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iPhone 8 Plus vs Galaxy Note 8: Camera shootout reveals surprising results

Updated Oct 2nd, 2017 11:40AM EDT
iPhone 8 Plus Vs Note 8
Image: Zach Epstein, BGR

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The camera that shipped on Apple’s original iPhone was nothing to write home about. Even for its time, there’s no denying that the original iPhone camera was underwhelming compared to other handsets on the market. Apple, though, quickly recognized that camera quality would eventually become a key differentiating feature. In turn, Apple began investing heavily in camera-based R&D, both in terms of manpower and money. And sure enough, it wasn’t long before the iPhone camera began setting new standards for excellence across the industry. Underscoring Apple’s obsession with camera quality, the company back in 2015 revealed that it has more than 800 engineers and researchers working exclusively on camera-based technologies.

Two weeks ago, Apple unveiled its 2017 smartphone lineup, and with it, its most advanced camera system yet. Released over the weekend, Apple’s iPhone 8 Plus is an absolute powerhouse all across the board, and not surprisingly, incorporates a number of camera improvements compared to last year’s iPhone 7 Plus. Still, it’s not as if companies like Samsung have just been sitting idly by while Apple rolls out new camera features. On the contrary, Samsung has also upped its game camera-wise, and the battle to determine which handset delivers the best photos remains an ongoing and heated debate.

With the iPhone 8 Plus now in store shelves, it didn’t take long for us to see folks start comparing the device against Samsung’s flagship Note 8. That said, the best comparison we’ve seen thus far comes from the YouTube channel SuperSaf TV which recently put together an immersive and informative 11-minute video comparing and contrasting the iPhone 8 Plus camera against Samsung’s Note 8. As you’ll see in the video, deciding which device boasts the better camera is challenging to say the least. If anything, and though it’s not all that helpful, discerning the best smartphone camera on the market often comes down to personal preference. Whereas the iPhone 8 Plus camera, for example, might have better color in some instances where the Note 8 delivers sharper photos.

All in all, the Galaxy Note 8 camera more than holds its own against the iPhone 8 Plus. And as noted in the video, photo quality on both phones are arguably equal when taking into account an array of shooting conditions. More broadly, I think it’s fair to say that the difference in camera quality between Apple’s top of the line iPhone and a top of the line Android handset is smaller today than it’s been in quite some while.

Yoni Heisler Contributing Writer

Yoni Heisler has been writing about Apple and the tech industry at large with over 15 years of experience. A life long expert Mac user and Apple expert, his writing has appeared in Edible Apple, Network World, MacLife, Macworld UK, and TUAW.

When not analyzing the latest happenings with Apple, Yoni enjoys catching Improv shows in Chicago, playing soccer, and cultivating new TV show addictions.