Smartphone camera comparison: you choose the winner (Indoor test)

“Mirror, mirror on the wall, who's the best smartphone camera of 'em all?” – We asked ourselves over and over again, only to find the best mirror available – you, our readers. Last week, we gave you samples from three high-end smartphones along with pictures shot on a point-and-shoot camera and we asked you that exact question under one condition – forget about the company that makes it, the operating system and everything that could go for bias. To back up our plea, we downsized the pictures to one common web resolution and stripped all additional data. From there on it was you who took over, and we thank you for participating.

The first poll is over and the results are in, but we won't reveal the winner (and there is one clear winner) until we get the full picture. For that we need you to cast your votes once again for the same devices, taken for a spin indoors.

Out on the street you often have the perfect conditions to shoot with plenty of sunlight revealing objects in their full details and colors in their amazing variety. But let's face it – a lot of the interesting stuff in our lives happens behind four walls. That's the main reason behind this second blind test. We've tried our best to take indoor pictures at nearly identical conditions, with no adjustments – we've used the cameras' automatic settings, so on some you might see flash fire up, while others have judged that the sensor can catch enough light without it. Take into account that the order of the devices is not in the same order as in the first set of outdoor pictures.

The first set of images has been downsized so you can make up your mind about the whole picture – has the sensor done a good job in low light settings or is the image too dark, do you find the colors natural? Examine the first set of pictures below and vote for the best device in the poll below but feel free to also share your motivation in the comments below.



Device A: Samsung Galaxy S II | Device B: HTC Sensation | Device C: Canon PowerShot SD870 IS | Device D: Apple iPhone 4

The second set of images represents 100% crops from the original pictures on the three smartphones and the point-and-shoot camera. This allows you to get a closer look at all the fine details, judge whether noise hasn't corrupted the overall image quality or whether some artifacts have made their way into the shot, but that's also a perfect occasion to see how sharp/soft the image is. Each of the crops comes from one of the original stills, but this time you can concentrate on the amount of detail and pick the best camera in those terms.




Device A: Samsung Galaxy S II | Device B: HTC Sensation | Device C: Canon PowerShot SD870 IS | Device D: Apple iPhone 4

Both polls expire on Thursday, July 28th. We will sum up the outdoor and indoor results, and reveal all the participating devices on Friday. But you shouldn't wait until the last minute to vote – the more votes, the more realistic the final verdict. Feel free to also give your much appreciated opinion about the pictures in the comments below ranking them or better explaining your reasons for picking one device over the rest.

UPDATE: Our Smartphone Camera Comparison is now over and we've revealed which the participating handsets are. First here ranks our Canon PowerShot SD870 IS point-and-shoot, followed by the HTC Sensation, Samsung Galaxy S II and Apple iPhone 4.