TOP 5 smartphones with cameras no worse than iPhone 11

In the current smartphone market, many are accustomed to thinking that the coolest phone is the iPhone. Indeed, its latest iPhone 11 model with three cameras is causing shock and awe among both buyers and competitors. But the latter have already prepared their own alternatives, whose cameras can compete in quality.

That’s why we have compiled a list of top smartphones with the best camera of 2020, so that you can better navigate the variety of smartphones and not be fooled by big brands just because of their fame.

Samsung Galaxy S10e

Although Samsung itself does not position this model as the main pearl of their latest series of smartphones, there is no need to make a discount on its performance because of this. She only has two lenses - the second is wide-angle - but with them she can take excellent photos even for people who are not professional photographers. Even during night mode. This is primarily due to the advanced algorithms and computer intelligence of the device.

Its hardware is not inferior to older Galaxy models, and its dimensions and weight are even smaller than those of the iPhone 11. So in terms of photographs, this device is no worse than the latter - despite the fact that the S10e appeared six months before its competitor.

Buy Samsung Galaxy S10e

Top 10 best iPhone alternatives in 2022 according to KP

HUAWEI P smart

HUAWEI P smart
This budget smartphone based on Android 10 OS with a diagonal of 6.67 inches is distinguished by high performance and autonomy, and also has a fast charging function. The power button is located in a small recess on the right and is combined with a fingerprint scanner. The smartphone is available in three colors and is pleasant to hold in your hands due to its rounded edges.

Thanks to the powerful quad camera, you get excellent shots both during the day and at night. The iPhone 11 series has only 2 or 3 cameras, depending on the specific modification, at a higher price of the phone, and night photography is of low quality. HUAWEI P smart has a slot for memory cards up to 512 GB. The smartphone is sold without Google services, but you can install them yourself.

Main characteristics

Advantages and disadvantages

The battery provides high autonomy, there is a fast charging function, 4 cameras with good quality day and night shooting, a fingerprint identification function, a built-in 512 GB memory slot, and a headphone jack.

Google services are not installed, no face identification, IPS screen type, not AMOLED, no moisture protection, no face recognition sensor, small built-in memory, the image is grainy due to the small number of pixels per inch.

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Xiaomi POCO X3 NFC 6/128GB RU

Xiaomi POCO X3 NFC 6/128GB RU
This smartphone is good for games and other applications thanks to fast screen refresh, powerful processor and 4 GB of RAM. The device has 4 cameras: 3 rear cameras with autofocus and macro modes and 1 front camera. Using the rear cameras, you can take photos with a resolution of 48 MP. The smartphone is equipped with a powerful battery that holds a charge for up to 48 hours of battery life. Its battery is more capacious than that of the iPhone 11 - 2000 mAh.

User identification is possible using a fingerprint scanner, which is combined with the power button, or facial recognition. NFC allows contactless payment. Liquid Cool 1.0 Plus technology protects the device from overheating, maintaining operating temperature. The 6.67-inch screen is covered with scratch-resistant glass. There is also a headphone jack and aptX codec for wireless headsets.

Main characteristics

Advantages and disadvantages

High autonomy, a display with a high sampling rate, there is an overheating protection function, a slot for memory cards, a fast charging function, the camera takes high-quality photos, user identification by fingerprint and face.

Small amount of RAM, large weight and size, no e-sim, both SIM cards are physical, no support for wireless charging, screen type is color IPS, not AMOLED, a large number of commercials from the installed software, heats up when running applications with high power consumption.

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HONOR 10i 6/128GB

HONOR 10i 6/128GB
The smartphone is equipped with a Kirin 710 processor and 6 GB of RAM, which ensure smooth operation of applications. The 6.21-inch screen is convenient for watching videos and playing games. GPU Turbo 2.0 technology optimizes the GPU for a smooth gaming experience. The device has three cameras with autofocus and macro photography. The 24 MP main camera and wide-angle lens with Quad Bayer color filter provide high-quality day and night photography.

The front camera takes bright and clear selfies in front and back lighting. The Asahi Kasei AK4376A audio processor is specially built for high-quality music listening. The battery provides 19 hours of talk time, and fast charging charges it to 50% in 20 minutes. HONOR 10i 6/128GB compares favorably with any iPhone series with the ability to install an additional memory card.

Main characteristics

Advantages and disadvantages

The presence of a slot for memory cards, a capacious battery holds a charge for 19 hours of talk time, a screen with excellent contrast, fingerprint and face unlock sensors, the main camera with a macro mode, the processor and RAM support heavy applications and games, beautiful design due to the gradient effect on the back panel.

The smartphone does not have moisture protection, the screen contrast is low in bright light, after 1 year of use the screen sensor sometimes triggers spontaneously, the device does not come with a USB Type C connector, there is no fast charging function, and there is no moisture protection.

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Smartphones with large memory

No more choosing what to keep and what to delete

Google Pixel 5 8/128GB

Google Pixel 5 8/128GB
This smartphone is one of the best for gaming and watching videos thanks to its 6-inch OLED screen with 1080p resolution, and the built-in memory of 128 GB is enough to store a large number of photos and videos. The operating system on this smartphone is Android 11, there are no third-party applications, but the device is provided with long-term software support from Google.

The device is equipped with two Sony cameras with autofocus and optical stabilization, there is a contactless payment function and fingerprint identification. The iPhone XR, with the same amount of memory and screen size, costs more, and the camera does not provide sufficient image clarity. The large battery capacity of the smartphone ensures high autonomy. The device is equipped with two SIM cards: one physical, the other electronic, installed on the motherboard.

Main characteristics

Advantages and disadvantages

A large amount of memory, there is wireless charging and a fast charging function, the battery provides high autonomy, 2 SIM cards, one of which is electronic, there is a fingerprint sensor, special scratch-resistant glass.

Sold without third-party applications, there is no facial recognition function, the speaker is located under the screen and distorts the sound, according to user reviews, the screen is too small, due to the rounded edges accidental clicks occur and the fast charging function is not very fast.

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OPPO A53 4/64GB

OPPO A53 4/64GB
This inexpensive device is a good choice due to its versatility and small size. The corrugated texture of the smartphone body beautifully refracts light, reminiscent of the facets of a diamond. The combination of light weight and size makes it easy to use; it can be operated with one hand and carried in a clothing pocket. Despite its small size, it has a built-in powerful battery that holds a charge for up to 2 days and provides fast recharging. The standby mode optimization function makes battery consumption even more economical.

You can be sure that even with active use the device will not turn off unexpectedly. The Qualcomm Snapdragon 460 processor and 4 GB RAM support various applications, but the processor is weak for games. The smartphone has 4 cameras: 3 main and 1 front. According to user reviews, photos of large objects turn out “grainy”. The amount of internal memory is small - 64 GB, but there is a slot for memory cards up to 256 GB. The expensive iPhone XS series with the same amount of memory, approximately the same dimensions and hardware characteristics does not have a memory slot. To increase data storage space, you need to buy another device with more memory.

Main characteristics

Advantages and disadvantages

Small dimensions and original design, a powerful battery ensures high autonomy, there is a headphone jack and a memory card slot, a fingerprint sensor on the rear panel, equipped with 3 main cameras and 1 front camera, the screen glass is scratch-resistant.

According to user reviews, it slows down when typing, the weak point of the camera is that photos of large objects are “grainy”, when recording video the camera is unstable, and when watching videos a stripe appears on the screen.

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Samsung Galaxy S10+ 8/128GB

Samsung Galaxy S10+ 8/128GB
This model incorporates all the best from the Samsung Galaxy line. It has an 8-core processor and 8 GB of RAM, which guarantees stable operation of video games and intensive applications. These characteristics differ from the iPhone 8 Plus, which has a 6-core processor and 3 GB of RAM. The Samsung smartphone is equipped with 3 powerful cameras, the iPhone 8 Plus has 2 with worse characteristics. LTE support provides high-speed Internet, there is a fingerprint and face scanner. The ceramic body of the device protects it from moisture and dust. The built-in memory is 128 GB, but it can be expanded as the device has a memory slot of up to 512 GB.

Main characteristics

Advantages and disadvantages

Equipped with a powerful battery, fast and wireless charging functions, a slot for a memory card with a capacity of up to 512 GB, a headphone jack, a powerful processor and RAM sufficient for running resource-intensive applications, there are face and fingerprint identification sensors.

The location of the fingerprint sensor is inconvenient; there are complaints from users about its unstable operation; the screen, rounded on the sides, often leads to false alarms of the smartphone; when used without a case, the back panel quickly gets dirty; there are a lot of commercials in pre-installed applications.

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ASUS ZenFone 7 Pro ZS671KS 256GB

ASUS ZenFone 7 Pro ZS671KS 256GB
A powerful Android smartphone that supports 5G. The peculiarity of this device is a rotating three-camera module based on Sony photomatrices. The 64 MP rear wide-angle camera guarantees high-quality frames during panoramic shooting. The telephoto camera supports 3x optical zoom. True, the location of the lenses is such that when taking photographs it is easy to cover them with your finger - you need to get used to it.

The smartphone is equipped with an AMOLED display with durable glass that is resistant to damage, which, for example, the iPhone XS does not have. This device is suitable for lovers of high-quality photos and resource-intensive video games. It has side-mounted fingerprint unlocking and face recognition. Autonomy is ensured by a capacious battery with fast charging function. Unlike the iPhone Xs, this device supports contactless charging.

Main characteristics

Advantages and disadvantages

A rotating retractable three-chamber module on Sony matrices, sufficient RAM for games, a separate memory slot up to 2048 GB, fingerprint and facial recognition sensors, the possibility of contactless payment, a capacious battery and wireless charging.

The bluetooth driver does not transmit calls to the headset, the camera mechanism does not retract completely into the case, the location of the lenses is inconvenient, the smartphone does not have moisture protection, according to user reviews, the device is heavy, and the case heats up when running energy-intensive applications.

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Smartphones with 5G

Meizu M5s 16GB

Meizu M5s 16GB
Advanced bidirectional fast charging technology allows you to charge the battery by 56% in 30 minutes from a network with a voltage of up to 18 W. The capacious battery can provide autonomous operation for up to 24 hours. This is its advantage over the iPhone SE, which has more modest battery power. A 5.2-inch HD display based on an IPS matrix provides a wide viewing angle and clear images. Curved glass ensures natural color reproduction, while Flyme's smart eye protection mode ensures comfort in low light.

The body is crafted from aluminum alloy, laser-cut for absolute smoothness. The eight-core M5s processor ensures fast and long-lasting operation without recharging. Comparing the Meizu M5s and iPhone SE, released around the same time, it is clear that the Apple smartphone has a 2-core processor and slightly less RAM. The iPhone SE has more built-in memory, but the Meizu M5s comes with a slot for a memory card up to 128GB. The main camera of Meizu M5s has a built-in image processor. On the front side of the smartphone there is a camera with an ƒ/2.0 aperture, thanks to which excellent photos are obtained in any conditions. The smartphone does not support the NFC interface, so contactless payment using it is impossible.

Main characteristics

Advantages and disadvantages

Wide-angle rear camera, high autonomy due to a capacious battery, bi-directional fast charging technology, intelligent eye protection mode in low light, built-in fingerprint sensor, stylish sleek body.

There is no contactless payment function, there is no user identification by face, the smartphone body is not waterproof, the processor performance is below average, and the body heats up when used for a long time.

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BQ 6430L Aurora

BQ 6430L Aurora
BQ 6430L Aurora is an inexpensive, compact and convenient smartphone with contactless payment function. The 20 MP front camera can take good selfies, and the rear quad camera is better in its characteristics among models in the same price category, with its help you can take clear, high-quality photos in the daytime. The smartphone has a face and fingerprint recognition option, the sensor is located on the rear panel, and the case is not protected from moisture.

The device comes without any applications installed. The processor power and screen resolution are enough to watch video content, and games take a long time to load. The iPhoneX has a more powerful processor, but the amount of RAM is less, and there are also problems when running resource-intensive applications.

Main characteristics

Advantages and disadvantages

It is equipped with a quad camera and a front camera for selfies, there are fingerprint reading functions, face unlocking, a slot for memory cards up to 128 GB, autonomy is ensured by a powerful battery, the kit includes a charger and a USB Type-C cable.

There is no fast charging function, the device comes without installed applications, the case is not protected from moisture and dust, the case is plastic, fragile, the quality of night photos is inferior to photos taken in good light.

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ZTE Blade V2020 Smart 4/64GB

ZTE Blade V2020 Smart 4/64GB
Smartphone with a large screen, four main cameras, a capacious battery and a screen with HD resolution. The successful aspect ratio allows it to occupy almost the entire front panel. The front panel has a drop-shaped cutout for the front camera. The thin plastic body is pleasant to hold in your hands. The fingerprint scanner for unlocking the device is located on the side and combined with the power button. It is also possible to unlock the smartphone using the face recognition function.

All four cameras are located on the back side and do not protrude beyond the edges of the case, keeping the back panel of the device flat. Using reverse charging of your smartphone, you can charge external accessories that have a wireless charging option. If you compare the ZTE Blade V2020 and the iPhone 8, released 2 years apart, you can see that while the price of the iPhone 8 is three times higher, its battery is less powerful, the camera resolution is lower and the screen area to body size ratio is also less than that of ZTE Blade V2020.

Main characteristics

Advantages and disadvantages

Availability of reverse charging, high-capacity battery, convenient location of cameras and user identification scanner, contactless payment option, large screen in relation to the body area.

According to user reviews, it is difficult to find a suitable case and protective glass, poor quality of night photography, lack of fast charging, slippery body of the device, and the battery drains quickly in standby mode.

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Samsung Galaxy Note 10 (and Note 10+)

The main novelty of the Korean manufacturer, similar to Apple products, has two versions - with screen sizes of 16 and 17.3 centimeters. The filling in them is one of the most powerful today, but our top needs a smartphone with the best camera of 2022, so let’s first pay attention to the lenses.

There are three in total - a regular, wide-angle and telephoto lens, all supporting the newest version of night mode. Note 10+ also has a special sensor that measures depth. With it, the phone can scan and work with three-dimensional versions of objects.

Buy Samsung Galaxy Note 10

How to choose an iPhone alternative

There are a great variety of models from different companies and manufacturers on the smartphone market. To understand which phone to choose, you need to decide on the purpose for which it is being purchased.

A powerful processor and a large screen with good resolution will be necessary for fans of games and watching video content. Those who like to take high-quality photos should pay attention to devices with a quad camera, a telephoto lens, and night and macro photography functions; there should also be sufficient memory to store photos.

The Android operating system is an open source OS. Such a device will be interesting for those who like to tinker with applications and customize functions for themselves.

An equally important point is the number of hours of battery life and the presence of a fast charging function. Some models have reverse charging, which is useful for gadgets with wireless charging capabilities. The presence of these functions is a necessary criterion when choosing a specific model.

Huawei P30 Pro

All three lenses on this smartphone were created with the direct participation of Leica, which should primarily be credited with creating a five-fold zoom that has no analogues among other phones. The main camera boasts a 48-megapixel camera, supported by an ultra-wide-angle lens and a TOF sensor that uses infrared technology and can measure depth.

The quality of the final photos is not inferior to pocket cameras and even more budget models of SLR cameras. An extremely wide selection of light sensitivity makes it possible to take the most beautiful shot of the night sky. At the same time, the price of the smartphone remains quite at the level of the younger model of the new iPhone.

Buy Huawei P30 Pro

Google Pixel 4 is the best camera

This is Google's latest flagship, which is objectively better than the iPhone 11 in most respects. Traditionally, the main advantage of the device is the camera. Google Pixel 4 was the first device with multiple lenses: a 12 MP main module and a 16 MP telephoto lens. The photos are truly fantastic, even in low light. It features Google's new astrophotography mode, which allows you to take stunning photos of the night sky with stars.

It has an AMOLED display with a high refresh rate of 90Hz. This is a smartphone with the fastest face unlock system, which is a merit of a clean OS. It introduced technology for automatically transcribing recorded conversations, as well as creating captions for any multimedia content. The only thing that won't please me is the 2800 mAh battery. Even with economical use, the phone will already be discharged by the evening.

Pros:

• the best cameras you can find today;
• quick face unlock;
• 3 years of guaranteed OS updates;
• cool AMOLED screen with 90 Hz;
• live transcription system.

Minuses:

• low autonomy;
• To pay with Google Pay you need to enter a password.

Google Pixel 4

OnePlus 7 Pro

This model contains three cameras, which are no longer so surprising after the previously described smartphones: standard, wide-angle and telephoto. However, this phone, popular among technology geeks, is not inferior to them in terms of overall equipment; the night mode has not gone away.

The phone captivates with other features such as an impressive screen and a front lens that automatically slides out from the top of the phone. Majors are still in no hurry to adopt this feature, preferring to leave their models with a screen with horns on top, so this is not the worst way to stand out.

Buy Oneplus 7 Pro

ASUS ZenFone 6 – best design

Another decent phone that is not very well known or popular. In fact, ASUS ZenFone 6 is a good device both in terms of design, performance, and photographic abilities. The front has a 6.4-inch display without cutouts with ultra-thin frames. Almost the entire front surface is a working area. To achieve this result, ASUS removed the traditional selfie camera and installed the main module on a rotating hinge. This way it replaces the cameras on both sides.

An important advantage of ZenFone 6 is its capacious battery. True, this led to the phone becoming large and heavy, but with a powerful 5000 mAh battery. The smartphone offers one of the best battery life in the Android world. In most conditions it will last 2 days on a single charge. There is also support for 18W fast charging. It’s also worth knowing that the smartphone has 2 main cameras, a clean operating system and a powerful Snapdragon 855 chipset.

Pros:

• there are practically no frames or even cutouts in the screen;
• simple and fast software;
• original design with retractable camera;
• greater autonomy;
• good shooting quality.

Minuses:

• not very bright display;
• quite large and heavy body.

ASUS ZenFone 6

Honor 20 Pro

Being almost half the price of the main model of Apple's main new product, this smartphone can compete with it in its camera capabilities. It, as expected, has three cameras and even has a two-megapixel macro sensor.

The wide-angle lens captures as much as 117 degrees, and is helped by a TOF sensor, whose depth-sensing capabilities greatly help when working with portraits. The 48 megapixels of the main camera are also impressive, but what’s more pleasing is the aperture, which can reach an amazing value of F/1.4, which at least means excellent photos in night mode.

The filling is a little inferior, but at the moment its performance is more than enough for the consumer.

Buy Honor 20 Pro

OPPO F7

• 
  screen 6.23 inches, resolution 2280*1080;

• 8-core Helio P60 processor, frequency up to 2 GHz;
• RAM 4/6 GB, main memory – 64/128 GB;
• main camera 16 MP;
• front camera 25 MP;
• battery 3400 mAh;
• the price is about 23,000 rubles for the 4/64 version.

Chinese manufacturers are not asleep and seem to be fighting with each other to see who can copy the iPhone X better. As a result of this arms race, the OPPO F7 smartphone appeared, an inexpensive analogue of the iPhone X. The manufacturer used a plastic case and an IPS matrix to reduce the cost of the model, but did not deprive the device of its zest, and we are not talking about a “bang” or a widescreen screen. It's all about the front camera, which has a resolution of 25 megapixels and support for artificial intelligence. An excellent device for those who love to take selfies!

The smartphone has the ability to recognize faces, and does it deftly and quickly.
The display occupies almost the entire front panel of the device, so the device looks gorgeous! It’s also nice that the manufacturer immediately puts a protective film on the screen. The device's performance is enough to run all possible applications. The branded shell with a lot of interesting features is also pleasing. Another fact of concern for the buyer is a separate slot for a second SIM card and a memory card. The only downside is the lack of NFC. Decent camera phone!

iPhone 11 is the best camera phone today!

Although we compared all previous models with this one, we cannot fail to note the advantages of the iPhone 11. When shooting video files, no smartphone will give you the same optical stabilization during shooting. And all the cameras here are not arranged in a row, like other phones, but forming a kind of triangle. True, no advantages of this solution were found.

Buy iPhone 11

Instead of iPhone 11 (and iPhone X or iPhone Xr): a smartphone with 3D Face ID

Face ID is a useful and convenient option, but Android smartphone manufacturers have not implemented it on a large scale due to the high cost and complexity of implementation. And yet there are devices that have a similar advanced scanner and are instantly unlocked by the owner’s face in any conditions.

Here you can ask the price of Huawei Mate 20 Pro. Today you can buy it for mere pennies - if, of course, you compare it with the amounts that will be asked for the iPhone 11. So, the Mate 20 Pro costs 44,990 rubles. Noticeably cheaper than the most affordable new smartphone from Cupertino.

Huawei Mate 20 and Huawei Mate 20 Pro review - everything you want to know about the best Huawei smartphones

Battery and autonomy

The battery capacity of the X20 Pro is 4000 mAh. This is enough to actively use the smartphone all day - approximately 8-9 hours of screen operation.

There is no information about the battery capacity of the iPhone 11 Pro, but it claims 18 hours of operation without recharging.

Cubot X20 Pro

We can conclude that the autonomy of smartphones will be approximately the same. But while Apple is doing great with software optimization, Chinese companies cannot boast of this. Everyone will draw their own conclusion.

Results - who shoots better?

As I said at the beginning, it is impossible to choose a winner in this confrontation. This is evidenced by the score 6:6, which was obtained during my comparison, and my experience of use. Somewhere one smartphone comes out ahead, showing literally a couple of pixels clearer picture, somewhere another takes the lead, managing to take one more sharp picture in difficult conditions. In my opinion, when choosing between the Galaxy S21 Ultra and the iPhone 12 Pro Max, you should give preference to the system you are used to, since both devices are capable of producing magical quality photos.

Categories where the Galaxy S21 Ultra won

• Details in the shadows.
• Optical zoom.
• Ultra wide angle shooting.
• Portrait photography of people.
• Portrait photography of inanimate objects.
• Video stabilization.

Categories in which the iPhone 12 Pro Max won

• Detailing on the main module.
• Picture sharpness.
• Macro photography.
• Night photo.
• Detail in the video.
• Colors in the video.

Ultra-wide: algorithms are not always good

iPhone 12 Pro Max and Galaxy S21 Ultra

After another couple of years, ultra-wide-angle cameras, which were completely unsuitable for everyday use, are now gradually catching up with the main modules in quality. And if a comparison in simple conditions with good lighting is boring due to the similarity of the capabilities of the modules of the two flagships, then seeing how they cope in a rather dimly lit room is much more interesting.

Aside from the difference in color between the two shots, what caught my attention was the detail. More precisely, its imitation. Both images were heavily influenced by computational photography. In order to make the photo more juicy, smartphones tried to increase sharpness using neural networks. And if the Galaxy S21 Ultra did it fine, and the names of the files on the monitor remained readable, then the iPhone 12 Pro Max slightly overdid it with clarity and, one might say, killed this area of ​​the image. Thus, after evaluating the seemingly similar shots, I give points to the Galaxy S21 Ultra.

• On topic: Why smartphones shoot at the same level as cameras, or what is computational photography

conclusions

Many people like the sophistication and optimized operating system of the iPhone 11, the price of which at the time of publication of the article is 54,790 rubles in our online store. You will save a lot of money compared to other current iPhone models, even if you want to buy a Rostest iPhone, which costs 3,000 rubles. expensive. Quite a reasonable purchase, considering that you will become the owner of a top-end phone.

Samsung's advantages are in the area of ​​additional "goodies", which gives it some advantage. Starting from the quality of the screen, be it QHD+ resolution or 120Hz, to more capacious memory, microSD support and long battery life. With the S20 you will truly be at the cutting edge of technology. And this is for almost the same money - the price of Samaung Galaxy 20 in our catalog starts at 58,325 rubles. (we only sell PCT devices with a factory manufacturer's warranty. Both of these phones are excellent, but overall the Samsung Galaxy S20 gives a slightly more pleasant experience. If you are not an Apple follower, then due to the small advantage, we recommend this model today.

Leica blur adds magic, but the iPhone 13 Pro tries to imitate it

On the left is the iPhone 13 Pro in RAW mode, on the right is the Leica Q2. Ordinary dry spikelets from the iPhone 13 Pro turned into a magical trail thanks to the Leica Q2 blur

On the left is the iPhone 13 Pro in Portrait mode, on the right is the Leica Q2. A similar effect on the iPhone 13 Pro can be achieved thanks to LiDAR if you shoot a scene in portrait mode. Yes, you can see the unevenness, but it’s ok for social networks

The aperture of the main module of the iPhone 13 Pro is ƒ/1.5.

The Leica Q2 aperture is ƒ/1.7.

In a direct comparison, we would say the lower the value after the fraction, the stronger the blur should be. But this conclusion does not apply here.

Due to the fact that the matrix of the iPhone 13 Pro is much smaller, in relation to cameras of the same class, the aperture of its lens is not ƒ/1.5, but ƒ/6.8.

That is, the blur is much weaker, and at the same full-frame ISO and shutter speed, the photos will be darker by 4 exposure steps.

On the left is the iPhone 13 Pro, on the right is the Leica Q2. But here, neither the main camera nor the macro mode of the iPhone 13 Pro could replicate that “creamy” blur that the Leica Q2 lens is capable of

On the left is the iPhone 13 Pro in Portrait mode, on the right is the Leica Q2

Left iPhone 13 Pro, right Leica Q2

Thanks to the A15 Bionic and its high-quality Tone Mapping (color display), there was no difference in the brightness level, but such deep and gentle blur as the Leica Q2 cannot be physically replaced.

The interior of the car looks especially beautiful.

Left iPhone 13 Pro, right Leica Q2

Left iPhone 13 Pro, right Leica Q2

The example above surprised me. At night, the cameras take two different pictures. One is a dubious idea with a mess of pixels, the second is a creative technique with a focus on the hero of the scene.

My conclusion is this: users would go crazy if they saw such a powerful blur in the iPhone 13 Pro. Moreover, both in a good and a bad sense. It is ideal for portraits and artistic macro shots, but taking pictures of food, documents, and objects in your hands would be impossible.

The Leica Q2 has a diagram adjustment for such cases, but among mobile devices only the Galaxy S9 and the new Sony Xperia Pro-i are capable of this. And you don’t need this with a smartphone now, their matrices don’t have enough light anyway.

Night photography: something cloudy

iPhone 12 Pro Max and Galaxy S21 Ultra

In classic night photography, to my surprise, the Galaxy S21 Ultra showed mixed results. The smartphone had problems with focus and overall image sharpness. It is quite possible that the currently installed software is not yet final and the camera will be upgraded after some time, as was the case with last year’s Galaxy S20 Ultra, but the fact remains that the iPhone 12 Pro Max takes pictures more clearly in the dark.

This is noticeable both at a quick glance at the picture and at a more detailed examination. It is worth clarifying that all photographs were taken handheld without using a tripod.

iPhone 12 Pro Max and Galaxy S21 Ultra

For comparison, here is a photo without night mode. It also allows you to understand how dark the room was at the time the photo was taken.

Comparing performance

Apple makes flagship smartphones. They are equipped with the most advanced components. Consequently, all modern games and applications will run on devices from this company.

Cubot X20 Pro

Cubot X20 Pro has a weaker MTK Helio P60 processor. It has only four cores and belongs to the middle segment. On the other hand, the performance is sufficient for most games.

The iPhone has only 4 GB of RAM and 256 GB or 512 GB of internal storage. In fact, the RAM indicator in iOS is not so critical, since there is good optimization and the system generally works differently. The X20 Pro boasts the same amount of RAM, but only 128GB of internal storage.

In 2022, it’s time to finally stop standing in line for a new iPhone!

Why suddenly, you ask? Let's explain. If earlier, about 10 years ago, Android smartphones were indeed inferior to iOS in many respects, today the green robot is significantly ahead of Apple in terms of the speed of innovation. So much so that, having picked up one of the options below, you will scratch your head in surprise with the thought “How did I ever live without all this heap of useful little things?”

Ulefone X

• 
  screen 5.85 inches, resolution 1512*720;

• 8-core Helio P23 processor, frequency up to 2 GHz;
• RAM 4 GB, main memory – 64 GB;
• main camera 16 + 5 MP;
• front camera 13 MP;
• battery 3300 mAh;
• the price is about $160 when ordering from China (about 10,000 rubles).

Ulefone was one of the first companies to release an iPhone clone. Now, of course, this no longer matters, but the device remains quite interesting. If you compare the device with other inexpensive Chinese copies, you can understand that Ulefone tried to release a device as similar to the iPhone as possible.

The device has a metal frame and a plastic body, a fairly fast processor and a decent amount of memory. The camera in the device is not bad, battery life is average. The screen resolution, of course, could be higher, but it is better to look for more modern characteristics in a higher price segment.

Zoom: Clear Winner

iPhone 12 Pro Max and Galaxy S21 Ultra

As expected, the 10x optical zoom is head and shoulders above 2.5x. Even without magnification, the Samsung photo shows a huge amount of detail that is not present in the iPhone photo.

At the same time, even heavy snowfall did not prevent us from carefully preserving the texture of the headlights and the rust on the body. Without further ado, Samsung won. However, if 10x is too much for you, you can always switch to 3x zoom, which the Galaxy S21 Ultra also has.

Oukitel U19

• 
  screen 5.85 inches, resolution 1512*720;

• 4-core Mediatek MT6739 processor, frequency up to 1.5 GHz;
• RAM 2 GB, main memory – 16 GB;
• main camera 13 + 13 MP;
• front camera 5 MP;
• battery 3600 mAh;
• the price is about $100 when ordering from China (about 6,300 rubles).

The company has already released the second iPhone X clone. A real Stakhanovite! The manufacturer priced the previous Oukitel U18 smartphone at $180, and now it is releasing an even more affordable analogue of the Apple device. To provide such a tasty price, we had to sacrifice screen resolution, memory and performance. It turned out to be a very decent budget phone, especially the design, good cameras and enviable battery life. The back panel, however, does not really resemble the iPhone X.

It seems that the army of iPhone-like smartphones will soon be replenished with new devices, as rumors about new prototypes and upcoming new products are constantly circulating on the Internet. These are, for example, Ulephone T2 Pro and Doogee V. In the latter, by the way, they promise to implement a fingerprint scanner built into the screen. Surely, Vernee M7 with Bluboo X , the characteristics of which are already known, but sales have not yet begun. NOA N10 and the device from LG will be included in the same category.

Vivo V9

• 
  screen 6.3 inches, resolution 2280*1080;

• 8-core Snapdragon 626 processor, frequency up to 2.2 GHz;
• RAM 4 GB, main memory – 64 GB;
• main camera 16 + 5 MP;
• front camera 16 MP;
• battery 3260 mAh;
• price is about 20,000 rubles.

Another attempt from the Chinese to repeat the success of the flagship. Some people think that the device is not very similar to the iPhone, but, in our opinion, there are similarities, and they are obvious. First of all, this concerns the unibrow and the location of the cameras. The company should be commended for using a decent processor and decent cameras. The disadvantages include the plastic case and the lack of NFC.