Results out: a blind camera comparison between the iPhone 17, Vivo X300, OPPO Find X9, and OnePlus 15
A few weeks ago, we put four of 2026’s most anticipated flagship smartphones under Rs 80,000 through a blind camera test. The phones include the iPhone 17 (review), Vivo X300 (review), OPPO Find X9 (review), and OnePlus 15 (review). We shot identical scenes across different lighting conditions and asked you to vote for the best photo in each category, without knowing which phone took it. With over 3,000 votes cast, we have a winner at hand.
The Vivo X300 won the comparison by winning three out of the six scenarios we tested the devices on. We are going to go through each category, show you which phone won, and talk about why that image likely stood out to most of you. Let’s get into it.
Table of Contents
Daylight
The OnePlus 15 got the highest number of votes in the daylight category, and it is easy to see why. The shot looks warmer and more colourful than the rest, with the building’s red bricks looking vivid and the overall image looking very pleasing. It also handles the overcast sky well, keeping details visible without making the shadows too dark.
Ultrawide
The OPPO Find X9 took the ultrawide category with the most votes, and its photo does a lot of things right. The frame looks wide and open, the edges of the building stay straight without any fish-eye warping, and the colours look even and natural throughout. The sky looks clear without any heavy processing, and the overall photo just looks clean and accurate.
Portrait
The Vivo X300 won the portrait category. Skin tones look real and natural, without any heavy smoothening or brightening that can make faces look unnatural. The background blur looks soft and gradual, and the edges around the subject are clear and sharp. Small details like stubble and hair come through clearly as well.
Selfie
The iPhone 17 won the selfie category, though it was close with the OPPO Find X9 right behind it. The photo looks sharp and natural, with skin tones that look true to life without any heavy filters applied. Facial details are clear, the background looks well exposed, and the final result looks clean and ready to post. That natural, balanced look is what earned it the top spot.
7x Zoom
The Vivo X300 won the zoom category by a big margin, taking over 52% of the votes. The text on the Park Plaza building is sharp and easy to read, fine details in the structure above are clear, and the photo does not look noisy or over-edited. A lot of phones struggle to keep zoom shots looking natural at 7x, but the Vivo X300 handles it well. The detailed, clean zoom result is what sets it apart from the other three.
Low Light
The Vivo X300 also won the low-light category, showing just how good this camera is in difficult conditions. The building and trees look detailed and clear, the lit windows do not blow out, and the warm lighting from inside the building looks natural. The sky stays relatively clean without too much noise, and the photo has good depth and contrast overall. It is a well-rounded night shot, and voters clearly agreed.
Verdict
After going through all six rounds, the Vivo X300 (review) comes out as the clear winner of this blind camera test by securing the most votes. It took home three category wins: low light, portrait, and 7x zoom, which are arguably the three hardest categories to get right consistently. The iPhone 17 (review) picked up the selfie category, the OPPO Find X9 (review) won ultrawide, and the OnePlus 15 (review) took daylight. But when you add it all up, the Vivo X300 performs better across the most challenging conditions.
In a few categories, the winner was not necessarily the phone with the most hype, and some of the margins were closer than you might expect. The Vivo X300 earning its wins in low light and zoom says a lot about where smartphone camera technology is heading. Detail, accuracy, and consistency in tough conditions are clearly what people respond to most.
All these devices and the latest flagships feature advanced AI image processing, especially at high digital zoom levels, to preserve detail and colour accuracy. The vivo X300 showcased the best results in that specific scenario as well.
If you’ve been eyeing a new flagship phone and wanted the best camera performance around Rs 75,000, based on this blind camera comparison, the Vivo X300 is the way to go. You can take a look at the Vivo X300 comprehensive review to learn more about the device. We will be back soon with another round of blind camera comparisons, as the year picks up and we have new popular categories to test.
