By Popular Vote: Discover the Best Camera Smartphones Under $1000
Our camera blind test, featuring five sub-$1,000 smartphones, has concluded. You selected from 60 sample photos taken by the iPhone 14, Pixel 7, OnePlus 11, Galaxy S23, and Xiaomi 13. With over 10,000 votes collected, the race between Apple and Samsung was tight. Discover the winner and the decisive factors in our evaluation of the top 5 smartphones under $1,000.
Once again, we conducted a camera blind test featuring 12 subjects across Berlin's stunning sights using the top 5 smartphones under the $1,000 price point. Participants were unaware of which phone took each photo, basing their judgment solely on the image samples.
Our approach to identifying the winner: The overall winner of the entire blind camera test will be determined based on the most points earned per subject. In this system, 1st place receives 4 points, 2nd place gets 3 points, and so on. All points are tallied at the end, and we have determined the rankings from 1st to 5th place. The rankings within the photo motifs, on the other hand, are determined based on your votes. We have made both values available to you in our ranking. But now, without further ado, let's dive into the results of the camera blind test:
- 1st place: Apple iPhone 14 (32 points, 2,260 votes)
- 2nd place: Samsung Galaxy S23 (31 points, 2,383 votes)
- 3rd place: Google Pixel 7 (26 points, 2,030 votes)
- 4th place: OnePlus 11 (20 points, 1,696 votes)
- 5th place: Xiaomi 13 (13 points, 1,402 votes)
As you can quickly see, the Apple iPhone 14 (review) and the Samsung Galaxy S23 (review) battled for first place. With only a one point difference separating them, the smartphone from Cupertino could decide the victory for itself. However, if we were to go by the number of your votes in total, the Samsung flagship could have worn the winner's wreath.
The winner of our camera blind test was determined according to two criteria: firstly, who scored the most points (1st place gets four points, 2nd place three, and so on) and the number of total votes. The Samsung was able to secure the highest number of votes mainly because of the night photo (sample 11).
The iOS 16 smartphone only showed a small outlier in scene 1 in terms of the number of votes. While the Google Pixel 7 (review) generally remained in third most of the time, it could stand out and also win scene 4, the bridge dragon, and scene 6, the Berlin TV tower, securing over 50 votes. The OnePlus 11 (review), on the other hand, which was actually my secret favorite before the blind test, could only convince in the second scene, the Brandenburg Gate, as the best camera smartphone.
The Xiaomi 13 (review) is the laggard of the group, with the base model being unable to convince anyone to vote for it most of the time. In fact, the highest position it ever secured was third in a couple of instances, such as in scene 3, the Spree Bridge. Let's take a detailed look at the individual evaluation of the scenes.
Scene 1: Subway station at the Bundestag
The first scene was the Berlin subway station known as "Bundestag", which was very challenging from a camera's point of view. It was not only challenging due to its architectural nature, but also offered many points of contrast with the stones in the track bed, the night-black tunnel, and its general depth. The Apple iPhone 14 was the winner here, while the Xiaomi 13 was absolutely overwhelmed by the task at hand based on your opinion.
- 1st place: Apple iPhone 14
- 2nd place: Samsung Galaxy S23
- 3rd place: OnePlus 11
- 4th place: Google Pixel 7
- 5th place: Xiaomi 13
Scene 2: Brandenburg Gate
No visit to Berlin is complete without a selfie in front of the Brandenburg Gate. This scene of Berlin's city gate offers everything the typical photographer would want: blue sky with some clouds and fine stucco work crowned by the proud Quadriga. The only thing is, we captured photographs against the sunlight that might hide the gate.
Nevertheless, the long shadows indicate the state of the brightly shining light source. To our surprise, the OnePlus 11 (2E) actually emerged as the winner in this round. This is despite the fact that an HDR error can actually be seen in the lower left corner of the photo. The multiple shots were stitched incorrectly, so the white-haired woman has a somewhat unusual head shape.
- 1st place: OnePlus 11
- 2nd place: Samsung Galaxy S23
- 3rd place: Google Pixel 7
- 4th place: Apple iPhone 14
- 5th place: Xiaomi 13
Scene 3: Berlin's Spree river
Scene 3 shows us the Spree river including the bridge between the Berlin main station and the Charité university campus. In front were a few sun-seekers, who knew how to welcome the first rays of spring with suitably colorful clothing. Once again, the Apple iPhone 14 is ahead of the Samsung Galaxy S23, albeit by just a couple of votes.
- 1st place: Apple iPhone 14
- 2nd place: Samsung Galaxy S23
- 3rd place: Xiaomi 13
- 4th place: OnePlus 11
- 5th place: Google Pixel 7
Scene 4: The bridge dragon (Griffin)
The 78-meter-long Moltke Bridge offers red sculptures that make for quite an interesting photo subject. If you were to zoom in a bit, you can see some interesting engravings and structures of the griffin. Based on your estimated verdict, the Google Pixel 7 captured the scene best, with the Samsung smartphone again coming in second.
- 1st place: Google Pixel 7
- 2nd place: Samsung Galaxy S23
- 3rd place: OnePlus 11
- 4th place: Apple iPhone 14
- 5th place: Xiaomi 13
Scene 5: At the Reichstag
Together with the Brandenburg Gate, the Berlin Reichstag with its thunderdome is probably the most frequently captured Berlin photo. Just like before: When it involves many details, the Apple iPhone 14 proved to be a reliable all-rounder. We were surprised by the poor performance of the Samsung and Google Pixel Phone in this case. If you have voted, please explain your verdict in the comments.
- 1st place: Apple iPhone 14
- 2nd place: OnePlus 11
- 3rd place: Xiaomi 13
- 4th place: Samsung Galaxy S23
- 5th place: Google Pixel 7
Scene 6: TV Tower Berlin
The next scene is also a classic among the sights in Berlin. The Berlin TV Tower should not be missing from any photo collection, not even for us. But what is it? Scandalous! The Apple iPhone didn't find this scene worth its time at all. At least it sat in last place and finally, the Google Pixel 7 can once again show what it is capable of for quite a reasonable price.
- 1st place: Google Pixel 7
- 2nd place: Samsung Galaxy S23
- 3rd place: Xiaomi 13
- 4th place: OnePlus 11
- 5th place: Apple iPhone 14
Scene 7: Red City Hall (main camera)
Berlin's seat of the government also makes for an interesting photography subject. First, it is the main camera that sees action before the ultra-wide angle comes into play. Here, too, the Apple iPhone easily outperformed the Samsung by a margin of more than 50 votes.
- 1st place: Apple iPhone 14
- 2nd place: Google Pixel 7
- 2nd place: Samsung Galaxy S23
- 4th place: Xiaomi 13
- 5th place: OnePlus 11
Scene 8: Red City Hall (ultra-wide angle)
When it came to this ultra-wide angle shot, on the other hand, the Cupertino company didn't quite make it to first place. Here, the Google Pixel is better by a margin of exactly 0 votes. Yes, you read that right. Both smartphones occupied 1st place and Apple does not have to admit defeat at all. The wide-angle camera of the Samsung Galaxy S23 is a whopping 50 votes behind the first two.
- 1st place: Google Pixel 7
- 1st place: Apple iPhone 14
- 3rd place: Samsung Galaxy S23
- 4th place: Xiaomi 13
- 5th place: OnePlus 11
Scene 9: Cube Berlin with the main camera
The next scene, the Cube Berlin, is a building that was not easy to judge with its mirrored glass surfaces. Here, it probably helped more to look at the main train station behind it. Of course, when it boils down to details, it's better to use the Apple iPhone 14, but only in yellow, please. It's interesting that our runner-up in the overall ranking couldn't convince at all in this scene. In fact, this is the only faux pas that the South Koreans allowed themselves in our camera blind test.
- 1st place: Apple iPhone 14
- 2nd place: OnePlus 11
- 3rd place: Google Pixel 7
- 4th place: Xiaomi 13
- 5th place: Samsung Galaxy S23
Scene 10: Cube Berlin with 5x zoom
Based on my assumption, I would have seen the Xiaomi taking the lead at 5x zoom before taking the picture, since Xiaomi generally zooms quite well. But once again, it is not the equivalent focal length (75 mm) or maximum magnification (30x) that matters. Samsung showed the rest of the pack how to zoom in optimally with a minimum distance to Google's Pixel 7. Or did the AI help again, Samsung?
- 1st place: Samsung Galaxy S23
- 2nd place: Google Pixel 7
- 3rd place: Xiaomi 13
- 4th place: OnePlus 11
- 5th place: Apple iPhone 14
Scene 11: Berlin Weißensee by night
Friends of curated smartphone camera photos! It is time for the battle of the cameras at night when having very little light is anathema to any self-respecting smartphone camera. However, who was able to deliver the goods here? You guessed correctly—Samsung. In fact, Samsung performed with such aplomb that it would almost have taken the victory based on this result alone.
Apple is once again left in the middle. Since the Google Pixel 7 is in second place, I suspect that artificial intelligence was the reason for such great results. All pictures were taken without a tripod, just like you usually take a picture with your smartphone camera.
- 1st place: Samsung Galaxy S23
- 2nd place: Google Pixel 7
- 3rd place: Apple iPhone 14
- 4th place: Xiaomi 13
- 5th place: OnePlus 11
Scene 12: Test pattern
Okay, I would like to revisit my earlier statement: This test picture is the only photo motif of our series, which was taken with a tripod. But only to be able to create an actually identical scenario for you—so that you can also examine a photo that is free from environmental influences. Practically, we are talking about pure photography here, and who comes out top again? Correct: the Apple iPhone 14. Even as an Android fanboy, you have to admit that photos taken by the Apple camera are convincing even in the basic version.
- 1st place: Apple iPhone 14
- 2nd place: OnePlus 11
- 3rd place: Samsung Galaxy S23
- 4th place: Xiaomi 13
- 5th place: Google Pixel 7
Conclusion
Even though such a camera blind test involves a lot of teamwork, the result is more than just interesting for us. In summary, we can say that if you want to take the best photos during the day with a smartphone for less than $1,000, go for the Apple iPhone 14. It doesn't have to be in yellow. If you are a night person and often take pictures in poor light conditions, then the Samsung Galaxy S23 is your best buddy.
The Google Pixel 7 is happy enough to remain in the middle, and when I look at the price, it makes plenty of sense for the budget-conscious. Do you like to take many photos? Then keep your hands off the Xiaomi 13, but the Chinese manufacturer still has a chance to deliver the ultimate model in the form of the Xiaomi 13 Ultra. Lest we forget: In our previous camera blind test, the Xiaomi 12S Ultra won hands down!
We look forward to the coming weeks because NextPit is already preparing another camera blind test among the flagship handsets. The crème de la crème. You know, smartphones that really burn a nice, big hole in your wallet!
It would be nice for the one that took the pictures to also have a personal, subjective opinion on two topics: 1. Their favorite picture. 2. Which picture they feel is the most accurate. Would really help to balance out the votes, as I do feel that the people accustomed to Apple processing will be more likely to vote for it, even if in some situations to me, an Android user, it looks a bit too processed, like in the case of Scene 5, that Apple won. In this case it feels like people voted for the brighter but also more contrasty photo. Thank you!
Agree, most voters could be particularly swayed by a vivid/brighter photo without realizing that the colors/details are far from natural. Anyhow, I admit that I was impressed by the iPhone 14 on this shootout. I was surprised how the Xiaomi 13's poor results though.