Well, that didn't take long.
Only recently did camera benchmark testers DxOMark declare Apple's iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus as the best-performing camera phones in the market, but now the Cupertino, California tech firm's flagships have been bested by newcomers.
Google Pixel 2 Beats The iPhone 8 In Camera Performance
That's right. The iPhone 8 no longer has the best camera around. That title now belongs to Google's just-announced Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL. Both these handsets received a whopping 98 points — four points higher than the iPhone 8 Plus, six points higher than the base iPhone 8.
DxOMark cited fantastic video performance, excellent color and scene reproduction, incredibly fast and accurate autofocus, and more-than-decent background blurring in portrait mode as the reasons that put both phones on top of the food chain when it comes to camera performance.
The Pixel 2 also received 96 points in terms of video performance — five points higher than last year's original Pixel model, and the highest overall thus far. Still, it's one point behind the Galaxy Note 8 in terms of photo performance with a score of 99, since the Galaxy Note 8 nabbed a perfect score of 100 upon testing.
So, does this mean the Pixel 2 has the best camera ever? Well, yes — by DxOMark's standards, that is. Aesthetics, quality, and performance are still very subjective factors, and it's always possible that some aspects might be better on the Pixel 2 and some might not. At the end of the day, though, the best camera is always a perfect balance of what the user is looking for.
There's no really telling the "best" camera on a smartphone, of course. But perhaps users can take the DxOMark score as an indication that they'll get the performance they'll pay for, unlike the Essential Phone, which has come under fire for having a camera believed to be lackluster.
Google Pixel 2
Google Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL were announced during the company's Oct. 4 event, in addition to new smart speakers, a brand-new Chromebook, a Google Clips camera, and more. They're two of the most anticipated flagships this year, and the direct sequel to last year's phenomenally reviewed Pixel phones.
Last year the Pixel's camera was declared as the best, with stellar performance in low light photography, video, and regular point-and-shoot modes. It looks like Google wants its new phones to have the best camera yet again, and that's exactly what just happened here.
Thoughts? Feel free to sound off in the comments section below!
