In an attempt to enter the discrete graphics market, Intel today announced the new Iris Xe MAX graphics. Made for thin and light notebooks, the new Iris Xe MAX is based on the Xe-LP microarchitecture. If you remember, the chip-maker had announced the Iris Xe graphics alongside the latest 11th-Gen Core mobile processors during the Intel Architecture Day event. With the aim of addressing “an emerging need for content creation performance in thin-and-light laptops,” the company is banking upon two major capabilities. First is Intel’s Deep Link technology as part of Intel Adaptix and second is the support for PCIe Gen 4.
Intel says that the CPU is rarely optimized in thin-and-light laptops paired with third-party discrete graphics. Deep Link’s Dynamic Power Share will enable all the power and thermal resources to be dedicated to the CPU when the discrete GPU is idle, thereby resulting in up to 20% better CPU performance during a sustained task like executing a final render. The new Iris Xe MAX graphics will also deliver improved 1080p gaming on popular games. For gamers, Intel is also adding two new features- Game Sharpening and Instant Game Tuning. These features will be available through the Intel Graphics Command Center. You can check out the performance numbers below:
Paired with the new 11th-Gen Intel Core mobile processors, the new Intel Iris Xe MAX graphics is claimed to deliver Additive AI to provide up to 7-times faster AI-based creation compared to similar laptops configured with third-party graphics. For this Intel used its 11th-Gen Intel Core i7-1165G7 with Intel Iris XeMAX against a 10th-Gen Intel Core i7-1065G7 with Nvidia GeForce MX350. It will also offer Hyper Encode for up to1.78-times faster encoding than a high-end desktop graphics card. For this, the company used the same combo against the 10th-Gen Intel Core i9-10980HK with Nvidia GeForce RTX 2080 Super Max-Q.
The all-new Iris Xe MAX graphics along with the newest 11th-Gen Intel Core Mobile processors will be available starting today. The Acer Swift 3x, Asus VivoBook Flip TP470, and Dell Inspiron 15 7000 2-in-1 will be the first three devices featuring the new hardware. Furthermore, Intel plans to launch entry-level discrete to high-end gaming and data center graphics for HPC and AI workloads. It is also working with partners to bring Xe-LP-based discrete graphics for affordable desktops in the first half of 2021. Additionally, the Xe-LP based Intel Server GPU will be shipping this year while the Xe-HP and Xe-HPG products are scheduled to arrive next year.
LineageOS is one of the most popular custom ROMs available for Android devices, if not the most popular custom ROM out there. Evolving from the halcyon days of the CyanogenMod project, LineageOS is now known for being a lightweight ROM with the bare minimum in additional features resulting in a high-performance, high versatility Android variant. But why do people love it so much? Here are five of our biggest reasons.
1. It extends your phone’s lifespan
First and foremost, we love LineageOS because it lets you extend the life of your phone. Not every Android smartphone is eligible to get 3 years of OS and security updates from their makers, but that doesn’t mean you have to abandon your perfectly good $1000 phone after the official support ends. By flashing LineageOS on one of the hundreds of officially supported devices, you can breathe new life into your old phone – saving the planet, and your pocket. Moreover, third-party developers frequently use its open-source codebase as the foundation for porting newer versions of Android to legacy devices, replacing their otherwise out-of-date (and insecure) firmware.
2. It’s stable and secure
Unlike typical homebrew software, official LineageOS builds are standardized against a Device Support Requirements charter. It ensures that all the basic hardware functionalities (such as Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS, Camera, NFC, etc.) continue to operate after replacing the factory-installed software with LineageOS. Even if the OEMs stop updating the closed source vendor components, LineageOS maintainers continue to merge the latest patches to the Linux kernel corresponding to the device with each monthly Android Security Bulletin. To set the seal on security, SELinux is always set to enforcing on official variants. When you download and install a LineageOS build from lineageos.org, you know it’s been cryptographically signed by their build server, and not by anyone else, which further ensures that any one developer isn’t tampering with builds.
3. It’s a great way to de-Google your device
Some people love Android but don’t always feel comfortable with how closely tied it is to Google. LineageOS offers a great way to have the best of both worlds. By default, Google Apps aren’t included in LineageOS ROMs – but they can be installed in a streamlined and simplified way by flashing a suitable GApps package. You can even enjoy most of the Google services without the proprietary software components from the Mountain View giant by flashing a special forked version of LineageOS. It’s about freedom of choice.
4. It’s darn close to Stock AOSP Android
One of the most common complaints from Android users comes when a handset maker fiddles about too much with vanilla Android. We’ve come a long way from the likes of the Sony X10, which rewrote so much Android code that many standard modifications could brick it, but there’s still a glut of devices with alternative launchers, crippled options, and privacy hindering bloatware, replacing stock apps. There’s none of that with LineageOS. Sure, it has its own stock apps, but there’s nothing unnecessary, and more importantly – nothing is taken away. It’s pure Android loveliness, your way.
5. It’s got loads of exclusive features
Just because it’s a near-stock experience doesn’t mean that LineageOS hasn’t got a lot of exclusive features too. When building a ROM, it’s very tempting to throw the kitchen sink at it. The problem is, that can often affect the stability of the device. LineageOS strikes the right balance between great innovations like a dedicated Permissions Hub and a highly functional theming engine (based on the ThemePicker app from AOSP), without compromising the overall speed and stability of the phone – giving you advanced security, more customization options, and extra features, with the stability of a box-fresh phone. Oh yes, and did we mention? It’s incredibly easy to obtain superuser access, even though LineageOS doesn’t ship with a pre-installed root binary.
Or if you’re already sold, maybe you’d like to be amongst the first to own our XDA phone – the F(x)tec Pro1-X, which runs LineageOS out of the box. Find out more here.
The newly announced Qualcomm Snapdragon 750G could be the system-on-chip selected to power the upcoming Moto G 5G, XDA has learned, alongside other specifications. Furthermore, a live device photo has also surfaced on Slashleaks, showing off the display and the camera cutout on the front. The Moto G 5G Plus launched in July of this year.
Moto G 5G reported specifications
The Motorola Moto G 5G is said to feature a 60Hz. 6.66-inch 2400×1080 display. We don’t know if it’s an AMOLED or LCD panel yet, and a camera cut-out is present in the middle of the status bar. It will likely have 6GB of RAM and 128GB of storage, along with a 5,000 mAh battery too.
Turns out, this is actually using the new Qualcomm Snapdragon 750G! This SoC has only just been announced, which is why we didn’t know what it was before. Full specs below https://t.co/9kPyTYkuXrpic.twitter.com/Yi7C39yxhu
As for the camera setup, the Moto G 5G reportedly features 3 cameras on the back and 1 singular selfie camera. The three cameras reported are the following.
Samsung GM1 48MP primary sensor
Samsung S5K4H7 8MP telephoto
OmniVision OV02B10 2MP macro
The single selfie camera is the OmniVision OV16A1Q, which shoots at 16MP but uses pixel binning to create a 4MP image.
However, the more interesting news about the Motorola Moto G 5G is that it seemingly packs a dedicated Google Assistant button. This is a pretty self-explanatory button, as it will allow you to easily and quickly access the Google Assistant. It is also expected to come to Verizon in the US, though it will not have the Google Assistant button in tow. The Plus variant of this smartphone packs a Google Assistant button as well.
Finally, the Moto G 5G will have SD card support and an NFC reader. The model numbers for this particular smartphone are as follows:
XT2113-1
XT2113-2
XT2113-3
XT2113-5
The Moto G 5G was first reported by TechnikNews as having the codename “Kiev”. This is one of the first smartphones to pack a Snapdragon 750G, with both Xiaomi and Samsung being the only two OEMs to have confirmed launches.
Honor, the millennial sub-brand of Huawei has announced the Honor 10X Lite, launching in Saudi Arabia with a wider European rollout expected. The lower mid-range handset comes at a knockdown price, but of course, won’t come with Google Mobile Services (GMS) out-of-the-box. It’s a more affordable version of the Honor 10X and 10X Max phablet, launched during the summer, but unlike them, doesn’t offer 5G connectivity.
The Honor 10X Lite offers a reasonable, if slightly pedestrian, set of specs that are reasonably on par at this price point. The fly in the ointment is, as ever, the lack of Google apps, because of the current sanctions against parent company Huawei. But if that doesn’t put you off (they can be sideloaded), there’s a Kirin 710 octa-core SoC backed up by 4GB or RAM and 128GB of storage, expandable with microSD by up to 256GB.
The camera is a 48MP quad-lens, flanked by a 5MP ultrawide sensor, with a 2MP for depth and 2MP for macro. Round the front, there’s an 8MP punch-hole selfie camera. The display is a 6.67-inch FHD+ IPS LCD, but at this price, we wouldn’t expect AMOLED. There’s a fingerprint sensor on the side of the device, an increasingly common location for security, and Android 10, wrapped in Honor’s Magic UI 3.1 skin.
Connectivity is pretty standard fayre at this level – LTE (no 5G), Wifi ac (no Wifi6), Bluetooth 5.1, NFC, and A-GPS. There is a headphone jack and USB-C 2.0. The generous 5000mAh battery allows for Honor Supercharge, which the manufacturer claims is capable of charging to 46% in 30 minutes. All in all – a competent but uninspiring choice and with so many other phones competing in this space, the lack of Google apps will make this a difficult sell for many.
The Honor 10X Lite is available in three color variants – Icelandic Frost, Midnight Black, Emerald Green. It’s on sale now in Saudi Arabia priced at SAR799 ($213) and due to arrive in Russia on November 6th with a European release shortly afterward.
Specification
Honor 10X Lite
Build
Icelandic Frost, Midnight Black, Emerald Green
Dimensions & Weight
76.88 x 165.65 x 9.2mm
206g
Display
6.67″ hole-punch IPS LCD
FHD+ 2400 x 1080
SoC
Kirin 710
RAM & Storage
4GB RAM
128GB internal storage
Storage expandable via microSD up to 256GB
Battery & Charging
5000mAh with 22.5W fast charging
Security
Side-mounted fingerprint sensor
Rear Camera(s)
48MP
5MP ultrawide
2MP depth
2MP macro
Front Camera(s)
8MP
Port(s)
USB-C
Audio
3.5mm audio jack
Connectivity
LTE/Wi-Fi 5/Bluetooth
Software
Honor Magic UI 3.1 on Android 10 with HMS (no GMS)
From penetration testing to risk analysis, there are many exciting roles to choose from within cybersecurity. In addition, many IT careers now require at least a basic understanding of security standards. No matter where your ambitions lie, this bundle offers an extensive list of valuable training.
The deal gives you lifetime access to a library of 65 pre-selected courses, ranging from beginner to advanced levels. The courses cover everything you need to know to pass CompTIA, OWASP, CISSP, and AWS exams, with practice tests to hone your knowledge. You also pick up practical skills, which you can use in any IT environment.
The training comes from LearnNowOnline, an online learning platform that has been around for 25 years. You learn from several top instructors, and the courses are updated regularly.
You can study at any time on desktop and mobile devices; the platform automatically keeps track of your progress.
Both the Facebook app and the Facebook website have both recently underwent a massive redesign. Gone is the blue main color scheme that formerly was a staple of Facebook. Instead, we now have a slightly brighter tone of blue as highlights while the app’s main color is all white. And this, at least in the case of the website and even the Facebook Lite app, was introduced together with a toggle for switching between light and dark mode, with dark mode taking all of the white and turning it dark. Android users were, however, left with an obnoxiously bright app. Well, we bring you good news today: Facebook has started to publicly test Dark Mode for its official Android app.
The announcement was made by Jane Manchun Wong, who normally tweets about unreleased features on many apps (including Facebook), but the tweet was actually made in collaboration with official company sources this time around. It does, however, seem to be a smaller-scale, server-side A/B test at the moment. It doesn’t seem to be available on my end just yet, even after updating to beta version 295.0.0.26.119, and looking at Twitter shows it’s kind of a mixed bag, as some users are reporting it shows up on their end (mostly iOS users as the feature is also rolling out for them) while others are reporting it’s not.
Facebook for Android’s Dark Mode actually surfaced a few months ago. Now when it does show up, it should be available under the “Settings & Privacy” menu as a simple toggle, and will be compatible with Android’s system-wide dark mode available from Android 10 onwards. We’re yet to have an official announcement from Facebook on their Newsroom website.
Instagram and WhatsApp, and even Messenger, all of them Facebook-owned services, have already gotten dark mode support built into the app, so it’s high time for the Facebook app to also get dark mode. As I said before, both the main website and the Lite app have supported dark mode already for a few months, so it was really just the app that lacked support for it. It’s really good to see app developers support dark mode (even if support comes in this late): as more apps keep pivoting towards whiter and brighter designs, dark themes provide a break for your eyes and are fairly easy to implement, all things considered.
Artificial Intelligence is changing society, and it’s already starting to come to our phones by offering predictive capabilities, computational photography, computer vision, and other usage-based learning to improve battery life, performance, and security. Huawei is one such company on the forefront of AI by offering developers advanced AI and Machine Learning capabilities through their ML Kit SDK. For example, Huawei’s ML Kit allows people without expert degrees in computer science or understanding of algorithms to be able to utilize both on-device and in-cloud APIs to bring the promise of AI to developers everywhere, especially when paired with Huawei’s hardware NPU, present on tens of millions of devices. You can learn more about the full capabilities of Huawei’s AI suite on theHuawei Developerwebsite or you can dive into ML Kit information also onHuawei’s Developer Website. Lastly, if you have any questions or ideas, you can ask or discuss with developers onHUAWEI Developer Forum.
This Halloween, we’re teaming up with Huawei to give away a Huawei P40 Pro, and you can participate from any country.Just leave a comment below in this article with what about AI excites you, then use the contest widget below to participate in the contest.The more actions you perform, the greater your chance of winning!
Tell us what AI capability you’re most looking forward to (2 points)
Subscribe to Huawei Developers on Reddit (2 points)
Visit Huawei Developer website to learn more about HMS core (2 points)
We thank Huawei for sponsoring this post. Our sponsors help us pay for the many costs associated with running XDA, including server costs, full time developers, news writers, and much more. While you might see sponsored content (which will always be labeled as such) alongside Portal content, the Portal team is in no way responsible for these posts. Sponsored content, advertising and XDA Depot are managed by a separate team entirely. XDA will never compromise its journalistic integrity by accepting money to write favorably about a company, or alter our opinions or views in any way. Our opinion cannot be bought.
When Google set out to make the Pixel, it probably had the iPhone in mind — a device that Google can have total say over software and hardware, one that represents the purest version of Android, and perhaps become the default Android phone. While Google never really got there — the Pixels never sold well, and the Pixel 5 has effectively exited the premium flagship space to compete at a lower tier. But despite that, the Pixel 5 still has arguably the best main camera on the market. With the iPhone 12 and Google Pixel 5 close in price this year, we figured it’s time to do a good old fashioned camera shootout between Apple’s and Google’s most mainstream phone of 2020, to find out which one is better, the Google Pixel 5 or the Apple iPhone 12?
Apple iPhone 12 vs Google Pixel 5: Specification Comparison
Specifications
Apple iPhone 12
Google Pixel 5
Build
Aluminum mid-frame
Glass front and back
“Ceramic Shield” for glass protection
Unibody recycled aluminum body
Glass front
Gorilla Glass 6
Dimensions & Weight
146.7 x 71.5 x 7.4mm
162 grams (Global) / 164 grams (USA)
144.7 x 70.4 x 8mm
151 grams
Display
6.1″ Super Retina XDR OLED Display
2,532 x 1,170 resolution, 460 PPI
6″ OLED Display
2,340 x 1,080 resolution, 432 PPI
SoC
Apple A14 Bionic SoC
Snapdragon 765G
Storage Options
64GB
128GB
256GB
128GB
Battery & Charging
2,815 mAh battery as per certification listings
15W wireless charging with MagSafe
7.5W Qi wireless charging
4,080 mAh battery
12W Qi wireless charging
18W wired charging
Security
Face ID (TrueDepth camera for facial recognition)
Face ID (TrueDepth camera for facial recognition)
Rear Camera(s)
Primary: 12MP
Secondary: 12MP, Ultra-wide angle
Primary: 12.2MP Sony IMX363
Secondary: 16MP, Ultra-wide angle
Front Camera(s)
12MP, f/2.2
8MP, f/2.0
Port(s)
Proprietary Lightning port
USB-C
Connectivity
5G: Sub 6GHz
mmWave for USA
Ultra-Wide Band (UWB)
Wi‑Fi 6 (802.11ax) with 2×2 MIMO
Bluetooth 5.0
5G: Sub 6GHz
mmWave for USA
Ultra-Wide Band (UWB)
Wi‑Fi 5 (802.11ac)
Bluetooth 5.0
Software
iOS 14
Android 11
Other Features
IP68
Colors: Black, White, Red, Blue, Green
IP68
Colors: Green, Black
Pricing
Starts at $799
Starts at $699
Camera: Hardware and Design
Both phones sport a dual-camera system in a rounded square-shaped module on the upper left corner on the back of the phone. The iPhone 12 shoots mainly with a 12MP, f/1.6 lens, while the Pixel 5’s main camera is a 12.2MP f/1.7 sensor. The ultra-wide lens of the iPhone 12 is a 12MP, f/2.4 sensor with a really wide field-of-view of 110-degrees. The Pixel 5’s ultra-wide meanwhile is a 16MP, f/2.2 shooter with a 107-degree field-of-view.
Around the front, the iPhone packs another 12MP sensor for selfies, and it’s housed in a giant notch with a host of other sensors for facial scanning. The Pixel 5’s 8MP selfie camera is but a tiny dot compared to the iPhone’s wide cut-out.
Camera App: UI and Features
Both camera app UIs are relatively simple to use compared to other Android brands’ camera UI. There’s no “Pro” (manual) mode on either device, for example, as both Apple and Google believe the average smartphone user is better off just pointing and shooting and letting the computational smarts handle all the tweaking. I agree with the general sentiment, but as a more experienced user, I do miss the ability to adjust white balance or shutter speed on the fly.
Both Apple and Google believe the average smartphone user is better off just pointing and shooting
Still, the Pixel 5’s UI does offer sliders to adjust highlights and shadows in real-time, and I find this more useful than the iPhone’s overall exposure dial. Both phones allow plenty of customization once the photo has been snapped. You can do everything from cropping, adjusting contrast, color temperature.
Each phone excels in post-shot editing in one particular area: the Pixel 5 offers superior photo editing after the shot has been taken, with the ability to apply different portrait filters and even apply new portrait lighting around the face that looks highly realistic.
The iPhone 12’s camera app, meanwhile, allows real-time editing of videos — not just simple tweaks like adjusting the length of the video, but you can even crop the video into a different aspect ratio, or rotate orientation. These are all things all Android phones would require a separate — often paid — video editing app to pull off.
Apple iPhone 12 vs Google Pixel 5: General Photography
Let’s start easy with this first set: these are all photos taken in scenes with consistent, solid-to-good lighting — relatively easy shots for any modern smartphone camera. The point of this set is to see how each phone approaches color science and details. Keep in mind, every set of photos in this article will show in this order: iPhone 12 first, then Pixel 5. And because photos are slightly compressed in this article, I have the full-res versions of all photos in this Flicker album.
Photos are in this order: iPhone 12 first, then Pixel 5
Looking through these photos on my computer monitor, the general theme is that the iPhone 12 pulls in better lit photos, and if I zoom in to actual size, the iPhone 12’s shots are usually sharper with less noise. For example, in the first two photos in the set showing the “Mamaday” coffee shop, if you view the full-size pictures, you can see the inside of the cafe slightly better on the iPhone 12 image than on the Pixel 5 image. Likewise with the photo of the dog — once I go into 100% view, the dog’s face, fur, and tail are more detailed on the iPhone 12’s shot.
(Remember, every set of photos in this article goes in this order: iPhone 12, then Pixel 5)
In the night shot with the red taxi, both shots looked great, with proper exposure across the various lights, but once I zoom in, the Pixel 5’s shot is dimmer in dark spots and details go soft, particularly the lower left of the corner. In the iPhone 12’s photo, you can see the texture of the pavement and the tire a bit better.
However, just viewing them in a smaller form factor — like, say, on a phone screen — I usually prefer the Pixel 5’s shots, mainly due to the fact that I like Pixel’s cooler color science than Apple’s overly warm tones.
Apple iPhone 12 vs Google Pixel 5: High contrast shots
Next up, let’s try something more challenging. These are all shots taken in scenes with high contrast, meaning part of the photo is very well lit, and part of it is drenched in shadows. Both the iPhone 12 and Google Pixel 5 are top-notch cameras because every shot here looks properly balanced. A lesser phone camera, like a mid-range Motorola or Nokia, would have blown out the highlights. Heck, even Samsung’s flagship cameras circa 2017 would have blown out all the lights, particularly in the second to last set of my room facing a window and a computer screen.
Photos are in this order: iPhone 12 first, then Pixel 5
The Google Pixel 5 handles high contrast shots a little better than the Apple iPhone 12
I think overall, the Pixel 5 handles these shots a tad better than the iPhone 12. It makes sense since shots with challenging dynamic range like these require computational photography skills more than hardware. The Pixel has always been ahead of the pack here, although Apple and Huawei have closed the gap a lot. Still, any time I zoom into a bright area, it seems the Pixel’s exposure is just a bit more pleasing to my eyes. The iPhone 12’s feel slightly too bright.
In the above set, the scene out the window is a bit washed out on the iPhone 12’s image. The Pixel 5 found a better balance — my computer screen’s colors look slightly better on the Pixel 5’s shot too. For the shot below, I think the sunny part of the shot has more vibrant colors on the Pixel 5’s shot.
Apple iPhone 12 vs Google Pixel 5: Night shots on the main camera
Next up, night shots with the main 1x/primary camera. I hesitate to call these “low light shots” because Hong Kong, even at night, is a very well-lit city. The cameras agree with me too because both the iPhone 12 and Pixel 5 turn on night mode automatically when it’s shooting in a dim environment, and night mode only turned on in the last set. Instead, I have a separate section for really low light down the article.
Photos are in this order: iPhone 12 first, then Pixel 5
In general, I prefer the Pixel 5’s color science in almost every shot. Particularly the third set of the two street signs. There’s just something about that Pixel color science with the sky being extra blue and shadows coming in particularly moody that appeals to me. Of course, this is all subjective.
Apple iPhone 12 vs Google Pixel 5: Night shots on the ultra-wide camera
Smartphone ultra-wide-angle cameras, due to it having to cover such a wide canvas and having smaller sensors than the main camera, tend to suffer a major drop-off in image quality after the sun sets. Both the iPhone 12 and Pixel 5 remedy this problem by kicking in night mode automatically.
Photos are in this order: iPhone 12 first, then Pixel 5
The results are quite impressive. The Pixel 5’s images tend to be brighter and even; but the iPhone 12’s images have less noise and offer a wider, more unique perspective. Neither of these cameras produces shots that allow much zooming in, as details are relatively soft all around. However, I’d argue the point of ultra-wide-angle cameras is to show off the entire scene — so who would zoom in? This one is a close call, I think I might give the slight win to the Pixel 5.
Portraits/bokeh
I expected this one to be an easy win for the Pixel 5 because the last few Pixels have produced the absolute best portrait shots (aka bokeh images), with the blurry depth-of-field effect looking more natural than other phones, as well as superior edge detection around the subject. But much to my surprise, the iPhone 12 keeps up here, only losing clearly in the bokeh shot of the cup of coffee. This is a huge jump from the iPhone’s part, as even on the last year’s iPhone 11, I found the bokeh effects to work well only for humans, and nothing else.
Photos are in this order: iPhone 12 first, then Pixel 5
Looking closer, I can see the Pixel 5’s edge detection around my hair and the crumpled paper lamp is slightly more natural-looking. However, I am not a fan of how the Pixel recreated my skin.
I think overall I prefer the iPhone’s human portraits despite the slightly worse artificial bokeh effect. But for inanimate objects, the Pixel 5’s shots are clearly better.
Apple iPhone 12 vs Google Pixel 5: Selfies
Both the iPhone 12 and Pixel 5 can capture excellent, realistic selfies, with the last part (realistic) a good or bad thing depending on your personal preference. You can also shoot a standard selfie or opt for an artificial bokeh, and the effects are quite natural too. In general, the iPhone 12 illuminated my face a bit better, but I like the moody vibe of the shadows on my face in the Pixel 5 selfie. In the last set, I took it inside a somewhat dark taxi against backlight, and both did an excellent job exposing the scene outside the window. I don’t really have a winner here — it’s too close to call.
Zoom shots
Neither the iPhone 12 nor the Pixel 5 have a dedicated optical zoom camera, so what you get is just digital zoom. The iPhone 12 maxes out at just 5x, while the Pixel 5 can go up to 7x. The first image below is a 1x shot for reference. Then we see what the two phones can do at 2x, and 5x. Since these are entirely digital zoom, it’s not surprising that Google’s superior computational photography wins out again, as the 5x zoom of the Pixel 5 is clearly better than the terrible 5x zoom of the iPhone 12. Google advertises its zoom tech as “Super Res Zoom,” which employs multi-frame capture techniques to extract extra details — and it works.
But, to be fair, as someone who’s used a bunch of Chinese phones in 2020, neither the iPhone nor the Pixel’s zoom shots impress me. The Huawei Mate 40 Pro‘s 5X zoom blow these out of the water.
5x zoom shots with the iPhone 12 (left), Pixel 5 (middle) and Mate 40 Pro (right).
Extremely low light shots
These shots are taken in really dark scenes. The first scene was captured in one of the few dark alleys I could find in Hong Kong, while the second set was taken in my bedroom at night with all the lights off and just some outside light from the window. The scene was nearly pitch black to my eyes. Both phones, of course, turned on the night mode for these shots.
Photos are in this order: iPhone 12 first, then Pixel 5
Since both of these shots rely heavily on computational photography to artificially insert light where the human eyes can’t even see, there’s not much point in zooming in close and pixel peeping, as both are going to be very soft on details. These are shots that were impossible to capture with any mobile devices up until a few years ago, when Huawei pioneered the night mode with the Huawei P20 Pro.
If I do have to judge these shots, however, I’d say the Pixel kept a more natural color that’s closer to real life, but the iPhone 12 shot has less noise and artifact.
Apple iPhone 12 vs Google Pixel 5: Video
In the clip below is a collection of several videos, including a daytime clip shot on a moving van, a walking clip at night, and a selfie vlog test in relatively low light conditions. The iPhone 12 has better stabilization in almost every clip, and better colors during the day, but at night, the Pixel 5 footage has more pleasing colors to my eyes. In terms of dynamic range and exposure, it’s a toss-up, with the iPhone 12 winning by a hair if I must pick. During the selfie vlogging clip, the Pixel 5 did a much better job of picking up my voice, although the iPhone 12 has a “fuller” sound. My voice is louder and more audible in the Pixel clip, but also flat. In the iPhone 12 clip, my voice is drowned out by ambient noise, but you hear more bass in my voice. Check them out and decide for yourself.
Conclusion: Software is the most important part of the camera
Apple and Google proved once again that with mobile cameras, the software is even more important than hardware, because, despite these two phones hosting rather ordinary camera hardware in terms of pixel count or sensor size, they can still be counted among the very best cameras on the market. Sure, a Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra or Huawei Mate 40 Pro can go toe-to-toe (and in some cases, beat) these two phones in these same tests, but Samsung and Huawei are using significantly more powerful hardware like a larger sensor and a lot more pixels (and consequently, also have higher pricing).
Google’s software smarts in producing portrait shots remain best-in-class, and Apple’s video recording prowess still tops everyone else. But what makes these two cameras so great for most people is how easy it is to use. The camera app is easy to navigate, without the clutter of Samsung or Huawei’s camera UI, and focus speeds are fast. There’s also consistency across all shots with the iPhone 12 and Pixel 5 in terms of color science, which is something I can’t say confidently about any other Android phone.
Google's software smarts in producing portrait shots remain best-in-class, and Apple's video recording prowess still tops everyone else.
Overall, if I must pick a camera winner, I’d pick the Pixel 5 by a hair, because I prefer its color science for most shots. But this is totally a personal preference.
The iPhone 12's camera brings slight hardware improvement over last year's iPhone, but Apple has stepped up its computational photography thanks to that 5nm SoC.
The Pixel 5's camera hardware may be getting long in the tooth, but Google's computational photography prowess is still the best in the industry -- although, rivals are catching up.
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