DxO Labs Says iPhone 8 Plus Has Best Smartphone Camera They've Ever Tested - MacRumors
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DxO Labs Says iPhone 8 Plus Has Best Smartphone Camera They've Ever Tested

DxO Labs has declared the iPhone 8 Plus has the best smartphone camera it has ever tested in a new in-depth review.

iphone 8 dxo
iPhone 8 Plus set a new record with an overall DxOMark Mobile score of 94, two points higher than its smaller iPhone 8 sibling. iPhone 8 Plus also topped the Google Pixel and HTC U11, which both scored 90 points, as well as last year's iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus which scored 88 and 85 points respectively.

DxO said iPhone 8 models do a better job of capturing HDR scenes. In the comparison below, it found the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus offer better detail preservation and overall exposure than the iPhone 7 Plus. The performance matches that of the Google Pixel, which was released nearly one year ago.

dxo iphone 8 hdr
In low light, DxO said the iPhone 8 Plus camera's exposures are generally accurate, with some underexposure in very low light.

iphone 8 plus low light

iPhone 8 Plus

DxO said the iPhone 8 Plus is the highest-performing smartphone camera it tested in relation to the bokeh effect, which makes the subject in the foreground sharp while creating an out-of-focus blur in the background.

iphone 8 plus bokeh

iPhone 8 Plus

google pixel bokeh
Google Pixel

DxO said the iPhone 8 Plus improves slightly over the iPhone 8 in its color performance by completely avoiding visible color shading, even in low light.

iphone 8 plus color
DxO said, overall, the iPhone 8 Plus is an "excellent choice" for the needs of "nearly every smartphone photographer."

It features outstanding image quality, zoom for those needing to get closer to their subjects, and an industry-leading Portrait mode for artistic efforts. It is at the top of our scoring charts in nearly every category — and in particular, its advanced software allows it to do an amazing job of capturing high-dynamic range scenes and images in which it can recognize faces.

DxO says it has analyzed the image and video quality of over 10,000 cameras, lenses, and mobile phones, and its tests are generally respected within the industry. The company also sells some consumer-facing products like the DxO ONE camera, which can be plugged into an iPhone's Lightning connector.

The full review is a worthwhile read for additional photos and analysis of the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus cameras.

Tag: DxOMark
Related Forum: iPhone

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Top Rated Comments

sk1wbw Avatar
112 months ago
haha, this will seriously piss off the Android fanboy legion. DxO is relevant when they say an Android phone takes great pictures, but when an iPhone does, they are irrelevant.
Score: 35 Votes (Like | Disagree)
112 months ago
Apple raised the bar yet again.

Though I think it is fair to say that at the level smartphone cameras have gotten over the past 2-3 years, whatever flagship you get you are going to get a stunning picture that puts whatever pocket cam you ever owned to shame, and punches in the quality area of a low to mid DSLR.

What amazing times we live in, folks.
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
112 months ago
My iPhone 6 does amazing photos if you’re shooting in a colourful daylight. What we need is ability to take photos in dark and better ability to zoom.
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
112 months ago
I just wish Apple would not differentiate the camera on the iPhone Plus and iPhone. For me, one of the most important features of a phone is the camera but the plus is unworkable for me as a day to day device (of course maybe the X2 or X3 if they bring back touch ID or I can tolerate pulling out my phone - looking at it, the paying for things).
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
sk1wbw Avatar
112 months ago
On the fence with iPhone X vs iPhone 8 Plus. I bet even if I wake up at 3:00am on iPhone X order day, it won't arrive in 2017. But I bet it is possible to stroll into any random retail store and pick up a brand new iPhone 8 Plus in whatever color and size I want on launch day with hardly any lines.
IF I had a grand to spend, I would would buy the iPhone X over the Note 8 any day of the week. As The Verge said, the Bixby button on the Note is "hardware bloat".

You know, looking back at that sentence, I realized I'm a poet and didn't know it.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
112 months ago
haha, this will seriously piss off the Android fanboy legion. DxO is relevant when they say an Android phone takes great pictures, but when an iPhone does, they are irrelevant.
Nah. The scores are so close that the top Android cameras are virtually on the same level. Let's just celebrate how good smartphone cameras have become before flaming the fans of fanboy war.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)