DxOMark has spoken, and the new top dog in the mobile photography game is none other than the Samsung Galaxy Note 8 ... and the iPhone 8 Plus.
To be clear, the two are at a tie for the number 1 spot, both pulling off a score of 94. However, that doesn't necessarily mean they're both going to take the same quality of shots, as they made it to the pinnacle of the segment on their own respective ways.
Galaxy Note 8 vs iPhone 8 Plus
For starters, the Galaxy Note 8 is equipped with a dual-camera setup, one of which is a 12-megapixel f/2.4 telephoto camera and the other a 12-megapixel f/1.7 wide-angle camera.
On the other hand, the iPhone 8 Plus also boasts two 12-megapixel cameras, with the telephoto sensor sporting a f/2.8 aperture and the wide-angle one an f/1.8 aperture.
A Quick Run-through
Now the Galaxy Note 8 stands out because of its "excellent zoom quality, good noise reduction and detail preservation, as well as fast and accurate autofocus." In other words, it's capable of taking shots without that much noise even when zoomed in or in low-light settings and focusing on the subject fairly quick.
Meanwhile, the iPhone 8 Plus wins in terms of rendering high-dynamic-range scenes, thanks to Apple's AutoHDR. More than that, it can accurately and properly expose faces and generally capture clear videos with notably exceptional stabilization.
Of course, the two each have their own "faults," so to speak. The Galaxy Note 8 has a couple of issues with white balancing in bright settings or indoors and preserving details in certain extreme situations because of its restricted dynamic range.
As for the iPhone 8 Plus, it has trouble with autofocusing at times, color cast in low-light and indoor environments, and noticeable noise when recording videos in low-light settings.
Wrapping Up
While the Galaxy Note 8 is the recommended phone for low-light photography, the iPhone 8 Plus is the best pick for first-rate color rendering and HDR performance.
So between the two, who takes the cake? Well, as implied by the tied score of 94, the two managed to top the food chain through their own respective means. Put simply, users' personal preferences are the primary factor in determining which phone is the best in mobile photography for them.
It's also worth mentioning that the previous kings of the DxOMark mobile camera ranking were the HTC U11 and the Google Pixel, which both scored a 90 rating. Take note that the latter originally scored 89, but DxOMark retested it, giving it a slightly higher score of 90.
