Pocket Photographer: TOP 5 smartphones with a great camera

Xiaomi was one of the first companies to launch a completely bezel-less smartphone. The Mi Mix 2s has no notch cutout, and the display bezels are as narrow as possible. Because of this, the front camera had to be moved down, which created an unusual situation: to take a selfie, the smartphone must be turned upside down, otherwise the angles will be unusual.

Almost the entire front panel of the smartphone is occupied by a 6-inch IPS screen with almost perfect color reproduction, a large margin of brightness, automatic contrast adjustment and manual adjustment of color temperature. At the head of the hardware platform of the gadget is the top-end Snapdragon 845 chip, combined with 6 GB of RAM, Adreno 630 graphics and 64 GB of storage.

In 2018, the Mi Mix 2S camera was recognized as one of the best by DxOMark, and is still in the top 15 rankings. The dual camera of the smartphone consists of a 12 MP main module with a Sony IMX363 matrix and a 12 MP auxiliary module from Samsung with a telephoto lens. Thanks to the support of artificial intelligence, high-quality interaction is set up between the modules - Mi Mix 2S was one of the first to learn to recognize shooting scenes, choosing the optimal settings for the current composition of the frame.

Of the strengths of the Mi Mix 2S camera, it is necessary to highlight the noise reduction algorithm that works like a clock, high-quality color reproduction and autofocus accuracy. All this allowed the Chinese smartphone to get 101 points for photography. Only 3 points less than the reference Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus 64 GB . Also, the smartphone turned out to have one of the best front cameras on the market, which, according to the results of 2018, entered the top three in the DxOMark rating. The model stands out for the speed of autofocus, natural color reproduction and clear operation of the blur mode. As for video shooting, here Xiaomi Mi Mix 2S showed itself much more modestly and scored 88 points. Video capabilities are good, but the experience blurs autofocus errors when shooting on the move. The total score is 97 points.

In general, Xiaomi Mi Mix 2s is an excellent fashion smartphone that offers all the goodies of A-brands at a price several times lower. Of the features of the smartphone, it is worth highlighting the presence of wireless charging, a fingerprint sensor, a face recognition system, an NFC chip for contactless payments and high-quality speakers. And in the role of a small fly in the ointment, let's remember the inconvenient location of the front camera and the lack of a separate audio output. That is, the sound is either via Bluetooth or using an adapter.

OnePlus 6T is the sixth version of the so-called "flagship killer" from the Chinese manufacturer OnePlus, brought to mind. The updated model is based on the top-end Qualcomm Snapdragon processor, it has one of the smallest cutouts in the screen and a fingerprint scanner located under the main display. The latest achievement is commendable, as the scanner has one of the fastest sensors on the market.

The OnePlus 6T display is based on a high-quality Optic AMOLED matrix with an almost tablet diagonal of 6.4 inches (2340x1080 px). The color rendition of the screen flexibly adjusts to certain user preferences in the settings. Traditionally, hardware does not lag behind a chic screen - the combination of the flagship Snapdragon 845 octa-core processor with 8 GB of RAM and Adreno 630 graphics clicks any tasks like seeds.

The photographic side of the OnePlus 6T is represented by a 16 + 20 MP dual rear camera. Each of the modules has at its disposal fast f / 1.7 optics, and the main “eye” is additionally armed with fast Dual Pixel autofocus and an optical stub. New "chips" of the camera - the function "Studio light" and night mode of photography.

In terms of the DxOMark score, the OnePlus 6 was once the top scorer with a total score of 96. The OnePlus 6T has the same camera module, but got 2 points higher thanks to improved software and artificial intelligence, which is well trained to determine the exposure. The camera's strengths are fast autofocus, wide dynamic range, highly detailed shots, and cool bokeh. In the weakness of the camera, you can record a slight fade in purple hues and noise in photos in poor lighting.

Add to all of the above an NFC chip, fast charging and a proprietary Oxygen OS shell with a bunch of useful features, spice up the price tag in the region of under $600, after which the nickname “flagship killers” will be more than justified.

Huawei 's Mate line is a direct competitor to the current generation iPhone Xs Max and Galaxy S9 Plus. A top smartphone that will appeal to both those who simply love technology, and those who want to buy a smartphone for several years and not look for replacements, without experiencing any serious shortcomings from the fact that something is missing.

Huawei decided to somehow highlight the model, so the Mate 20 used a waterdrop notch. The rest of the space is occupied by a giant IPS screen with a diagonal of exactly 6.53 inches. Despite such a screen size, the smartphone does not feel gigantic. Either the designers have ideally adjusted the proportions of the case, or such dimensions have become more familiar.

The processor in the Mate 20 (in fact, in the Mate 20 Pro) uses the new HiSilicon Kirin 980 chip. The RAM in the Mate 20 is 6 GB and it shows amazing performance in synthetic tests. In general, the smartphone scores 317,000 points in the Antutu test, showing truly cosmic performance. Moreover, this is noticeable not only in benchmarks, but also in real life, where the smartphone works well, very quickly, leaving behind the same P20 Pro.

Someone creates devices with one camera, someone with two, but Huawei decided to roll out a smartphone with three cameras. Moreover, not simple, but manufactured by Leica. Each of the trinity has its own responsibilities - the first camera is responsible for standard shooting, the second for shooting with zoom, the third for shooting panoramas. In terms of visual sensation, the camera shoots at the level of Huawei P20, but with less noise. Considering the fact that the P20 had a DxOMark score of 102 (7th in the final rankings), we can conclude that the Mate 20 has one of the best cameras on the market. In addition, this is the first smartphone on the market with a wide-angle autofocus module.

However, thanks for all this must be said not only to the three-module camera, but also to the “smart” processor, which coordinates the operation of the camera, and also helps to adjust the exposure, focus, white balance, adjust the depth of field or adapt the camera settings for shooting at night. In addition to the camera, the artificial intelligence processor helps in other aspects. For example, it can help you customize the layout of icons on the desktop for yourself or adjust the power of your smartphone depending on the tasks so as not to waste battery power in vain. Thanks to this, the Mate 20 can last up to 36 hours on a single charge. And this is with such and such a screen.

Well, do not forget about a pack of useful things that are standard for a flagship, like fast charging, a fingerprint scanner, NFC, and protection against dust and splashes according to the IP53 standard.

Once a leading player in the smartphone market, HTC has been making ends meet in recent years and not really thinking about technological breakthroughs. Therefore, the release of HTC U12 Plus turned out to be, if not a bolt from the blue, then definitely a big surprise. With top-end hardware, a nice design and an adequate price tag, the smartphone topped the DxOMark rating and would have become the camera phone of the year if it hadn’t been for the amazing new products from Huawei in the fall.

HTC U12 Plus became the first flagship since HTC One M8 32 GB which got a dual camera. And even two. At the back is the main module with a 12-megapixel UltraPixel 4 sensor, f/1.75 aperture and optical stabilization. He is accompanied by a second 16 MP module with a telephoto lens for a double zoom (f / 2.6). Both use phase and laser autofocus.

According to the test results, the HTC U12 Plus camera received 106 points for the photo, leaving behind such proven fighters as Huawei P20, Google Pixel 2 and Apple iPhone X. But the quality of the video is slightly behind (95 points), which is why the final score of the HTC U12 Plus was 103 points. At the time of testing in May 2018, it was the best dual camera on the market. As of early 2019, it's still one of the best cameras on the market, only slightly behind the new Huawei P20 Pro, Huawei Mate 20 Pro, and iPhone XS Max. Adds whists

As for hardware, the HTC U12 Plus looks like an uncompromising flagship: an octa-core Snapdragon 845 processor, 6 GB of RAM, Adreno 523 graphics and 64 GB of internal storage. In terms of technological innovations, the smartphone does not strive to be ahead of the whole planet, so there is support for memory cards and a separate audio output. Plus, a fingerprint scanner, an NFC chip and fast charging are standard for this class. The latter is especially useful as it drains the battery very quickly.

Of the features of the smartphone, it is necessary to highlight the unusual control system with touch edges Edge Sense 2, which simplifies gesture control. For example, you can pinch the bezels of your smartphone to, for example, turn on the camera, or swipe gently on the side of your waist to call up the Google Assistant. If you get used to it, then Edge Sense makes it very easy to control your smartphone with one hand. In addition to the convenience of Edge Sense 2, the side button system has been redesigned to implement IP68 dust and water protection of the smartphone.

“The biggest smartphone in the history of Apple. Giant frameless Super Retina display. One of the best cameras on the market. The new generation Apple A12 Bionic processor, which is catching up with desktop processors in terms of power. And finally, 2 SIM cards. For the first time in history. This fall in all cinemas across the country. - if Apple released a trailer for a movie about the new iPhone, then it would sound something like this.

Indeed, with regards to the iPhone Xs Max, the Cupertians have stepped up and delivered the best product they were capable of. The iPhone Xs Max has virtually no weaknesses, and every element is better than 99% of the competition. Here you have a screen with True Tone support, and a sensor that responds to pressure, and improved Face ID, and wireless charging, and protection against dust and moisture according to the IP68 standard, and much more. The only thing that let us down was the $1,000+ price tag, which turned out to be high even by Apple standards.

But you have to pay for quality, there's nothing you can do about it. Especially when they offer you one of the best cameras in the history of smartphone construction. So, the iPhone Xs Max has an improved dual camera module iPhone X(12 + 12 MP), which received a bunch of software improvements. For example, now when shooting a stationary subject, the smartphone camera continuously shoots at various exposure levels, which provides zero shutter lag and HDR processing at the same time.

In general, the iPhone Xs Max camera stands out for its excellent detail, smart autofocus performance, natural color reproduction, and many other pluses. The only thing that could be better is the zoom detail and white balance error when shooting indoors. In total, the iPhone Xs Max received 96 points for testing and video quality, and 110 points for photo tests. The overall score of Apple's smartphone was 105 points. Only Huawei P20 Pro, Huawei Mate 20 Pro with Leica optics managed to get higher.