Galaxy S9+ Tops iPhone X as Best Smartphone Camera Ever in DxO's Controversial Rankings

[Bawstun]

Yeah... as mentioned by some (and thought by most), those two pictures are subjectively better only on an individual level. The blue and teal poles actually look more vivid when taken by the iPhone X imho... which is really the only thing that pops out in those images.

(True that the red ceiling is brighter in the S9 image, but again whether that is good or bad is pretty opinion-based)

The Galaxy S9 picture is sharper, less muddled. Look at the background, the trees and smog. You can differentiate each individual branch of the dead trees, separate from the gray tones of the fog. In the iPhone shot, they’re kinda blurred together. The entire iPhone photo is less crisp, has less brightness and looks much more muddled in comparison. S9 wins by a mile just judging by that one photo, IMO.

 

[bladerunner2000]

The real trump card that the Samsung has over the iPhone is the headphone jack. Clearly Apple can't innovate if Samsung managed to do so much with the phone and still have the headphone jack.

 

[grkm3]

What is controversial? Samsung built the first ever variable f1.5 aperture sensor in a mobile phone and its controversial that it is out performing fixed sensors?

 

[belvdr]

I thought the same coming into this article. I guess it's the quote—DxO itself said the results are "pretty much a question of personal preference."

As are many things. I take these types of review with a (very large) grain of salt. They don't sway me in the slightest to one platform or the other.

I'm actually considering an S8 or S9 based a lot on the failure of my iPhone and Mac to work together with iMessages and phone calls. The integration has failed at some point and I'm unable to get it fixed, so I'm used to the idea of having no integration at all these days.

 

[MarkB786]

At this point, I'm pretty sure either camera is a lot better quality than the average user will ever need. This is really a non-news event considering that Samsung and Apple will continue to leap frog each other with every iteration. Just so happens that the S9+ is the latest.

 

[Corsig]

My selfies need more aperture, hurry Apple!!

 

[JGRE]

Yeah... as mentioned by some (and thought by most), those two pictures are subjectively better only on an individual level. The blue and teal poles actually look more vivid when taken by the iPhone X imho... which is really the only thing that pops out in those images.

(True that the red ceiling is brighter in the S9 image, but again whether that is good or bad is pretty opinion-based)

You can never judge two pictures side by side without having seen the original. Perhaps the iPhone is missing something or the Samsung is displaying something artificial that wasn't there in the fist place (extra red), you just cannot tell from a computer display.

 

[1050792]

What is controversial? Samsung built the first ever variable aperture sensor in a mobile phone and its controversial that it is out performing fixed sensors?

No they did not. That feature was first introduced in the Nokia N86.

 

[Kramerjn]

Expected.

September 2018 -

iPhone Xs Plus Tops Galaxy Note 9 as Best Smartphone Camera Ever in DXO's Controversial Rankings

They'll remove "controversial" because iPhone. Honestly the whole thing makes no sense to me since all of the top phones are so closet to each other. If you give me a gallery of pictures i'll probably choose close to an equal amount of pictures from each phone as my favorite, and you'd choose different ones since it's all subjective.

 

[grkm3]

No they did not. That feature was first introduced in the Nokia N86.

Pretty sure that was a manual setting that needed to be changed by user in settings and did not have a dram chip inside the sensor either.

Also first phone to use an f1.5 aperture also

 

[neutralguy]

Expected.

September 2018 -

iPhone Xs Plus Tops Galaxy Note 9 as Best Smartphone Camera Ever in DXO's rankings

Fixed it for you.

 

[Kramerjn]

And what happens after a camera scores 100? Lol.

Looking at the pictures in the article, I think the iPhone is better, the S9 looks washed out and too light.

I think they're both great. Some parts of each look better than parts of the other, but the thing for me is I can't pick a winner unless I look at the scene myself. How do I know what the colors are supposed to look like?
[doublepost=1519920617][/doublepost]

You can never judge two pictures side by side without having seen the original. Perhaps the iPhone is missing something or the Samsung is displaying something artificial that wasn't there in the fist place (extra red), you just cannot tell from a computer display.

Not only that, but each computer display itself displays colors differently. It's one of the reasons I've never thought to myself, "Hmm, comparing these pictures says I should go get X phone over Y phone."

 

[thePhil907]

Honestly, who cares?

 

[LuciusMalfoy]

Was DXO rubbish when the X got a higher score than the Note 8? Just saying ......

Yes! It was rubbish then and it's rubbish now. Nothing has changed.

 

[Guy Clark]

Garbage rating system. There's a reason pros don't rely on it.

Would this comment have even been made had the iPhone X come out on top?

 

[dominiongamma]

Honestly, who cares?

Looks like Apple fans care, getting all wacky because Samsung overtook Apple in the tests

 

[jgelin]

I still feel like the iPhone picture is a Truer representation of what is actually seen by the eye. The levels in the Samsung photo look much higher than they should be and brightness seems to take precedence over depth of color..

 

[wigby]

I love how each new iteration of smart phone just happens to top the last by a point. Its almost like they want to stay relevant. Either way, props to Samsung for keeping the competition going.

So are they going to start rating phones as 99.3 or will they just jump to 105 for next years entry? This rating system has painted itself into a corner so much so that there can be no discernible difference between any of these top phones so why does anyone care about any of these ranks? Newest phone always gets the highest score so everyone else can just go home.

 

[seatton]

I love my iPhone X and I hate Samsung, but I gotta admit competition is great for consumers. In the end Apple will try to make better (more expensive) product.

 

[Heineken]

Looks like Apple fans care, getting all wacky because Samsung overtook Apple in the tests

I don't care about samsung one bit.

 

[PieTunes]

What's a blackberry?

A fruit that rots faster than an apple.

 

[Analog Kid]

(True that the red ceiling is brighter in the S9 image, but again whether that is good or bad is pretty opinion-based)

Still waiting for the controversial bit....

 

[FelixDerKater]

I wonder what it would look like if both companies released their products in September?

 

[Jimmdean]

When you have 6+ months to copy your chief competitor it's really bad if you can't one-up them...

 

[Moorepheus]

Garbage rating system. There's a reason pros don't rely on it.

Even if it is garbage, my guess is all the cameras from these top phones all perform close to each other. No one would probably be disappointed if they owned a X or Pixel 2 or 9S+ with their respective cameras.
I love this competition between the phone manufactures. It's like watching Chevy & Ford with their pony cars. Each year, one tries to out do the other. It great for consumers.