What seven years of progress has brought to smartphone cameras
3/5/2022
Translation: Jessica Johnson-Ferguson
Smartphone cameras are getting better ever year – at least that’s what the manufacturers say. However, these alleged improvements often only turn out to be subtle optimisations to the predecessors. But they do add up over time.
The OnePlus 2 came out in 2015 and was my everyday companion for two years. I’ve now dug it out of my archive drawer out of curiosity. I want to find out how its camera fares after seven years compared to today’s prime model. At the time, I thought the photos the phone produced were impressive, even though it only had one camera. The OnePlus 10 Pro is equipped with three.
Unequal duel: one camera against three
The OnePlus 2 has a humble 13-megapixel camera at the back. Although it could already manage HDR back in the day, there was no night mode or artificial intelligence to help you take better snaps. The front-facing camera’s resolution for selfies has five megapixels. Seven years ago, that was enough for a good rating.
Besides higher resolutions, OnePlus 10 Pro has the advantage of boasting two more cameras. It also has quite a few helpful tools up its sleeve to take better pictures. An AI chooses the ideal setting depending on what you’re taking a photo of. If it’s dark, for example, it goes for the night mode with longer exposure times. The software compensates for slight camera shake and filters out image noise. A 50-megapixel wide-angle camera and an 8-megapixel telephoto camera complement the 48-megapixel main camera. But even if it weren’t for the software, the additional camera alone provides more options than the OnePlus 2’s camera.
More details, bold colours
I still like the colour reproduction of the OnePlus 2, but the OnePlus 10 Pro makes the colours pop even more. Above all, the newer model delivers a higher level of detail. Here, you can make out are more irregularities on the surface of the graffiti-covered wall.
The OnePlus 2 easily manages contrasts in cloudy weather. Having said that, the photo looks dull and less colourful compared to the OnePlus 10 Pro. Whether the result is more in line with reality and the 10 Pro’s result a sugar-coated version of it is the question. However, what’s undisputed is that the 10 Pro’s main camera has a wider viewing angle.
Zoom and poor light
When it comes to the zoom, there’s no doubt which smartphone delivers the better shots. The OnePlus 10 Pro is clearly at an advantage with its telephoto camera. The OnePlus 2 doesn’t stand a chance. All it has is a quadruple digital zoom. The 10 Pro zooms optically up to 3.3× magnification.
When taking pictures against the light, the OnePlus 10 Plus produces impressively vivid colours and more clarity. Pics taken with the OnePlus 2 look like there’s a grey haze over them. However, things aren’t perfect – even seven years into the development. The superstructures of the tugs are white but look blue with the OnePlus 10.
In the dark, OnePlus 10 Pro’s auto mode already delivers a better picture than the OnePlus 2. That said, I’m surprised how well the seven-year-old smartphone copes with little light.
The OnePlus 10 Pro’s night mode goes one step further in terms of detail accuracy.
However, the OnePlus 2 is more reliant on ambient lighting. The square seems to be bright enough. Look down this street, however, and the picture remains very dark. By contrast, the OnePlus 10 Pro’s auto looks quite different.
Better selfies by day and night
I present the front-facing camera with a challenge. I position myself in the shade with the background in the sunshine. While the OnePlus 2 focuses on the background and keeps me in the dark, the OnePlus 10 Pro does a better job of handling the contrasts and dealing with the details of my face. However, nothing much is happening in the background. The OnePlus 10 Pro adds a little too much yellow into the picture for my liking. The colours produced by the OnePlus 2 feel more natural.
Selfies taken in dark conditions are way better with the OnePlus 10 Pro. In auto mode, they’re brighter and show a much higher level of detail. This only gets significantly better when you switch on night mode.
A leap forward
Unsurprisingly, the OnePlus 10 Pro delivers the better photos. Anything else would also be a disappointment in view of the seven years of development that have elapsed. And still, this doesn’t mean that all of OnePlus 2’s photos are rubbish. But when it comes to challenging lighting conditions, the 10 Pro delivers presentable photos at the push of a button.
I think I should check if my old Samsung Galaxy S still works.
When I was but a young student, I'd sit in my friend's living room with all my classmates and play on his SuperNES. Since then I've had the opportunity to test out all the newest technology for you. I've done reviews at Curved, Computer Bild and Netzwelt, and have now arrived at Galaxus.de.
