DxOMark picks its best smartphone cameras of 2019 sorted by categories, and the Mi Note 10 Pro dominates

2019 has given us a number of excellent camera smartphones, and DxOMark has been there to offer their opinions on just how good the cameras actually are. The website has now chosen its best smartphone cameras of the year, sorted by category.

The spot for best all-rounder is shared by the Huawei Mate 30 Pro and Xiaomi CC9 Pro Premium Edition. Both phones sit at the top of DxOMark's overall rankings, so the choice is obvious. They also both feature massive main sensors, high-res ultra-wide-angle shooters, and impressive telephoto setups.

Best video camera goes to the iPhone 11 Pro Max. That goes without saying, of course, as iPhones have typically been the best video shooters for a long while now. Going by DxOMark's scores, however, the Xiaomi Mi CC9 Pro Premium Edition matches the Apple flagship. The Pixel 4 and Galaxy Note 10+ follow closely.

Best zoom camera is the Xiami Mi CC9 Pro Premium Edition. It earned a zoom score of 109, which is a lot higher than the former zoom champ's, the P30 Pro, score of 95. It's amazing what Xiaomi managed to do with the phone, really. The list is dominated by Huawei, as the Mate 30 Pro and Honor 20 Pro are two other Huawei phones in the top five. Huawei was the first OEM to offer 3x optical zoom.

DxOMark considers the Galaxy Note 10+ 5G to have the best ultra-wide shooter in the business. Like how Huawei dominates the zoom category, the wide-angle segment is ruled by Samsung, with the S10 5G and S10+ also making an appearance in the top five. The iPhone 11 Pro Max and Mi CC9 Pro Premium Edition complete the list.

Huawei brought the first proper night photography king to the market with the P20 Pro last year, and it still holds that advantage. The Mate 30 Pro is the king of night photography, with the P30 Pro following closely. The Note 10+ 5G, S10 5G, and Mi CC9 Pro Premium Edition round up the top five.

Of course, DxOMark's scores aren't to be regarded as gospel. There are a few things we personally don't agree with on this list. Most notable is the Pixel 4 being one of the best video shooters and the iPhone 11 Pro Max and Pixel 4 being excluded from the night-time photography list. It's also surprising to see the Mi CC9 Pro Premium Edition—Mi Note 10 Pro—feature in the top five of every sub-category..