Samsung Galaxy S4 Outscores iPhone 5 in Camera Test [Chart]

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Posted May 24, 2013 at 7:26pm by iClarified

DxOLabs has tested the camera of the Samsung Galaxy S4 and found that it outperforms the camera of the iPhone 5, ranking it second on the company's overall list of best mobile device cameras.

Achieving a DxOMark score of 75 overall puts the rear-facing camera module of the Samsung Galaxy S4 comfortably ahead of the pack. That’s no mean feat as the bunch includes the handset maker’s own Galaxy Note II and S III as well as Apple’s iPhone 4s and latest iPhone 5, all achieving a very respectable 72 in our DxOMark scores. However, it can’t quite topple the 41-Mpix Nokia 808 PureView. Sitting in the top position in our ratings that model achieved a DxOMark score of 77 points. While that model uses a larger sensor with much higher pixel count to achieve its excellent low-light scores, the Samsung Galaxy S4 can’t match that with noise reduction only.

Pros of the Galaxy S4 camera were impressive detail preservation in bright light conditions, fast and accurate autofocus, good auto-exposure, rich colors, and good image quality with flash. Cons were significant loss of detail in low light, strong ringing artifacts, and slight color shading under low tungsten light levels.

Pros of the iPhone 5 camera were good color and exposure in most lighting conditions, good retention of detail in bright lighting conditions, accurate and consistent autofocus and broad dynamic range. Cons were yellowish white balance in low tungsten light, noisy images in low light with poor detail retention, bad purple flare in certain circumstances, and a viewing area that cuts off part of the image preventing accurate framing.

Read More [via CNET]

Samsung Galaxy S4

Samsung Galaxy S4 Outscores iPhone 5 in Camera Test [Chart]

Apple iPhone 5

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Birdas - May 26, 2013 at 3:08am

Lol. iPhone now always makes old things to be new. Another phone is go so faraway from iPhone technology. I know iphone is safe for security system. But you can't do anything that you want. You have to buy apps. Opposite Samsung always included really useful apps in mobile. No need to buy.

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Pedro - May 25, 2013 at 7:05pm

I'll buy any phone from any manufacturer that is original, doesn't use cheap plastic, doesn't load the phone with bloat ware, doesn't fill the phone with useless features nobody will use but may sound cool to have. I will never buy a Samsung anything because they are not original. They always copy. They always use cheap plastic. They fill their phones with bloat ware features that nobody will ever ever use. What Samsing stands for as a company is not a company I want to support. I love my iPhone. I love my Microsoft Surface RT and I will love the next best thing that is made of quality materials, is original and isn't infested with malware, aka Android. What hurts Samsung the most for me is that I hate Google just as much. To each their own. Just my opinion.

El Compa - May 25, 2013 at 6:52am

The Galaxy phones and the android os are complete knockoffs of apple. They wouldn't exist if apple hadn't been the catalyst for technological advances. With that said, the s4 is cheaply made. Press the back of that plastic case and it bends with no end. It's internal components are also cheaply made. The OS lags after you own the phone for more than a few weeks. My iPhone 5 is still as fast as when I bought it months ago.

VM - May 25, 2013 at 11:56am

I agree completely but you can't say others are copying apple. Apple was just the first to do it. Thats like saying it can only be McDonalds, or ford, or LG tv's. I just read an article about how apple, google, and facebook make billions but don't pay a lick of taxes! Thats the real story. All of these companies make you feel good personally but they are not helping their country. Thats a story.

fckiphone - May 25, 2013 at 5:12am

You cannot compare iphone 5 and GS4 !!! You gotta compare GS3 and upcoming iphone 5s !!! Iphone is way back. iphone camera sucks!

casino11 - May 25, 2013 at 6:16pm

you right cant compare it to iphone 5 to GS4 has to be iphone 5s an when that happen bye bye GS4 lol

casino11 - May 25, 2013 at 3:45am

OMG why is everyone comparing GS4 to iphone 5 it should be GS3 vs iphone 5 which iphone 5 blow out the water an GS4 vs iphone 5S which when it comes out it will blow it out the water also!!!!!!!!

John Barnes - May 25, 2013 at 1:03am

Actually the iphone 5 camera can adjust the exposure when you tap the screen unlike with the s4 it will focus only when tap the screen. When you need more light to come in in iphone just tap the screen to adjust the exposure level and they missed that. Its really helpful when youre in a low light area.

Galaxyman - May 24, 2013 at 10:45pm

Actually the 5MP camera on my Samsung captivate was alot better than on my iphone 4 i mean no comparing. I always felt Samsung had better picture quality.

Troll - May 24, 2013 at 10:55pm

get out!

Spanky - May 24, 2013 at 9:34pm

The next galaxy will have a 200 megapixel camera and a 16core processors lol

Fred - May 24, 2013 at 9:48pm

And the next iphone 5s is rumored to include a 13mp camera.

Anyno - May 27, 2013 at 1:17pm

lol :) if you want a camera then get DSLR not a smart phone

Brian - May 24, 2013 at 9:05pm

Having a greater number of megapixels does not mean better picture quality. In fact, having more megapixels on the same size sensor can introduce more noise and lower the overall picture quality if not designed and engineered correctly.

Adam S. - May 24, 2013 at 9:09pm

So long as you aren't dealing with something insanely small like a 2.1 mp sensor, It isn't really the megapixel count that matters most nowadays. The quality of the image sensor does. For example, the new HTC one went with only a 4 mp camera, and enhanced the ~quality~ of the sensor so that it outperforms both the galaxy and iphone in low light conditions. There is no reason why an 8mp camera can't outperform a 13 mp camera, unless it's in a poster printing competition. I thought this was common knowledge for anyone under the age of about 40. The iphone 5 does have a great camera built on it... but I find it strange that you are calling people dumb.

sharifgd - May 25, 2013 at 5:53am

what happen when it was compare with the S3 camera? Can anybody tell me?

sharifgd - May 25, 2013 at 5:54am

good question...

dr3set - May 24, 2013 at 9:03pm

Buy DSLR if you want to have a great photos, why are we talking about better cam on a smartphone? LoL

Mikey - May 24, 2013 at 7:57pm

Funny how they rave about this phone being so great and it bearly beats a year old iphone.

James - May 24, 2013 at 8:12pm

A Year old iPhone??? It has not been a year. I guess it is true, that apple addicts really defend the brand even by writing and saying nonsense. I have an iphone 5, and my wife just got the S4, and really apple has dropped the ball really bad. We have a better casing, but everything else is outdated, not to mention the really old UI. Really hope Ive is working hard on ios 7.

Mikey - May 24, 2013 at 9:25pm

Oh crap....You are right!!!! you just helped me defend my case even better....Putting the UI aside, the camera in the 5 is the same one in the 4S plus the sapphire lens. So that means this BRAND NEW Galaxy is competing with a 1 and half year old camera and only succeeded to beat it by a few points. I'm looking for a total blowout. Look at the processor difference between the 4S and the 5 it was proven to be almost 3X as powerful....thats an upgrade. So what I am saying is not actually nonsense. Samsung fans get pissed at Apple for making incremental changes to last years phone and ship it as a new one. What is Samsung doing thats so different? 13 megapixels dont mean anything there are a few 5 megapixel cameras that will blow both the iphone and galaxy out the water. Processor speed means nothing the software isnt written specifically to the galaxy so apple could probably come out with another dual core CPU that will crap all over samsungs 5000 core processor. lol Dont let them use their gimmicks to sell you man. Its all marketing.

Brian - May 24, 2013 at 9:44pm

Are you really going to brag about Apple putting a year and a half old camera and tired UI (since you can't put it aside) in their "new" iPhone 5 AND THEN talk about Samsung using "gimmicks" to sell?!! Really?!!

Mikey - May 24, 2013 at 9:45pm

Yes was it a bad camera?

Brian - May 24, 2013 at 10:03pm

It's not a bad camera, in fact it's a good camera. The article simply said that the Galaxy S4's camera performed better. You won't get a "total blowout" result these days. Even the Nokia with a bigger sensor and denser megapixels only scored two point above the S4. Can you at least give Samsung credit when they do something well?

Mikey - May 24, 2013 at 10:16pm

Good Job Samsung for creating a mobile phone camera that finally puts a spanking on a mobile phone camera that came out in 2011 by a few points in the stills department. Maybe next year you can beat the 4S in the video department. Until then keep making those great TVs!

Brian - May 24, 2013 at 10:49pm

I guess that's as close as you'll get, can't get blood from a stone.

Fred - May 24, 2013 at 10:55pm

Honestly, after seeing both I still think that apple is coming out with nicer colors. But here's the thing mikey, see the full reviews. first iphone 4 just won against everything.... then galaxy s2 killed iphone 4, simply because samsung had to play catch up to apples superior technology and also had the newer product and technlogy... then iphone 4s killed the galaxy s2, and once again set the bar that samsung was obligated to play to catch up towards... a little while later galaxy s3 was able to tie with the 4s in picture quality... then iphone 5 failed to surpass galaxy s3 in picture quality, it was just able to tie...that's where things went wrong on apples end. noooow... samsung galaxy s4 is ahead of the race and rating higher. Samsung set the bar. The point is; the iphone 5, even though it has a spectacular camera, should have blown the galaxy s3 out of the water, but it didn't. And apple had the opportunity to do so. Honestly, I think all the competition is great because I want to get the best camera possible on my phone. I'm just a little disgruntled with apple for not setting a higher bar for samsung this go around. And I wonder if samsung is now setting the bar for apple.

Mikey - May 24, 2013 at 11:14pm

I have a strong feeling the 5S is coming soon just like they released the ipad 4 six months after the iPad 3. You said it yourself the S3 came out and tied with the 4S. So I believe from a company standpoint they didnt really need to put all their eggs in one basket with the 5. The taller screen, LTE and the custom processor was good enough. (plus whatever else they did.) Now that samsung played there hand its time to pull the trigger in the photos department and CPU improvement again and a new feature. Rumor has it the new camera will be 13 mega pixels...MPs dont mean much but I bet it will be a mean 13MP camera in terms of noise reduction, low light perfomance and even better video camera functionality such as better picture stabilization. But I am def. with you I love the competition. Its what makes these better every year lol.

Juan leche - May 24, 2013 at 7:42pm

So when is the next brick coming out ? Oh wait it is out already hahaha . Ugly phone I will not buy :) sorry galaxy str8 ugly

Henry - May 24, 2013 at 8:11pm

Lol ugly brick? The S4 is the sleekest, thinnest phone out there, have you seen a iphone?

Spanky - May 24, 2013 at 7:37pm

But the pics on the iPhone looks better so how you explain that?

Valle - May 24, 2013 at 8:05pm

That's obviously true only in your mind.