To say that 2022 was jam-packed with high-end, do-it-all, smartphone launches would be a bit of an understatement. In fact, this year, smartphone manufacturers paid special heed to the camera setups powering their phones. As a result, buyers were greeted with versatile pocket shooters that could take surprisingly detailed shots across a variety of scenarios and focal lengths. And, with the year coming to an end, we decided to pit four of the best camera phones launched in 2022 against each other in a blind camera comparison to see what our readers thought of their camera performance. The devices in question are the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra (review), the iPhone 14 Pro Max (review), the Pixel 7 Pro (review), and the OnePlus 10 Pro (review) so, without any further ado, let’s get this show on the road. You’ll see comparison images shot using these four phones below, but we won’t be telling you which device captured them. You can vote for the photos you think are the best across different scenes (there’s a voting widget after each shooting scenario) and after a few weeks, we will declare the winners and the losers of the blind camera test. So, what are you waiting for? Read on, and cast your vote!
Daylight HDR shot
First up, is arguably the most common photography scenario wherein, a user would click a landscape with their phone’s primary camera. Unsurprisingly, all four images look superb, however, you’ll want to factor in the colours in the frame as well as the dynamic range of the images before casting your vote.
Phone A
Phone B
Phone C
Phone D
Wideangle shot
Next up, are the images of the wide angle sensors from our contenders. Once again, all four devices have overturned a terrific snap, however, you should pay heed to the corner details in the photos. Furthermore, look for any instances of highlight clipping or overexposed bits in the shots. We’d also like you to keep an eye out for chromatic aberration or colour fringing, wherein, some elements in the composition are infused with a pinkish/purplish tint.
Phone A
Phone B
Phone C
Phone D
Telephoto (3-3.3x) shot
Thankfully, all four devices we’re comparing today ship with multiple telephoto cameras to snap photos of a subject positioned far away. That said, we’ve noticed that most buyers usually default to a 3x telephoto shot and consequently, have snagged the images in and around the predetermined zoom level. Here, you’ll want to see which 3x shot offers the best sharpness and colours. Furthermore, be on the lookout for the textures in the snaps – after all, you wouldn’t want to vote for a grossly oversharpened image!
Phone A
Phone B
Phone C
Phone D
Portrait shot
In a bid to free two birds with one key, we clicked portrait images with all four phones too. Here, you’ll want to take a closer look at the bokeh generated by the devices and whether the blur effect seeps into the bits that should otherwise be in focus. Furthermore, be sure to check out the skin tone of the subject, as well as the facial details in each snap too.
Phone A
Phone B
Phone C
Phone D
Closeup
It goes without saying that buyers opting for one of the four contenders will want to click closeups with the phone too. So, we snagged a closeup image of a red flower with the primary sensor of all four phones. The red flower makes for a great subject, as a lot of devices struggle to resolve the colour red properly. Consequently, you’ll want to take a closer look at the petals of the flower in all four snaps and vote for the one which offers the best details and minimal blotchiness.
Phone A
Phone B
Phone C
Phone D
Selfie
A lot of folks rely on their smartphone’s front camera more than the rear camera array. If you happen to be a selfie aficionado too, then make sure to vote for the best selfie after gauging the images from our contender’s front-facing cameras. Be on the lookout for the photo with the best facial details and good exposure metering. Further, you’ll also want to factor in the subject’s skin tone before casting your vote.
Phone A
Phone B
Phone C
Phone D
Lowlight with night mode shot
Finally, let’s look at the lowlight images shot by the phones. Do note that the samples attached below make use of each device’s respective night mode utility. Understandably, the images appear reasonably bright, however, you should also account for the noise in the images, as well as the overall clarity of the subjects in the frame before casting your vote.
Phone A
Phone B
Phone C
Phone D
And, that wraps up the blind camera comparison between the Pixel 7 Pro, the OnePlus 10 Pro, the iPhone 14 Pro Max, and the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra. We will keep the polls open for a couple of weeks so make sure to get your votes in! After some time has elapsed, we will declare the winner of the blind camera test so stay tuned to our blog for more updates on the same.
