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Google Pixel 3 XL vs. iPhone XS Max: Which Camera Reigns Supreme?
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I don't think anybody could seriously tell me that there isn't a huge quality difference in these two photos below.
XS Max:
Pixel 3:
EDIT: Not my pictures FYI, I took them from the Imgur album linked in the original article.
The shadows open up a bit better on the XS - but for this image, I prefer the steeper contrast of the Pixel 3. For another image I could prefer the XS. I don't think you can use one image to evaluate "which is better" and after reviewing 100s I doubt the differences would give me reason to pick one over the other.
Normally I'd say "awesome idea", but the truth is that the telltale color warmth of the iPhone XS pictures compared to the Pixel tends to give a way which is which on a lot of shots, so it's hard to really eliminate bias there.
Nice comparison. Gotta say, I'm also really impressed with the picture quality of my Huawei P20 Pro. I took it on my trip to Taiwan, some of the best pictures I've ever taken.
Apple almost never makes a statement about that which is minor in the scheme of things.
I’d love to see full resolutions as well. As good as the contrast and HDR capabilities are for both I’m curious to see if the pixel has the far too aggressive Noise Reduction that the iPhone X and newer apply to everything. Some noise is great for clarity and sharper details. I feel like looking at photos on anything larger than my iPhone X I’m looking at something out through the Oil Paint filter in photoshop. Clouds detail and muddies up. Even with great lighting and on a tripod I feel like although less great highlight/shadow representation, the iPhone 7 could get closer to that tack sharpness that allowed you better prints from your smartphone photos.
Says one which registered the same day
Both cameras are good and very close to each other, some reviewers have an agenda.
Hell, if I go out for buying a telephone I am almost sure they will try to sell me a Samsung/Android
mobile phone.
Again, as others have said, most camera's on the upper part smartphones are good/similar.
And then there's the "Estimate"
From that video posted earlier it is very clear that the pixel has the best front facing solution by a mile, but as for the rear shots I''d still take the XS even though the pixel is very good in most situations. I do think it is hampered by the less effective processor. I also wonder how much better the XS shots can get using one of the available pro camera apps..
I rely on my iPhone to take photos in a consistent manner. This is the first time since 1.0 that I've had to ask the phone "What are you doing?! That makes no sense."
The rendering of edge detection seems to be the predominant problem with most of the XS shots. This is understandable given the new processing model but a bit disappointing for a flagship release. iOS 12.1 adds support for the new bokeh/DOF stuff which, I'm hoping, will be the last piece of the puzzle.
Was the XS camera one of the worst Schiller presentations ever? I couldn't tell if he was just nervous, unpracticed, or knew it wasn't ready yet.
The rendering of edge detection seems to be the predominant problem with most of the XS shots. This is understandable given the new processing model but a bit disappointing for a flagship release. iOS 12.1 adds support for the new bokeh/DOF stuff which, I'm hoping, will be the last piece of the puzzle.
Was the XS camera one of the worst Schiller presentations ever? I couldn't tell if he was just nervous, unpracticed, or knew it wasn't ready yet.
[doublepost=1539708850][/doublepost]why do all apple news website keep referring to the max as a different iPhone to the XS when it comes to components. this comparison works for either the XS or XS MAX since they have the same camera.
Google's newest flagship smartphones, the Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL, are officially launching later this week. With their high-quality cameras, fast processors, and other improvements, the new devices are direct competitors to Apple's newly released iPhone XS models.
We were able to get our hands on the new Pixel 3 and Pixel 3XL ahead of their debut, and in our latest YouTube video, we compared the Google Pixel 3 XL camera to Apple's iPhone XS Max camera to see which one reigns supreme.
Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos.
Both the Pixel 3 and the Pixel 3 XL are equipped with a single-lens 12-megapixel rear camera system, while the iPhone XS Max uses a dual-lens camera system that features a 12-megapixel wide-angle lens and a 12-megapixel telephoto lens.
The two camera system allows the iPhone XS Max to do things like capture Portrait Mode images with an adjustable depth of field and a blurred background, but the Pixel 3 XL has much of the same functionality enabled through software.
Like the iPhone XS Max, the Pixel 3 XL features a Portrait Mode. With its newest devices, Apple introduced some improvements to Portrait Mode with the A12 Bionic chip, and that gave it the edge over the Pixel 3 XL in our image tests. The Pixel 3 XL won out when it came to edge detection in most cases, with less blurring in areas we didn't want blurred, but iPhone XS Max Portrait Mode images were sharper.
Google advertises a new "Super Res" zoom in the Pixel 3 XL, but the single-lens camera system can't compete with Apple's telephoto lens.
With the iPhone XS Max, Apple introduced a new Smart HDR feature that takes multiple images at different exposures and combines them for one ideal shot. Google's Pixel 3 XL has a similar HDR+ mode that does the same thing to eke out more detail in photos with a lot of variation in lighting.
In our testing, we preferred the Smart HDR on the iPhone because it was able to preserve more detail without blowing out bright areas like the sky, but the Pixel 3 XL was not far behind.
Google's Pixel 3 XL uses a Night Sight feature that's designed to create brighter, clearer photos than the iPhone XS Max can produce. Night Sight isn't available at launch, but will be coming to the Pixel phones later and could give the devices a serious edge over the XS Max.
In our low light photo tests, both performed well, but the Pixel 3 XL demonstrated more noise and grain than low-light photos taken with the iPhone XS Max. In Portrait Mode, though, the Pixel 3 XL outperformed the iPhone XS Max.
While the Pixel 3 XL has a single-lens rear camera, Google has implemented a two-camera system at the front of the device with two 8-megapixel cameras for taking selfies. The iPhone XS Max, meanwhile, has a single-lens 7-megapixel front-facing camera and TrueDepth camera system that allows it to capture the same Portrait Mode photos as the rear camera system.
Because Google is using two cameras, there are front-facing features not available on the iPhone XS Max, such as a wider-angle lens that captures 184 percent more of a scene to enable group selfies.
When it comes to front-facing camera systems, the Pixel 3 XL definitely beats the iPhone XS Max. Front-facing Portrait Mode photos look great on both devices, but the group selfie mode is something Apple can't compete with.
The camera systems in the iPhone XS Max and Google Pixel 3 XL both have their strengths and weaknesses, but when it comes down to it, both are so good that determining which one is better is a matter of preference.
Photos from the iPhone XS Max, for example, tend to be a bit more even in color than the overly cool or warm-toned photos coming from the Pixel 3 XL, which some people prefer and others don't. iPhone XS Max images also come out a bit darker due to the Smart HDR feature that preserves detail, which is another visual difference that may influence opinion towards one camera or the other.
Bottom line, though, both the iPhone XS Max and the Pixel 3 XL produce impressive images that are better than both the previous-generation iPhone X and the Pixel 2 smartphones, and both are closer than ever to overtaking more traditional handheld cameras.
You can see all of the full resolution photos that we took with the Pixel 3 XL and the iPhone XS Max in this Imgur album that we created. Do you prefer Pixel 3 XL photos or iPhone XS Max photos? Let us know in the comments.
Article Link: Google Pixel 3 XL vs. iPhone XS Max: Which Camera Reigns Supreme?
<smug>"Whatevs, just shoot RAW and manually process each photo, man."</smug>
YOU'RE NOT HELPING.
YOU'RE NOT HELPING.
I find the comparison to be more or less the same as the X vs Pixel 2. For most photos, the iPhone is better, but for any closeups the pixel shows much greater detail while the iphone is painfully soft. the comparison shots with the kid make a clear distinction.
Exactly! We all know a real camera is better. This isn't the place to discuss real cameras or advanced photography techniques. We're here comparing smart phone cameras. Of course your <pro equipment / advanced methods> is going to be better. We get it, you know a lot more than we do. But you're not adding to the conversation, you're just bragging about yourself and showing how smart you are.
I wish these people would find some pro-forum to hang out in. Or at least stay on topic and quit sharing the obvious.
The other people that bug me are the ones that call everyone out for having an opinion that differs from someone else's opinion 5 years ago. No, everybody didn't say "blah" last year and of those who did, very few are the same people saying the exact opposite this year. The members of this forum aren't a single individual with a single point of view.
But to stay on topic myself, I'm excited by what Google has done. I have no plans to switch, but this how everyone gets better cameras. Competition is good. And the Pixel 3 camera looks fantastic (although I'm completely satisfied with my XS Max).
Even with focus issues, the «smoothing» of the iPhone image and poor low light performance is clearly making that picture horrible.
Pixel 3 blows away the XS Max. Not even close in those pics of the kid. Props to Google’s team responsible for image processing. They’re showing you don’t need 2 cameras.I don't think anybody could seriously tell me that there isn't a huge quality difference in these two photos below.
XS Max:
Pixel 3:
EDIT: Not my pictures FYI, I took them from the Imgur album linked in the original article.
I wonder sometimes whether the photos in some of these comparisons are rigged because to be honest the photos I take with my X (or previous phones for that matter) rarely look as bad as some of the photos in some of these comparisons.
People have a hard time thinking critically, especially when there is bias.
You have to think more deeply than just seeing a compare and saying one looks better so it must be superior. That’s why I like data.
It is possible to take good and poor pictures with a smartphone, just like a standard camera.
Today, the different camps are so ready to jump to a conclusion, they’ll base it all on how 1 photo set looks.