We get to evaluate a heck of lots of smartphones at Tech Advisor. In recent times, it’s change into laborious to resolve which of them are greatest, as a result of they’re all so good.
Up till not too long ago, most smartphones often had main flaws. Horrible battery life, a device-ending boot loop. Overheating, possibly. Maybe a foul show.
However within the final couple of years, the enjoying discipline has levelled, and most high-end telephones are glorious. Purchase any of the perfect smartphones and you may be completely satisfied.
It means cameras are one of many final actual differentiators in terms of telephones. It’s one of many hardest issues to get proper.
Which cellphone has the perfect digicam? It’s a subjective query, however all of us right here at Tech Advisor towers has an opinion.
I’ve been fortunate to evaluate or use telephones in 2022 such because the iPhone 14 Professional, Google Pixel 7 Professional, Huawei Mate 50 Professional, and Sony Xperia 1 IV. They’ve all had excellent cameras with premium {hardware} and polished software program experiences.
However for all their prowess – and identify model recognition – none of them have my favorite cellular digicam of the 12 months.
This 12 months, my colleague Dom Preston and I agree: our favorite cellphone digicam of 2022 is the Vivo X80 Professional.
That’s proper, not the Samsung Galaxy S22 Extremely or iPhone 14 Professional. Not even the Pixel 7 Professional. Vivo has all of them beat for sheer images efficiency, in a tool that’s pleasant to make use of as a cellular digicam.
It’s right down to the principle digicam, a 50Mp f/1.6 sensor that’s 1/1.3in. That’s massive for a cellular digicam, letting in additional gentle and giving the X80 Professional phenomenally good low gentle efficiency.
Vivo’s V1+ picture processing chip combines with this glorious sensor to drag off day time photographs with beautiful, correct color and nice element that doesn’t over sharpen scenes the place different cellphone manufacturers are inclined to.
You may faucet or scroll by way of the photograph galleries:
However it’s in low gentle that the X80 Professional actually excels. It affords beautiful excessive dynamic vary (HDR) and might confidently stability the combination of sunshine sources with out blowing them out too vibrant.
The place different telephones will render an evening time shot far brighter than it was in actuality with its evening mode, the X80 Professional as a substitute provides an correct shot that displays the temper of the scene.
Beneath, I in contrast the X80 Professional’s digicam to the favored iPhone 13 on a darkish avenue. You need to use the slider to see the distinction between the photographs.
The iPhone (on the left) does a strong job however discover how the Vivo’s (on the fitting) is just higher. The Vivo captures way more element within the leaves on the fitting and the automobiles and homes on the left. The color of the pavement can be more true to life the place the iPhone renders it extra yellowy.
That is principally right down to the sensor with the ability to absorb extra gentle, and Vivo’s software program with the ability to course of the information nicely. The iPhone’s picture isn’t dangerous – however the Vivo’s is streets forward with sharper element, and infrequently in these scenario doesn’t even click on into its evening mode as a result of the auto setting is already so good.
I considered writing an intensive comparability article like this with pixel peeping to check the Vivo to different telephones in depth, however that might have taken the enjoyment out of it. I’ve merely been having fun with the X80 Professional secure within the information it’s this good.
The perfect cellphone cameras make me wish to use them extra. Although I’ve carried numerous iPhones this 12 months, from the 12 Professional Max to the 14 Plus to the 14 Professional, I nonetheless don’t discover myself utilizing them as cameras as a lot as I do with the Vivo. The cellphone compels me to be extra artistic and observant.
The X80 Professional is ready to deal with vibrant neon lights with out them blurring or overpowering the scene, and evening time photographs have an incredible ambiance to them.
However it will possibly deal with a number of ranges of sunshine throughout the day too. Check out the shot beneath. It is a very tough factor to realize, with darkness inside and outside, however gentle sources aplenty outdoors. It’s a breeze for the X80 Professional, which may absorb all of the depth of the scene.
Henry Burrell / Foundry
With the X80 Professional at hand, I’m snapping away as a result of I’m as a rule blown away with the outcomes. It makes me a greater photographer, and, extra to the purpose, makes my common images look significantly better due to its stupendous skills.
In addition to the principle sensor, there three different versatile lenses – a 48Mp f/2.2 ultrawide lens a 12Mp f/1.6 2x zoom telephoto lens with gimbal stabilisation and a last 8Mp, f/3.4, 5x zoom periscope lens with OIS.
The gimbal stabilisation on one of many telephoto lenses provides glorious readability and good bokeh to portrait photographs that may in any other case endure from my shaky arms.
I don’t usually zoom in to 5x, however it’s good to know the choice is there with a 5x optical sensor, although at 8Mp the standard diminishes considerably. I favor the ultrawide digicam, which may deal with HDR very nicely:
As an apart, I additionally actually just like the off the wall digicam bump design on the again of the X80 Professional, which anecdotally I do know lots of people don’t. No less than Vivo is making an attempt one thing distinctive in a world of glass slab telephones.
I’m much less enamoured with Vivo’s Funtouch OS Android pores and skin, which is a bit more palatable after an replace to Android 13 however is far much less polished than Google’s Android 13, Samsung’s newest One UI, and even OnePlus’s Oxygen OS.
Dominik Tomaszewski
However it doesn’t matter to me when the X80 Professional’s cameras are this good. On the finish of the 12 months, it’s nonetheless the cellphone digicam I attain for after I wish to nail a shot or seize images on an vital day.
It’s a giant deal that Vivo is promoting the X80 Professional in Europe and the UK formally. Importing generally is a big barrier to buy, and if Vivo needs to truly promote its glorious telephones within the West it wants to enhance availability for all its telephones.
However with the brand new X90 Professional+ introduced and already promising to be an excellent higher images expertise with its 1in principal sensor, the longer term seems vibrant for Vivo. If cellular images is vital to you, look past Apple, Samsung, and Google. You could be shocked what’s on provide.