Update: As of the time of publishing, DXOMark has just published a new winner that beats both the iPhone 9 and the Samsung Galaxy Note 8. Read more here.
The Internet’s reference for image quality, as its tagline promises, DxOMark, has given its verdict on the Apple iPhone 8 Plus and the Samsung Galaxy Note 8, and let’s just say it’s a good time to be a smartphone photographer and videographer.
Fast-Shifting Smartphone Camera Arms Race Sees Parity Emerge Between Apple and Samsung’s Premier Products
According to DxOMark’s detailed breakdown, the Samsung Galaxy Note 8 has tied Apple’s iPhone 8 Plus for the coveted title of best smartphone camera as of writing.
Initially, the Apple iPhone 8 Plus held the position of world’s best smartphone camera by itself, prompting many to decry perceived favoritism on DxOMark’s part for Apple’s latest product, which isn’t even the top-of-the-line iPhone X, promised later this year.
The controversy need not have raged long however because while DxOMark proclaimed the Apple iPhone 8 Plus the best available smartphone camera on the market on September 22, 2017, Samsung had achieved parity by no less than October 3, 2017.
As DPReview notes, “iPhone 8 Plus has been tied by the Samsung Galaxy Note 8, which significantly bested its Photo score and only tied the iPhone 8 Plus overall because Apple's smartphone does so much better in the video category.”
The iPhone 8 Plus represents a vast improvement over the iPhone 7/7 Plus and displaced Google’s Pixel phone on DxOMark’s rankings when it debuted.
In its review of the iPhone 8 Plus, DxOMark says: “Overall, the Apple iPhone 8 Plus is an excellent choice for the needs of nearly every smartphone photographer. It features outstanding image quality, zoom for those needing to get closer to their subjects, and an industry-leading Portrait mode for artistic efforts. It is at the top of our scoring charts in nearly every category — and in particular, its advanced software allows it to do an amazing job of capturing high-dynamic range scenes and images in which it can recognize faces.”
For a full breakdown of the scores between the two phones, you can access that at DxOMark’s website by clicking here.
