In Might 2023, we evaluated the perfect smartphones for his or her final digicam efficiency for Q1 2023. Since then, we now have been in a position to consider extra cameras from flagship telephones that launched at MWC and after: the Xiaomi 13 Professional (02/27/2023), the Honor Magic5 Professional (02/27/2023), and the Xiaomi 13 Extremely (06/12/2023).Right here is our collection of the 5 Greatest Digicam Smartphones for Q3 2023. We’ve got not received our arms on the iPhone 15 Professional Max but, and we are going to replace this text after the launch of the Google Pixel 8 Professional.
The costs of the 5 smartphones go from €1,499.99 (~$1570) to $1099 (launch costs that will not replicate the present costs). To pick out the perfect gadgets for cell images, we use a number of standards. We examine in precedence the digicam prowess, and by order or significance, the show high quality, the system’s velocity, the commercial design, and the battery life.
We evaluated the digicam potential utilizing our proprietary Ubergizmo CAMERA HW rating*, and for this comparative evaluation, we shot images with every lens of every smartphone’s predominant digicam system. You possibly can study extra by going to the benchmark web page.
Our present choice contains smartphones that we had time to play with and evaluation. Nonetheless, new cell phones with nice images capabilities are consistently being launched, and we are going to replace this choice within the coming months.*Our CAMERA HW rating solely contains the primary rear digicam system and doesn’t think about the entrance selfie digicam. It’s generated by algorithms primarily based on the technical specs of the digicam {hardware}
1/ Xiaomi 13 Extremely
Excessive
Final predominant digicam system with 4 lenses, together with 1” predominant sensor and a 5X optical zoom
Glorious SoC efficiency
Glorious massive show with 2600 Nits theoretical peak brightness
IP68
Quick 90W charger within the field (~$40 worth) – about 40 min for a full cost
Low
The most costly of the choice
No 4K video recording for the selfie digicam
No U.S. availability
International launch on June twelfth, 2023 – launch value €1499.90 (~ $1,570)
Digicam specs highlights:
Vast angle (principal) 23mm 50MP f/1.9-4.0 variable aperture, OIS
Ultrawide angle 12mm 50MP f/1.8
Telephoto 75mm 50MP f/1.8, OIS optical zoom 3.2X
Telephoto 120mm 50MP f/3.0, OIS, optical zoom 5X
Selfie Entrance Digicam, 21 mm 32 MP, f/2
The Xiaomi has a quad 50 Megapixel rear digicam system, which is sort of distinctive Xiaomi got here up with a design that’s highly effective and really well-balanced. The main 23mm digicam makes use of a Sony IMX989 50MP sensor with sizeable 1.5-micron sensing pixels. The sensor is about 57% bigger than the iPhone 14 Professional Max, and the lens is optically stabilized to maximise the images’ sharpness.
The 75mm and 120mm zoom cameras even have optical stabilization, and each are powered by a Sony IMX858 sensor, which is a high-end selection since this chip will also be present in main cameras of different contenders. 120mm isn’t absolutely the strongest zoom on a telephone, however it ought to produce terrific zoom images.
Even the 12mm Ultrawide digicam is provided with the identical Sony IMX858 sensor, which makes it essentially the most potent ultrawide digicam on this group. This one doesn’t have OIS however may outperform lesser stabilized sensors.
Like all Android smartphones in our prime digicam telephones Q3 2023 choice, the Xiaomi 13 Extremely options Qualcomm’s newest Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 flagship System-on-Chip (SoC), one of the vital highly effective cell processors available on the market. For the worldwide market, Xiaomi presents a single model with 12GB of RAM and 512GB of storage. The Xiaomi 13 extremely delivers among the finest performances of this choice, each on the CPU and the GPU sides. (Test the efficiency comparability graphic on the finish of the article).
The beautiful 6.73” AMOLED show with 1-120Hz adaptive refresh and a QHD+ decision of 3200 x 1440 delivers glorious picture high quality and a formidable 2600 NITs theoretical peak brightness.
2/ Honor Magic 5 Professional
Ubergizmo Digicam HW rating: 213
Excessive
Nice predominant digicam system with 3 lenses
Very Good SoC efficiency
Superb massive show
IP68
66W charger within the field (~$40 worth) – about 45 min for a full cost
The biggest battery of this choice (5450 mAH)
Low
No U.S. availability
International launch on February twenty sixth, 2023 – launch value €1199 (~ $1,255)
Digicam specs highlights:
Vast angle (principal) 27mm 50MP f/1.6, OIS
Ultrawide angle 13mm 50MP f/2
Telephoto 95mm 50MP f/3, OIS, optical zoom 3.5X
ToF Sensor 0.3MP
Selfie Entrance Digicam, 12 MP, f/2.4
The Honor Magic 5 Professional comes with triple 50 Megapixel digicam sensors, augmented by a ToF (time of flight) sensor, for computing bokeh (background blur). Probably the most crucial cameras, the 27mm main (OIS) and the 95mm zoom (OIS), have optical stabilization that reduces the probability of blurry images.
Each these cameras function the Sony IMX858 sensor, which may be very standard on the excessive finish this 12 months. The IMX989 is about 12% bigger, so not all 50 MP sensors are equal, however Honor’s large-aperture f/1.6 lens maximizes the sensor floor utilization, and total, the Magic 5 Professional has among the finest main digicam {hardware}.
Its 95mm zoom is sweet however much less excessive than the 230mm zoom that different cameras might need. Likewise, the 13mm Ultrawide digicam may be very first rate however barely under common when in comparison with the opposite contenders on this checklist.
In essence, the Magic 5 Professional emphasizes its sources and finances utilization within the main 27mm digicam. That’s not a foul technique, however the efficiency between its inner cameras isn’t essentially the most balanced,
Powered by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, just like the three different Android telephones in our choice, the Honor Magic 5 Professional delivers excellent efficiency. Within the Geekbench 5 multi-core benchmark that evaluates the CPU efficiency, the Magic 5 Professional that includes 12GB of RAM is barely above the Galaxy S23 Extremely however below the iPhone 14 Professional Max, the Xiaomi 13 Extremely, and the Xiaomi 13 Professional.
Test the efficiency comparability graphic on the finish of the article.
The gorgeous quad-curve 6.81” OLED show presents the bottom decision of the 4 Android telephones in our checklist however barely larger than the iPhone 14 Professional Max’s 2796×1290 decision. The LTPO panel has a 1-120Hz adaptive refresh price and delivers 1800 NITs theoretical peak brightness, which is barely above the one discovered within the Galaxy S23 Extremely however under the iPhone 14 professional max (2000 NITs), the Xiaomi 13 Professional (1900 NITs) and the Xiaomi 13 Extremely (2600 NITs).
3/ Xiaomi 13 Professional
Ubergizmo Digicam HW rating: 205
Excessive
Nice predominant digicam system with 3 lenses
Nice design with ceramic again
At 219g, the lightest of the choice
Nice SoC efficiency
Glorious massive show with a excessive 522 PPI
IP68
Uber-fast 120W HyperCharge charger within the field (~$40 worth)
0 to 98% in 20 minutes, the quickest charging velocity right here
Low
Costly in comparison with the competitors in the identical Digicam HW rating vary
No 4K video recording for the selfie digicam
No U.S. availability
International launch on February twenty sixth, 2023 – launch value 1299 € (~ $1,360)
Digicam specs highlights:
Vast angle (principal) 23mm 50-MP f/1.9, OIS
Ultrawide angle 14mm 50-MP f/2.
Telephoto 75mm 50-MP f/2, OIS
Selfie Entrance Digicam, 32 MP, f/2
The Xiaomi 13 Professional additionally incorporates a triple 50MP digicam setup within the rear, with a 23mm main (OIS) digicam, a 75mm zoom (OIS), and a 14mm ultrawide digicam. There’s no bokeh sensor, however we don’t think about this to be a crucial component as telephones such because the iPhone, Galaxy S, and Pixel have confirmed that it’s potential to attain glorious Bokeh, and not using a devoted sensor.
The first digicam is backed by a Sony IMX989 sensor, which explains why its {hardware} is so well-ranked. Nonetheless, its lens doesn’t appear to be as high-performing because the Xiaomi 13 Extremely, which is designed to rank on the prime.
The 75mm zoom digicam can be similar to the iPhone 14 Professional Max’s and is extra constructed for portrait images than excessive zoom. The Ultrawide digicam may be very first rate however can be the weakest of the telephones current on this checklist, so there’s nothing particular to brag about.
That includes the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 mixed with 12GB of RAM, the Xiaomi 13 Professional delivers glorious efficiency, particularly for gaming.
The 6.73” LTPO AMOLED show presents WQHD+ 3200×1440 decision, with the best 552 PPI of all of the telephones right here, adaptive 1-120 Hz refresh price, and 1900 NITs peak brightness.
4/ Samsung Galaxy S23 Extremely
Ubergizmo Digicam HW rating: 201
Excessive
Major digicam system with 4 lenses, together with 200 MP sensor within the main module
Two high-quality telephoto modules, one is a un 10X optical zoom
Stunning design, IP68
Glorious SoC efficiency
Glorious massive show with the S-Pen
Low
Costly
“Quick” charger (45W) isn’t supplied, and prices about $50
At that value, the charging velocity may have been quicker
Introduced on February 1st, 2023, obtainable since February seventeenth, 2023 – launch value $1,199.99.
Digicam specs highlights:
Vast angle (principal) 24 mm, 200 MP, f/1.7, OIS,
Ultrawide angle 13 mm, 12 MP, f/2.2, OIS
Telephoto 69 mm, 10 MP, f/2.4, OIS, optical zoom 3X,
Telephoto 230 mm, 10 MP, f/4.9, OIS, optical zoom 10X
Selfie Entrance Digicam 26 mm, 12 MP, f/2.2
The Samsung Galaxy S23 Extremely wants no introduction and has been a digicam reference for a few years. The 2023 S23 Extremely version stays among the finest digicam methods available on the market, however it’s truthful to say that Samsung has not invested as a lot within the parts as a few of its rivals.
As a substitute, it’s sticking to its technique of providing a particularly excessive 200MP sensor (OIS) on its main digicam, paired with an excessive 230mm zoom that has been universally applauded by customers. In long-distance zoom contest, the S23 Extremely is the perfect of all, and this has been confirmed time and time once more.
It will get a CAMERA HW rating of 201, which is excellent however nearly equal to the S22 Extremely.
If you happen to love portrait images, there’s additionally a 69mm zoom, which is OK, however its 10MP sensor is noticeably weaker than the S23 Extremely main digicam, whether or not measured by degree of particulars or coloration accuracy.
Lastly, the 12MP ultrawide (HW) digicam is nice however has but to see a lot evolution. Nonetheless, it stays one of many higher ultrawide cameras on this group as a result of different OEMs typically neglect this operate, regardless that ultrawide images are very talked-about. Whereas 12MP may appear small, 50MP ultrawide sensors typically have tiny pixels (all the way down to 0.65-micron). This UW digicam has 1.4-micron pixels as an alternative.
Geared up with Qualcomm’s newest System-on-Chip (SoC), the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, the S23 Extremely presents excellent efficiency particularly for gaming (examine the efficiency comparability graphic on the finish of the article).
The 6.8” 1440p AMOLED show with an adaptive refresh price 1-120 Hz delivers a formidable picture high quality and presents 1750 NITs theoretical peak brightness that we measured at 1045 NITs. The show isn’t the best decision or the best brightness of this choice, the Xiaomi 13 Professional delivers 552 PPI (vs 501 for the S23 Extremely), and the Xiaomi 13 Extremely delivers a formidable 2600 NITS peak brightness.
5/ iPhone 14 Professional Max
Ubergizmo CAMERA HW rating: 200 (similar because the iPhone 14 Professional with an equivalent digicam system)
Excessive
Excessive-quality digicam sensors and lenses
Glorious SoC efficiency
Stunning showIP68
Low
At 240g, the heaviest smartphone on this choice
Sluggish charging (30W)
Charger not included
Introduced September 14, 2022, obtainable since September 24, 2022– launch value $1,099.
Digicam options highlights**
Vast angle (principal) 24 mm, 48 MP, f/1.78, OIS,
Ultrawide 13 mm, 12 MP, f/2.2,
Telephoto 77 mm, 12 MP, f/2.8, 3X optical zoom,
Selfie 23 mm, 12 MP, f/1.9
Amongst all of the smartphones we chosen right here, the iPhone 14 Professional Max possesses the weakest technical specs, aside from its digicam system. Nonetheless, at $1099, it’s now the most cost effective of our choice.The Apple system show delivers the bottom pixel density, its battery has the smallest battery capability (4352 mAh vs. 5000 mAh for the others and 5450 mAh for the Honor Magic 5 Professional) alongside the slowest charging velocity.
On the graphics efficiency aspect, the iPhone 14 Po Max isn’t pretty much as good in some widespread benchmarks (which replicate many of the present video games) as its Android friends with the same dimension and outfitted with the perfect Qualcomm chip, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2. With newer benchmarks, it does an excellent job. Nonetheless, it delivers the perfect CPU efficiency of all of the gadgets we chosen. (See graphics efficiency charts on the finish of this text).That mentioned, the 6.7” OLED show is superb, and the sound high quality the stereo audio system ship is among the greatest, simply behind the Galaxy S23 Extremely.
The iPhone 14 Professional Max exhibits Apple’s effort to shut the hole on the subject of digicam {hardware}. Previously couple of iterations, Apple has caught up with Samsung in total digicam {hardware} power, and also you now not hear folks speak a lot about massive picture variations between the 2 rivals, besides on the subject of long-zoom efficiency, the place Samsung stays the definitive chief.
The similarity in rating isn’t utterly stunning. Regardless of the 48MP vs. 200MP, the first sensor dimension is equivalent to the S23 Extremely. We discovered the 14 Professional’s 77mm zoom to be a bit higher than Samsung’s 69mm zoom, however the Ultrawide cameras are tied and the perfect on this group.We selected to evaluation the iPhone 14 Professional Max for this choice, although the iPhone 14 Professional options the identical digicam at a lower cost level ($999 launch value). One of many predominant variations is its smaller display dimension, at 6.1”. On one hand, we want massive shows, and however, it was logical to think about an iOS smartphone with the same dimension to the remainder of our checklist.The not too long ago launched iPhone 15 Professional Max options an upgraded predominant digicam system, and we are going to replace this text within the upcoming weeks.
Conclusion
The arms race within the cell digicam house has resumed, and producers equivalent to Xiaomi and Honor are doubling down by investing in spectacular sensors which can be virtually 50% bigger than main established rivals. Over time, this funding can repay not solely in picture high quality but additionally in status and branding.
Utilizing our rating, we’ve beforehand demonstrated that Samsung constructed its digicam status by investing in higher digicam {hardware}. Huawei used the same technique.
Clearly, there’s extra to a telephone expertise than how highly effective the digicam {hardware} is, however additionally it is clear that digicam efficiency is much more essential than battery life, in keeping with latest buyer surveys.
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