to the iPhone Xs-

- No HEIF support yet for space saving photos
- Low resolution using the "Top shot feature," 3 megapixels for recommended frames and 1 mp for the others.
- No 4k 60 fps video capture
- No 1080p 240 fps capture
- No built-in time-lapse mode in the stock camera
- Worse video sound recording quality
- Lower resolution panorama capture
- The super res zoom feature improves on digital zoom but can't match a dedicated tele lens for sharpness.

When it comes to pure photography, both the iPhone and Pixel 3 offer excellent performance and quality. It comes subjective to what photo camera you favor.

When comparing video features, it is no question that the iPhone wins. It has the higher frame rate captures, higher resolution slow motion and better sound recording quality.

I feel that the iPhone is the more balanced when it comes to offering both great photo and video capture. Google seemed so focused on the photo capabilities of the Pixel 3 that they forgot to improve its video features. They barely mentioned any video enhancements during their keynote.

The night mode is coming to the older pixel phones too. So no need to splash the cash on the pixel 3.

 

[Steve121178]

https://www.theverge.com/2018/10/25/18021944/google-night-sight-pixel-3-camera-samples

It’s embarassing how far behind Apple is in a tech that Apple was ahead for years up to a couple of years ago

No it's not & a firmware update should resolve the early issues people have had whereby the software selects the wrong frame to save as the 'main' image. I read or watched a very informative video on it the other day and how 12.1 should fix the issue. I'll post the link if I can find it again.

 

[44267547]

Actually I think google has more to be embarrassed about with the pixel than apple. Camera aside their release has been somewhat of a nightmare

Picture wise there is little difference in quality from the Xs/max

Genuinely asking, why has the Pixel release been somewhat of a nightmare? Supply constraints or something else?

 

[peejay1977]

I'm on the fence about Night Shot, sure it's a funky feature and if I had it on my iPhone I wouldn't be complaining, but I don't think it's enough on it's own to call Apple way behind.

I will agree Google has achieved amazing results from a single camera lens and night shot looks good, but all the photos I've seen still suffer from grain and noise which I don't think any amount of AI or post processing will undo.

I've taken plenty of dark shots on an iPhone and then brightened them up after to achieve similar results. And before people jump on me for that statement, I said "similar" specifically. Generally they have a ton of noise introduced but really for me the frequency of me wanting to take a static shot of object that are not moving, in almost dark conditions is limited and not something that would make me feel the iPhone's camera system is behind.

The Pixel is still going to have to struggle with ISO and shutter speed before it applies AI and I'm just not convinced that it's enough to slate the iPhone and call it a year behind.

I'll admit I'm smitten with Apple but I'm an amateur photographer and I have love for any tech no matter who makes it.

The picture Google used to compare something shot with an iPhone versus something shot with the Pixel 3, to me looked fishy. The iPhone photo was so badly underexposed it looked intentional. Like they had selected a bright part of the image to meter on to get the effect of it being dark. I've taken shots on my iPhone in worse lighting conditions that that and had much better results, so it makes me skeptical about the image. But I'm sure most companies would do the same, Apple included.

 

[balaplus]

Absolute Apple ecosystem fan but this is serious stuff from Google...
If Apple can copy (& improve) this tech, they shamelessly should..

We don't want the same sustained gulf we have on Maps, do we!

 

[Deifie]

Check out ProCameras LowLight plus mode...
https://www.procamera-app.com/de/procamera-mobile-low-light-fotografie/

 

[Seth Matthews]

Yeah.. this isn’t about seamless integration... this is like Apple losing cpu crown to competitors and running like a slog compared to top performing phones

The Max runs great. Blows Android away. Photography is fantastic, too. All of that coupled with the seamless integration puts it miles ahead of Google.

 

[scgf]

The Max runs great. Blows Android away. Photography is fantastic, too. All of that coupled with the seamless integration puts it miles ahead of Google.

I'm interested to know more. I have used Android and Windows Phones since the iPhone 5. I recently bought an iPhone XS and was shocked at how heavy the phone is and bad iOS is - it seems just the same static grid of icons it was back in my iPhone 4 days with a few extra features bolted on. I spent some time setting it up to try and replicate the usability I was used to on Android but was thwarted every step of the way. I soon realised I'd have to do everything Apple's way or no way.

I took the iPhone back for a refund.

I accept that the A12 SoC is faster than the Snapdragon 845 in the Pixel 3 but, as with cars, top speed is not always a useful measure of a good car. 'Blows Android away' intrigues me. Having used a range of Samsung and Nexus phones, the Pixel 1 and 2, the OnePlus, various top-end Lumia phones and various iPhones I could only conclude it's a matter of preference and if your preferred OS doesn't run on your preferred hardware you're in a no-win situation.

You mention integration. With what? I have a Mac and can run Messages and WhatsApp on my desktop. Chromecast works beautifully. I'm not sure what further integration I'm missing with Android?

Which Android phones have you owned to come to your conclusion?

 

[sjperformance]

I honestly don't care much about cameras and what not. What I care is displays/operating systems/battery

 

[DNichter]

Haha no they're not. There are apps on iOS that have been able to do this for quite some time. There are plenty of other areas where the XS camera is better over the Pixel 3. In the end, I think it's silly to go back and forth about it. It's all subjective and who is taking the shot and the conditions make a huge difference. Both are really great cameras.

 

[vrflyer]

Genuinely asking, why has the Pixel release been somewhat of a nightmare? Supply constraints or something else?

Asides from this article (now that's embarrassing):

Pixel 3 phone camera bug fails to store photos.

 

[boomer11]

Haha no they're not. There are apps on iOS that have been able to do this for quite some time. There are plenty of other areas where the XS camera is better over the Pixel 3. In the end, I think it's silly to go back and forth about it. It's all subjective and who is taking the shot and the conditions make a huge difference. Both are really great cameras.

what app on ios can basically turn night into day? i'll patiently wait for your comparison pics or your excuse.