We tested the best smartphone cameras: Our verdict and RAW files for photo pros
The verdict of our latest smartphone camera comparison shows that all main cameras can take quite detailed pictures. The Vivo X200 Ultra stands with its excellent sharpness and high dynamic range, while the Oppo Find X8 Ultra and Xiaomi 15 Ultra also produced good photos. Pictures taken with the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra look a bit softer overall and occasionally have some rather surprising weaknesses. Check out part 1 and part 2 of our smartphone camera review to find out more.
For night and video recordings with good detail and stability, the Oppo Find X8 Ultra is probably the best choice. Its large 1-inch sensor captures details even in low light and with short exposure times. The Xiaomi 15 Ultra also provides decent low-light results, but it falls short compared to the Oppo phone due to more blurriness. Despite a smaller sensor, the Vivo X200 Ultra also takes appealing night photos, while the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra lags somewhat in quality.
Xiaomi's high-end smartphone has some unexpected issues
The ultrawide-angle cameras deliver good-looking photos in daylight, but show visible softness towards the edges of the image. The Oppo Find X8 Ultra is affected the most here. The Vivo X200 Ultra benefits from its larger sensor, generally providing sharp ultrawide shots. Oppo and Vivo also offer good options for zoom photos, while Samsung is suitable for selfie fans. Overall, the Galaxy S25 Ultra can't quite keep up with its Chinese competitors in terms of quality.
In daylight, Xiaomi is a reliable choice and takes very good photos, but its ultrawide and telephoto cameras have significant issues in low light, primarily with focusing.
Photo professionals can download our DNG files
None of the tested smartphones saves RAW photos by default, all devices capture JPEGs with stock settings. The RAW format contains almost unprocessed image data and is only available as an option of the Pro mode in camera apps and must be manually activated there. RAW files are saved in Adobe's DNG format, which is supported by most image editing software.
For those who would like to take a look at the RAW images from our camera review, the corresponding DNG files can be found here: Xiaomi 15 Ultra (file), Vivo X200 Ultra (file), Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra (file), Oppo Find X8 Ultra (file).
Source(s)
Notebookcheck's smartphone camera review part 1 and part 2
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