Best camera smartphones of 2018: Is yours on the list?

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Best camera smartphones of 2018: Is yours on the list?

Written by

Mudit Dube

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Last updated on Dec 24, 2018, 01:05 am

As far as smartphones' launches are concerned, the year 2018 has been nothing less than exciting. We saw the first-ever triple and even four camera smartphones.

Then we saw the single-camera Pixel 3 taking smartphone photography to new heights - thanks to Google's algorithms.

Here's a look at the best camera smartphones of 2018, as per DxOMark ratings.
In this article
Why DxOMark ratings matter? Huawei P20 Pro: Priced at Rs. 59,999 Huawei P20 Pro: Specifications and features Apple iPhone Xs Max: Price starts at Rs. 1,09,900 Apple iPhone Xs Max: Here's a look at the specsheet Samsung Galaxy Note 9: Price starts at Rs. 67,900 Samsung Galaxy also offers packs high-end internals Huawei P20: Unavailable in India Here's a look at Huawei P20's specsheet Google Pixel 3: Price starts at Rs. 71,000 Google Pixel 3: At a glance Where do other popular smartphones stand on the list?
Information

Why DxOMark ratings matter?
DxOMark is a benchmarking website that tests different types of cameras, ranging from smartphones to professional cameras. For ratings, several industry-standard tests are conducted wherein 1,500+ images and 2+ hours of video are captured and examined in controlled lab environments and in natural indoor/outdoor scenes.
Number 1

Huawei P20 Pro: Priced at Rs. 59,999
Touted as the world's first triple camera smartphone, the Huawei P20 Pro, with a DxOMark score of 109, is currently the best camera phone.

It features a 20MP+40MP+8MP rear-camera setup with LEICA optics, OIS and 3x optical zoom.

Moreover, the primary camera supports 4K recording at 30fps and 960fps slow-motion video in 720p resolution.

Up front, the P20 Pro sports a 24MP selfie camera.
Information

Huawei P20 Pro: Specifications and features
Huawei P20 Pro sports a 6.1-inch full-HD+ OLED display and features an IP67 build quality. It comes with Kirin 970 chipset, 6GB of RAM, and 128GB of non-expandable storage. Lastly, the phone packs a 4,000mAh battery and runs Android Oreo-based EMUI 8.1.
Number 2

Apple iPhone Xs Max: Price starts at Rs. 1,09,900
With an overall score of 104, DxOMark has awarded Apple iPhone Xs Max the second spot in the coveted listed of best camera smartphones of 2018.

As the most-expensive iPhone till date, the Xs Max sports the same iPhone X's 12MP+12MP rear-camera setup but with improved optics, Smart HDR and better image processing.

Up front, the Apple flagship sports a 7MP (f/2.2) TrueDepth camera.
Information

Apple iPhone Xs Max: Here's a look at the specsheet
The iPhone Xs Max sports a 6.5-inch OLED Super Retina display with support for HDR 10, Dolby Vision, and 3D Touch. It is powered by the latest 7nm A12 Bionic chipset, paired with 4GB RAM, upto 512GB of storage and 3,174mAh of battery.
Number 3

Samsung Galaxy Note 9: Price starts at Rs. 67,900
With a total score of 103, Galaxy Note 9, Xiaomi Mi Mix 3 and HTC U12+ share the third spot. However, our pick is Note 9 for its easy availability in India.

The phone sports a 12MP main sensor with f/1.5-f/2.4 variable aperture, coupled with a 12MP (f/2.4) telephoto sensor with 2x optical zoom.

Up front, the Note 9 has an 8MP (f/1.7) camera.
Information

Samsung Galaxy also offers packs high-end internals
The Galaxy Note 9 features a 6.4-inch QHD+ AMOLED display, with an all-glass body and is IP68 rated. It comes with Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 chipset, paired with 6GB/8GB RAM and 128GB/512GB expandable storage, built-in liquid cooling technology and a 4,000mAh battery.
Number 4

Huawei P20: Unavailable in India
The Huawei P20, which hasn't arrived in India yet, enjoys the fourth rank in DxOMark's list of best camera phones with an overall score of 102.

Unlike its sibling, the P20 settles with a dual rear-camera comprising a 12MP RGB sensor with an f/1.8 aperture and a 20MP monochrome sensor with an f/1.6 aperture.

Up front, the phone sports a 24.8MP (f/2.0) selfie camera.
Information

Here's a look at Huawei P20's specsheet
The Huawei P20 sports a 5.8-inch full-HD+ LCD display with an 18.7:9 aspect ratio. The phone is powered by an octa-core HiSilicon Kirin 970 processor, paired with 4GB of RAM, 128GB of internal storage and a 3,400mAh battery.
Number 5

Google Pixel 3: Price starts at Rs. 71,000
Google Pixel 3 and Apple iPhone Xr share the fifth spot with an aggregate score of 101. However, we pick Pixel 3 for its improved video stabilization and incredible computational photography features.

The Google flagship features a single 12.2MP (f/1.8) rear camera with dual-pixel technology, built-in spectral and flicker sensors, and OIS+EIS.

Up front, the Pixel 3 sports an 8MP+8MP dual camera setup.
Information

Google Pixel 3: At a glance
The phone sports 5.5-inch full-HD+ OLED notch-free display with Gorilla Glass 5 protection, dual front-firing speakers and is IP68 rated. It is powered by the Snapdragon 845 chipset, paired with 4GB RAM, 64GB/128GB of internal storage and a 2,915mAh battery.
Other performers

Where do other popular smartphones stand on the list?
At sixth place, Galaxy S9+ and Xiaomi Mi 8 tie with 99 points.

The Pixel 2 and OnePlus 6T come seventh with 98 points each.

The iPhone X, Huawei Mate 10 Pro, and Mi Mix 2S share the eighth spot with 97 points.

With 96 points, OnePlus 6 comes ninth while iPhone 8 Plus and Note 8 share the tenth rank with 94 points.