Blind Camera Comparison 2021 results: iPhone 12 vs Galaxy S21 vs ZenFone 8 vs Pixel 5

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Blind Camera Comparison 2021 results: iPhone 12 vs Galaxy S21 vs ZenFone 8 vs Pixel 5
UPDATE: It's time for the big reveal, guys! The polls are closed and our contenders - exposed! The results are quite interesting but as many of you pointed out - all four phones take decent pictures. The daylight shots are a mixed bag with a slight advantage for the Galaxy S21, although the Pixel 5 impresses on several occasions. There's no room for debate in the ultra-wide category - the Galaxy S21 wins hands down. Things look more or less the same in the zoom shots - the Galaxy S21 wins by a margin.

The night shots are also very interesting - every model shines in one frame or another, with the exception of the iPhone 12 which lags behind in low light conditions. The selfie shot race is won by the Galaxy S21, even though I personally prefer the natural shadows that the iPhone 12 produces. So there you have it! Surprised? 

FINAL OVERALL SCORE:
1. Samsung Galaxy S21 - 40.9%
2. Google Pixel 5 - 25.3%
3. Asus ZenFone 8 - 19.0%
4. Apple iPhone 12 - 14.7%

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Ah, the smartphone camera. Such a powerful thing. Some argue it can even replace a dedicated DSLR. With smartphones reaching a plateau in design and innovation, phone cameras remain one of the last active battlefields for manufacturers to show muscles, clever software algorithms, ingenuous hardware solutions, etc.

Last year we did a blind test, comparing 2020 flagship phones and it was quite fun to see you guys pick your favorite photos. Spec sheets are one thing, but there’s nothing like a good blind study, as every scientific person would tell you. This time around we’re pitting against each other four phones with very similar price tags and camera configurations. Let's see if you can tell which is which. 

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In the Apple corner we have the iPhone 12. Representing Samsung in the phantom violet corner - the Galaxy S21. The Pixel 5 will fight for Google in this gruesome battle. And finally - the underdog - Asus has sent to the arena the ZenFone 8.

We’re doing this using full Auto mode, just point and shoot. Pick your favorite shot among the four options and vote in the poll below each batch of photos. We’re going to let this one run for a while and then make the big reveal.

Let's go! We're kicking off with some nice shots from the main camera in bright lighting conditions.

Daylight photo #1

Daylight #1: Which photo do you prefer?

Asus ZenFone 8
8.92%
Samsung Galaxy S21
26.63%
Apple iPhone 12
26.76%
Google Pixel 5
37.68%

Daylight photo #2

Daylight #2: Which photo do you prefer?

Asus ZenFone 8
37.14%
Samsung Galaxy S21
29.98%
Apple iPhone 12
11.57%
Google Pixel 5
21.31%

Daylight photo #3

Daylight #3: Which photo do you prefer?

Asus ZenFone 8
10.49%
Samsung Galaxy S21
50%
Apple iPhone 12
25.74%
Google Pixel 5
13.77%

Daylight photo #4

Daylight #4: Which photo do you prefer?

Asus ZenFone 8
20.32%
Samsung Galaxy S21
35.65%
Apple iPhone 12
12.12%
Google Pixel 5
31.91%

Daylight photo #5

Daylight #5: Which photo do you prefer?

Asus ZenFone 8
9.04%
Samsung Galaxy S21
45.39%
Apple iPhone 12
24.67%
Google Pixel 5
20.9%

Daylight photo #6

Daylight #6: Which photo do you prefer?

Asus ZenFone 8
20.83%
Samsung Galaxy S21
36.51%
Apple iPhone 12
17.66%
Google Pixel 5
25%

Now let's check out the ultra-wide snappers of our challengers. Bear in mind that the wide angle is slightly different in each model, so the pictures aren't perfectly framed. 

Ultra-wide camera #1

Ultra-wide #1: Which photo do you prefer?

Asus ZenFone 8
19.11%
Samsung Galaxy S21
40.76%
Apple iPhone 12
20.38%
Google Pixel 5
19.75%

Ultra-wide camera #2

Ultra-wide #2: Which photo do you prefer?

Asus ZenFone 8
16%
Samsung Galaxy S21
56.89%
Apple iPhone 12
12.44%
Google Pixel 5
14.67%

Ultra-wide camera #3

Ultra-wide #3: Which photo do you prefer?

Asus ZenFone 8
22.2%
Samsung Galaxy S21
44.63%
Apple iPhone 12
17.29%
Google Pixel 5
15.89%

Next we're zooming in and taking close ups with our four challengers. Just like with the ultra-wide shots, the actual zoom will differ between the phones, even though we're using the exact same zoom numbers.

Zoom photo #1

Zoom #1: Which photo do you prefer?

Asus ZenFone 8
22.85%
Samsung Galaxy S21
47.51%
Apple iPhone 12
10.63%
Google Pixel 5
19%

Zoom photo #2

Zoom #2: Which photo do you prefer?

Asus ZenFone 8
32.18%
Samsung Galaxy S21
45.83%
Apple iPhone 12
12.27%
Google Pixel 5
9.72%

Let's not go crazy with the zoom samples. Moving on to the macro - things are even more complicated here but we're doing one macro shot, just to add some spice to the mix and maybe throw you guys off guard.

Macro photo #1

Macro #1: Which photo do you prefer?

Asus ZenFone 8
36.96%
Samsung Galaxy S21
25.62%
Apple iPhone 12
5.44%
Google Pixel 5
31.97%

It's time for the night shots. We're not going to specifically turn any modes on (or off). We're letting the phones handle this on their own. Everything is on Auto - just like you'd use it if you needed to snap a photo fast. No preparation, no tripods, no nothing. 

Night photo #1

Night #1: Which photo do you prefer?

Asus ZenFone 8
23.68%
Samsung Galaxy S21
49.56%
Apple iPhone 12
12.94%
Google Pixel 5
13.82%

Night photo #2

Night #2: Which photo do you prefer?

Asus ZenFone 8
46.07%
Samsung Galaxy S21
3.71%
Apple iPhone 12
3.49%
Google Pixel 5
46.72%

Night photo #3

Night #3: Which photo do you prefer?

Asus ZenFone 8
62.86%
Samsung Galaxy S21
9.4%
Apple iPhone 12
3.58%
Google Pixel 5
24.16%

Selfie photo #1

Selfie #1: Which photo do you prefer?

Asus ZenFone 8
10.11%
Samsung Galaxy S21
58.49%
Apple iPhone 12
1.94%
Google Pixel 5
29.46%


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