Pixel 4, iPhone 11 Pro and Galaxy Note 10+ camera comparison: the resolution

You can see how other readers rate the pictures in this article. You didn't know beforehand which photo came from which smartphone.

Unless otherwise stated, all photos were taken in standard camera mode. I relied on the automatic mode and activated HDR. I want to know what the software does when the human interferes as little as possible and just selects the subject and presses the shutter button.

Contrast

In terms of colour reproduction and the handling of bright and dark areas, all three smartphones perform well. Small differences can be recognised, but no camera performs badly here. I find it difficult to choose a favourite. In the overall view, the Pixel 4 is perhaps a little behind the Note 10+ and the iPhone. In the poll, however, the Note 10 is by far the frontrunner: 50 per cent like its photo best.

A look at the details

When I look at a section of the image in its original size, I see the Pixel 4 in front. While the lettering on the sign appears sharper on the iPhone than on the Note 10+, the latter has the edge on the house facade. The Pixel is on a par with the better one in both respects. If you look further back, you can see that the iPhone again displays the leaves on the house wall in the most detail.

Colours

As has been the case for years, the iPhone tends to mix more yellow into the image. This makes the colours appear warmer and friendlier. In contrast, the Galaxy Note 10+ appears cooler, but fresher than the Pixel 4, where a little more red has crept into the picture. In the end, this makes the colours look duller.

Zoom

While the iPhone 11 Pro and the Galaxy Note 10+ have a triple camera on the back, Google considers two cameras to be sufficient for the Pixel 4 and has dispensed with a wide-angle camera. A telephoto lens to get closer to the subject is more important. That's why I maxed out the zoom. When using the tenfold digital zoom, the Pixel 4 outperforms the competition with its software. The "No entry" sign seems to have less detail due to the lighting, but when looking at the bicycle sign and the background, the Pixel is my favourite. With all three cameras, it is worth using the zoom instead of enlarging a section of the photo later. This leads to a poorer quality result.

The Pixel and the Note are tied at the top of the poll. The iPhone follows behind.

Only the iPhone 11 Pro and the Note 10+ have a wide-angle lens. The distortion of the images is at a similar level for both, but I think the iPhone is clearly ahead in terms of detail accuracy.

Portrait

A portrait is not just about taking a beautiful picture of a person, but also about blurring the background with the data from the second camera lens. This brings the person even more into focus, but the software must process the edges well. Otherwise, real photo cameras, where the effect is created naturally, remain the first choice for this.

The iPhone once again delivers the warmest image in terms of colour. It also offers the best level of detail when looking at the beard. However, the demarcation between the bald head and the background is not optimal and looks strange. The Note 10 looks paler in colour, but I like the outline of my head better. However, it doesn't recognise the hoodie perfectly. The Pixel looks the most natural to me in terms of colour, but has even bigger problems separating the jumper from the background.

The survey does not provide a clear result for this motif. The Note is ahead with 37 per cent, but the lead over the Pixel with 33 per cent is not clear. The iPhone follows with 28 per cent.

Night

In good lighting conditions, the differences in image quality between the three smartphones are very small. In the dark, this is where the wheat could be separated from the chaff. With the automatic mode and without flash, photos are produced that look quite good compared to many cheaper smartphones. In comparison, it is noticeable that the Pixel 4 has darker areas that brighten up the iPhone and the Note, and best reproduces the yellow street lighting in terms of colour.

You don't like the dark areas. Only 20 per cent liked the Pixel's photo best in the survey. This puts it behind the Note and the iPhone, which received 37 and 42 per cent of the votes respectively.

However, all three smartphones have a night mode. In this mode, the exposure time is extended and the software receives more data to create a brighter image. Despite an exposure time of several seconds, you don't necessarily need a tripod. A steady hand is sufficient, as the software compensates for small movements.

In comparison to the conventional automatic mode, the images are all significantly brightened. I find this impressive in all three, but see the Pixel 4 and the Note 10+ ahead of the iPhone 11 Pro in terms of colour reproduction. When viewed in original size, it becomes clear that none of them can keep up with the level of detail in daylight shots. However, at this point the Pixel and the iPhone are slightly ahead of the Note.

In the survey, the iPhone is even further ahead in night mode with 54 per cent. The Note slips to 25 per cent and the Pixel remains almost unchanged at 19 per cent.

Selfie

The differences in quality between the front cameras are more pronounced than with the main cameras and the Pixel 4 is the clear winner here. The colours, the level of detail and the HDR effect are better than on the other two smartphones. The Note 10 also has a wide-angle mode for selfies, but the focal length is in the range of what is standard on the iPhone and Pixel. On the other hand, you can get closer to your face with the standard focal length on the Note.

When it comes to the selfie, the crowd agrees with my assessment. 50 per cent like the Pixel's photo best. The Note and the iPhone follow in a tie with 25 and 23 per cent of the votes cast. (Yes, our survey tool has rounding errors.)

In the dark, nothing changes the fact that the Pixel takes the better selfies. I didn't realise that the Pixel had a red backlight illuminating me when I took the photo, but even if you ignore its effect on half of my face, the Pixel 4's selfie is still the best.

The selfie in the dark leads to the clearest voting result: 91 per cent vote in favour of the Pixel. The iPhone and the Note play no role with 6 and 2 per cent respectively.

If you activate night mode on the front camera, the dominance of the pixel becomes even clearer. The entire shot becomes even brighter and more detailed. The iPhone does not offer a night mode for selfies and that of the Note 10+ is worlds behind that of the Pixel.

Conclusion

Overall, the Pixel 4, the iPhone 11 Pro and the Samsung Galaxy Note 10 are among the top smartphones in terms of image quality. In daylight, sometimes one smartphone is ahead, sometimes the other. I don't have a clear favourite here - although the Pixel 4 naturally falls out if you absolutely want a wide-angle camera. In the dark, I see the Pixel 4 slightly ahead, but not enough to make that the sole reason for choosing a smartphone. It's a different story with selfies. The Pixel 4's front camera clearly delivers the best photos here - whether during the day or at night.

Want to see the photos for yourself in full resolution? You can download them in a ZIP file here.