The iPhone 13 is certainly one of the best smartphones in the world. But of all things, the expensive Pro model is now defeated in a new camera test by a “cheap” Android cell phone. How could this happen and which competitor simply flatters Apple’s top model?
iPhone 13 Pro knocked out in the camera blind test
Reviews of smartphone cameras are usually made based on objective parameters. Sharpness, contrast, dealing with bright areas of the image, dynamic range … there are many of them. But in the end we decide, based on subjective perception, which photo we actually like better.
The famous YouTuber MKBHD alias Marques Brownlee has one of them Develops its own test procedure and regularly organizes so-called camera blind tests (Source: MKBHD). In several rounds, photos of the current smartphones compete against each other in the knockout system. All decisions are purely subjective. However, it is initially not known which cell phones are involved. Only at the end is it resolved – a typical blind test.
Google Pixel 5a amazes in the test field
How far would the iPhone 13 Pro get in such a constellation? First, the Apple phone beats the Motorola Edge – congratulations. But the iPhone finds its master in the next round. The much cheaper Google Pixel 5a (launched in August for $ 449) kicks off the iPhone 13 Pro and, subjectively, takes the better photo. The reason for the somewhat unexpected success is likely to be the AI of Google’s cell phone, in what is known as computer-aided photography, Apple’s competitors repeatedly show what they can do. An advantage from which the inexpensive models also benefit immensely.
What reasons are there still to switch to the pixel? In the current Google advertising video, over 100 of them are named:
Even more surprising: The inexpensive Google Pixel 5a beat its own, more expensive competition in the preliminary round with the Pixel 6 Pro. In the end, it was even enough for the overall victory, even the OnePlus 9 Pro could not beat the Pixel 5a – the tournament has a surprisingly cheap winner.
However, if you run into the next store to buy the camera hero, you will be disappointed. The Google Pixel 5a is not available at all in Europe and therefore also in this country. For the time being, you can buy it in the US and Japan alone, but we’ll get nothing and can only wait for Google to change its mind about this at some point.