There are many smartphones with a large battery, high-quality screen and powerful processor. But there are not so many cameraphones that have earned recognition from the experts of the DxOMark laboratory that tests the optics of mobile devices. There are even fewer of those who entered the ranking of smartphones with the best camera of 2020.
Introducing the top ten DXOMARK 2020 smartphone rankings with sample photos and videos.
10.Samsung Galaxy S20 +
This smartphone is somewhere in the middle between the budget flagship S20 and the eldest in the line - S20 Ultra. The display of the 6.7-inch device is, of course, AMOLED. And traditional for Samsung, a voluminous 4500 mAh battery with fast and wireless charging. That being said, the S20 + is built on the same high-performance Exynos 990 chipset as its more expensive flagship sibling.
As for the cameras, outwardly the S20 + seems to be all the same - four sensors (main, telephoto, wide-angle and macro). However, in reality, the main and telephoto lenses are very different from the "ultra" version.
- The main sensor with a lower resolution than the flagship (64 MP and 108 MP, respectively). And although both devices produce a picture of 12 MP, the image processing technology is different - you will have to forget about the "superpixels" of the "ultra".
- 64 MP telephoto sensor. Its focal length is almost the same as that of the main one, however, a sufficiently high sensor resolution allows you to shoot distant objects as if they are very close (Samsung calls this technology "hybrid zoom").
But that's where the differences end - the depth camera and ultra-wide-angle sensor are exactly the same as the S20 Ultra. And even if the “telephoto” and the main sensors are slightly worse than those of the flagship of the line, the price is lower.
pros: good white balance even at night, nice colors, great wide-angle lens, IP68 waterproof.
Minuses: noise, especially at night, the image quality of the front camera is slightly inferior to other participants in the top 10.
9. Xiaomi Mi CC9 Pro Premium Edition
In this handsome man from the Chinese smartphone titan Xiaomi, everything is of the highest order. From a 6.47-inch AMOLED display with Full HD + resolution and a Snapdragon 730G octa-core 2.2 Hz processor to a 5260 mAh battery.
The smartphone camera does not lag behind the rest of the "filling" in level.
- Main telephoto lens with a 108 MP sensor, with an output resolution of 27 MP.
- It comes with a 20MP wide-angle lens, and not even one, but two telephoto lenses!
- The shorter-focus one has a resolution of 12.19 MP, and the long one has a resolution of 7.99 MP.
- And there is also a special lens for macro photography at a distance of 2 to 10 cm.
As a result, Mi CC9 Pro Premium Edition is one of the best devices in the ranking of smartphone cameras, mainly due to its two telephoto lenses. This feature is rare even in top-end devices. True, so far the capabilities of technology are lagging behind the impulses of the creators of smartphones - high-resolution images are often bundled with artifacts, albeit subtle.
The front camera with a resolution of 32 MP has a beautifier traditional for modern selfie cameras and a slow-mo shooting function.
pros: Jack 3.5 mm, fast charging, bright and high contrast waterfall screen, 50x digital zoom.
Minuses: No memory card inserted, no wireless charging.
8. Huawei Mate 30 Pro
The first, but not the only representative of Huawei smartphones in the top ten of the DxOMark smartphone camera rating. It has a 6.53-inch OLED display, a 4500 mAh battery and a state-of-the-art Kirin 990 chipset.
On paper, the "stuffing" of the main camera with Leica optics is exactly the same as that of last year's model - the same 40 MP sensor. Alas, Huawei Mate 30 Pro has lost a telephoto lens with a magnification of five times; instead, the smartphone has a 3x zoom module, very similar to the one found in the "non-pro" version of the P30.
However, this miss is made up for by the latest wide-angle camera: although it is only 18 mm, it has a wide 1 / 1.54 inch sensor, F1.8 and an unusual aspect ratio of 3: 2.
Let's add that the computing power of the smartphone is also at the service of the camera. The new powerful chipset allowed the introduction of the Al-RAW algorithm, which processes the information received from the camera's sensors and converts them into an image with less noise and a higher level of detail.
pros: there is a slot for a memory card, there is fast and wireless charging, a 32 MP front camera gives bright selfies without color distortion and with good white balance.
Minuses: no 3.5mm audio jack.
7.Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra
If you like phablets with excellent camera and battery, then the S20 Ultra is the perfect choice. The display of the Korean novelty has a diagonal of 6.9 inches, and a massive 5000 mAh battery will allow you to take pictures at least 24 hours in a row.
Apart from the increased resolution of the main camera, the smartphone is distinguished from the “plus” version by another additional depth sensor and telephoto lens with a long focal length.
The camera has good exposure, colors and level of detail - a great choice for both beginners and professionals. The bokeh and ultra-wide lens are especially impressive, as well as the smooth 4K video even when walking. However, there are also problems - in low light, autofocus becomes well, very leisurely, and in general, shooting in night mode is not as good as you would expect from a flagship.
pros: Highest performance, IP68 waterproof, fast and wireless charging.
Minuses: no jack for classic wired headphones.
6. Honor V30 Pro
A relatively inexpensive smartphone with a very good camera is well equipped both inside and out. Its display with a diagonal of 6.57 inches has a high resolution, and the "heart" of the device is a high-performance chipset Kirin 990.
The rear camera has three sensors:
- main wide-angle at 27 mm and a resolution of 40 MP (the picture will be in 10 MP),
- another ultra wide at 16mm and 12MP
- and a triple 8MP telephoto lens.
All three cameras have laser autofocus. Both the main lens and the telephoto lens are equipped with an optical stabilization system.
In general, lovers of good smartphone photos should definitely appreciate the Honor V30 Pro camera. He is good at both zoom and bokeh, night photography and flash photography. Some instability in the autofocus and an aspect ratio of 16: 9 when shooting with an ultra-wide lens spoils the rainbow picture a little.
The front camera of this model is also noteworthy. It is, unexpectedly, double: 32 MP with an aperture of f / 2.0 and 8 MP with an aperture of f / 2.2. But even if the selfies come out so clear that you want to hide the flaws, the beautification mode will help.
pros: fast and wireless charging, includes a protective film and a case.
Minuses: no 3.5mm audio jack, but there is a Type-C to 3.5mm headphone adapter.
5.Huawei Mate 30 Pro 5G
This smartphone has all the hallmarks we've come to expect from Huawei flagships: beautiful glass and metal design, huge OLED display, water and dust resistance, excellent Leica camera hardware, and ultra-fast charging (with reverse charging, of course). Responsible for performance is Kirin 990, a new top platform from Huawei's HiSilicon division.
The main camera of the Mate 30 Pro combines:
- wide 40MP SuperSensing sensor
- 40MP Cine Ultra Wide Camera
- 8 megapixel 3x optical zoom.
- There is also a Time of Flight lens, which is essentially a depth sensor to provide background blur (bokeh).
The camera is capable of detecting what scene you are shooting and adjusting accordingly. The AI is very good at it and is very useful, especially when shooting portraits. And night mode is one of the best available on premium mobile devices. The camera provides good exposure and accurate white balance even in very low light levels.
In terms of video, the Mate 30 Pro 5G can shoot videos at 4K resolution (60 fps). However, by default, shooting is carried out at 2160p / 30fps.
The front 32MP camera takes bright selfies with good dynamic range and superb detail.
pros: EMUI 10 based on Android 10, fast and wireless charging, many camera settings, fast 3D face unlock.
Minuses: no google apps out of the box, no 3.5mm audio jack.
4. Xiaomi Mi 10 Pro
An older version of one of new Chinese smartphones 2020 Features a 6.67-inch OLED display with a 90Hz refresh rate, Snapdragon 865 chip and 4500mAh battery with support for fast, wireless and reversible charging.
However, it was not these merits that helped Xiaomi's product to surpass the competition in the 2020 smartphone camera rankings, but a set of excellent high-resolution optics and support for shooting at 8K resolution. Rear camera includes:
- 108 MP main sensor (by default shoots at 25 MP), has laser autofocus and optical stabilization.
- The second module with a resolution of 20 MP is ultra-wide angle.
- 12MP telephoto with 2x optical zoom and instant autofocus with Dual Pixel technology.
- 8 MP is another telephoto lens with laser autofocus, OIS and 10x hybrid zoom.
Overall, the photography results are similar to last year's Mi CC9 Pro Premium Edition, but thanks to the more powerful Snapdragon 865 chipset, wider dynamic range and improved settings (especially in terms of rendering textures, HDR processing in bright outdoor and typical rooms, shooting quality in night mode and sharpness of corners), the performance of the Mi 10 Pro model is optimal for creating high-quality photos and videos.
The 20 MP front camera supports face unlock and can record video at 120 fps.
pros: superb stereo speakers, cooling system with 9 temperature sensors.
Minuses: screen scratches easily, no memory card support, no 3.5mm jack. The global version of the device supports only 1 SIM card.
3. Oppo Find X2 Pro
The top three in 2020 DxOMark smartphone camera rankings are opened by the luxury flagship of a Chinese premium company. It features a large amount of RAM - 12 GB, IP68 waterproof housing, the current Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 chipset and an Ultra Vision AMOLED screen with a 120 Hz refresh rate.
But such characteristics can be found on other models. Let's talk about the best thing about the Oppo Find X2 Pro - its cameras.
The main camera is triple:
- The main sensor is 48MP Quad-Bayer, which shoots at 12MP by default.
- Ultra-wide 48 MP camera with PDAF autofocus.
- The 13MP tele camera offers a whopping 5x zoom and optical image stabilization.
In addition to taking pictures, the camera can record videos in 4K (60fps) with HDR. The testers were impressed by Oppo's autofocus system, which worked quickly and reliably in all conditions for both stills and videos, and excellent video stabilization, thanks to which, even when moving, you can get very smooth footage. Finally, video exposure even in low light levels is another strong point of the Find X2.
Overall, according to DxOMark experts, this model offers balanced performance with results close to the best in almost all subcategories "Photo" and "Video".
The front camera with a resolution of 32 MP in good lighting creates a very clear and detailed image.
pros: Stereo sound, available with PU leather or ceramic back cover, 65W fast charging, case included.
Minuses: Price higher than many Chinese competitors, no 3.5mm headphone jack, wireless charging, notification light and memory card slot.
2. Honor 30 Pro +
This spectacular smartphone has a bright OLED screen with a refresh rate of 90 Hz, a HiSilicon Kirin 990 5G processor and a memory card slot, which is often saved when launching a flagship with a large memory storage.
- Honor's main camera uses the same large 1 / 1.28-inch 50-megapixel sensor that the rating leader has, but dispenses with OIS.
- The second module is an 8MP TV camera equipped with a periscope style lens with a focal length equivalent to 125mm.
- And finally, the third in this triad is the 16MP ultra wide-angle lens, offering a field of view equivalent to 17mm.
This smartphone uses Honor's neural network-based automatic white balance system. This helps ensure accurate color reproduction when shooting photos and videos. The image processing also uses algorithms such as Super Resolution for better detail and texture in bokeh mode and Intelligent HDR for video mode.
Separately, we note the presence of a 32MP + 8MP dual camera.
Thanks to all these innovations, the Honor 30 Pro + captures excellently day and night, with a wide dynamic range, pleasing colors and minimal noise in all light levels.
pros: stereo speakers, fast and smooth operation, design.
Minuses: no traditional headphone jack, but there is a Type-C-3.5 mm adapter, no Google services.
1. Huawei P40 Pro
Here is the best smartphone camera of 2020. Huawei uses P-series models to showcase the latest in mobile camera technology, and the new P40 Pro is no exception.
Its back cover houses a Leica camera array consisting of:
- The main 50-megapixel Quad-Bayer sensor. As with other devices with similar sensors, it uses pixel binning to increase dynamic range and compensate for low light. Also, this sensor has optical stabilization.
- A high-resolution ultra-wide-angle sensor (40MP 1 / 1.54 ″) that, when combined with a fast f / 1.8 aperture, should provide excellent low-light image quality.
- 12 MP TV cameras with optical stabilization and 5x optical zoom.
Also, most modes (including blur mode) use AI RAW, which provides the widest dynamic range.
Combine that with 50x zoom capability, improved white balance and perfect color reproduction, flawless performance in all Photo and Video subcategories in the DxOMark benchmark, and a 32MP selfie camera + depth sensor with excellent detail and fast autofocus. and you will realize that this is the king of camera phones, at least in the near future.
pros: Top performance thanks to the latest HiSilicon Kirin 990 5G chipset, display refresh rate - 90 Hz, IP68 waterproof, memory card slot, fast and wireless charging, quick fingerprint and face unlock.
Minuses: branded AppGallery instead of Google services, and it still has not all the necessary applications, there is no classic headphone jack.