The Blind Smartphone Camera Test 2019!
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Promos
16 smartphones. You chose a winner. This is what you picked! The original votes thread: twitter.com MKBHD Merch: shop.mkbhd.com Video Gear I use: kit.co Tech I'm using right now: amazon.com Intro Track: Borealis by Madeon Playlist of MKBHD Intro music: goo.gl ~ twitter.com @MKBHD @MKBHD
The video presents the second annual blind smartphone camera test, expanding beyond last year by including a full roster of 16 devices to determine which phone produces the best photo in a blind setup. The host explains the bracket-style format, assigning each device a letter from A to P, then taking default camera photos of a controlled scene,focusing on skin tones, textures, color accuracy, dynamic range, and foreground-background relationships. After capturing all images, the audience votes through Instagram polls and Twitter, creating a large, collective judgment that is explicitly blind to brand and model during the voting process. The first round eliminates several devices in blowout fashion, illustrating how perceived brightness and exposure heavily influence choices in a side-by-side comparison. The video also shares insights about how viewers’ preferences shift when photos are shown next to each other and how mass perception can diverge from technical image quality. The finals culminate in a dramatic decision where a Note 10 Plus ultimately edges out the Galaxy S10 E, with the host revealing how a reflected glass effect and color bias could have biased the outcome, while still honoring the public’s preference for a brighter, more in-focus image. The broader takeaway is that brightness, sharpness, and perceived subject separation often dominate viewer votes, even when technically superior photos would benefit from more nuanced depth and color balance. The host closes by noting that future changes in photo viewing or compression could shift results, underscoring that camera performance is continually re-evaluated as display conditions evolve.
Topics · technology · photography · consumer_electronics
Questions answered
- Which devices won the early rounds and what pattern did the host observe about brightness versus focus?
- In round one, several devices won by simply being brighter; in round two, photos with brighter exposure tended to win, but later rounds showed a growing preference for more in focus images when brightness was similar.
- What final result determined the winner of the test and what caveat did the host mention?
- The Samsung Galaxy Note 10 Plus won the finals, and the host noted that a magenta shift caused by taking the shot through glass could have biased the result, suggesting the outcome might differ under different viewing conditions.
- What is the main takeaway about how people judge photos in this blind test?
- People tend to prefer brighter photos, and when brightness is similar, they often choose the image with more in focus, even though that may indicate a smaller sensor and potential loss of depth realism.