Camera showdown – four top 2024 smartphones

These days, most smartphones take wonderful photos in daylight. To be honest, they’re so good, they’re boring. As a result, I wanted to know which smartphone I prefer for spontaneous snaps. I put four top smartphones up against each other across selected disciplines.

Our ca(mera)ndidates

Choosing wasn’t easy, so I sometimes relied on the popularity of specific devices and past tests. This ended in the following four devices, listed in alphabetical order:

• Google Pixel 9 Pro (main camera: 50 MP, ultra-wide angle: 48 MP, telephoto lens: 48 MP with 5x optical zoom).
• iPhone 16 Pro (main camera: 48 MP, ultra-wide angle: 48 MP, telephoto lens: 12 MP with 5x optical zoom).
• Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra (main camera: 200 MP, ultra-wide angle: 50 MP, telephoto lens: 12 MP with 5x optical zoom).
• Xiaomi 14T Pro (main camera: 2.6 MP, ultra-wide angle: 12 MP, telephoto lens: 50 MP with 2.6x optical zoom).

Their respective images are labelled in the bottom left corner with the initial for each brand: G for Google, i for iPhone, S for Samsung and X for Xiaomi.

The scenarios

Every camera has its strengths and weaknesses, that’s why I cover as many different everyday scenarios as possible. In addition, most smartphone users simply take photos in automatic mode. It’s why I also only use this for my comparison.

Here are my test scenarios:

• Portrait mode
• Colour
• Backlight
• Wide angle
• Nighttime
• Zoom (5x)

Good old portrait

One of the most common things we take pics of is people. As a result, most current smartphones offer a portrait mode, putting people in the foreground. Its background is always bokeh, i.e. gently blurred. What your device does to skin and structures is also important here. Too strong, too weak or even completely exaggerated?

In this scenario, the iPhone 16 Pro comes out on top. Fellow editor Jan had slightly reddened skin due to the winter temperatures. The iPhone gently neutralised it. In addition, the typical yellow tone that Apple mixes into photos is very suitable for a portrait. Xiaomi disappointed me. Jan is even redder here than in reality.

In terms of details, the Google Pixel 9 Pro is slightly ahead of the iPhone. The beard and skin are depicted more naturally here, giving an overall lively impression.

My winner: iPhone 16 Pro

Recognising colours

This scenario is sometimes the most difficult to assess. First off, everyone’s colour preferences are slightly different. Second, colours will always be displayed differently on different screens. A few conclusions can nevertheless be drawn.

This is where the character of individual smartphones is most noticeable. Google has a rather dark display and barely sharpens its image. Apple always likes adding a warm yellow tone to its pictures, Samsung relies on bright colours with a focus on green. The latter is also clearly visible in photos with meadows. Xiaomi’s pictures are very bright, sometimes even appearing overexposed.

For something like this graffiti, Samsung’s bright colours seem very appropriate to me. Xiaomi comes in second place, with the light here crafting a good atmosphere. The iPhone distorts this overall impression somewhat with its yellow tone. Google’s version looks very calm and natural, but doesn’t pop enough.

My winner: Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra S24

Backlight – friend and foe

It’s the ultimate worst-case scenario: backlighting from the sun. I like to use it as a stylistic device to capture a certain mood. The Google Pixel 9 Pro is the best example of what I mean. The sun’s rays are visible, something that isn’t always great.

In this example, I like the Xiaomi 14T Pro picture the best. The sky appears slightly pink and orange near the sun. In addition, individual colour elements, i.e. the pink graffiti and green meadow, stand out a little more. Overall, it’s cheery and romantic at the same time.

My winner: Xiaomi 14T Pro

Wide angle for large subjects

The wide-angle camera works best when you want to capture a large building or are too close to your subject. On the other hand, it often has a lower resolution or a smaller aperture. I’ve used a section from my respective photos here.

I’m really disappointed with the Google Pixel 9 Pro here. Its picture is too blurred and dark compared to the competition. But even with the iPhone 16 Pro, some structures are missing despite sharpening from the software. Meanwhile, Xiaomi and Samsung are in a great place. Both depict their subject with good sharpness and bright colours. In this case, I award a point to both Xiaomi and Samsung.

My winner: Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra and Xiaomi 14T Pro

The trickiest discipline – night photography

Photo quality drops sharply with poor exposure. The real differences here are in the details.

To start, the photos all appear too dark and yellowish. Google’s picture even tends towards green. The Xiaomi 14T Pro achieves the best white balance. I can tell this most easily by the light sources, which give off a beautiful shimmer. Overall, I give the edge to Xiaomi.

My winner: Xiaomi 14T Pro

As close as possible with 5x zoom

My telephoto lens test isn’t entirely fair. Google, Apple and Samsung have a fivefold optical zoom, while Xiaomi only has 3x. Nevertheless, my overall impression of the cameras, all installed together in one device, is important too.

As expected, the Xiaomi 14T Pro loses. The font is blurred and looks like it’s glowing. The Pixel 9 Pro result is also exciting. For once, it’s much brighter than the iPhone and Samsung Galaxy. There’s also less noise in the brown bar than with the other two. Since the Google Pixel 9 Pro photo also looks the calmest, it’s my favourite.

My winner: Google Pixel 9 Pro

Verdict – and my overall winner

Every smartphone scored a point in at least one of the six categories. Xiaomi is clearly ahead with three points. But the only camera that doesn’t slack off anywhere is in the iPhone 16 Pro. So, as an all-rounder, the Apple takes first place.

Of course, the winner is also influenced by personal preferences. The most important thing to remember: this is all nitpicking. After all, I just compared top smartphones with each other. The good thing about this comparison is that it clearly shows the characteristics and strengths of individual cameras and their associated software.

The Google Pixel 9 Pro usually takes dark, natural pictures and scores points for its level of detail in portraits. The iPhone 16 Pro makes a good impression in portraits, relies on a warm colour tone and doesn’t stand out negatively anywhere. Samsung prefers bright colours and a sharp picture. Xiaomi brightens things up a lot, but still impresses in nasty scenarios such as backlighting and darkness.

Which smartphone took first place for you?