More camera hardware scores are coming in, with some classics like the Galaxy Note 20, S20, and S20+ that we wanted to have in our records, but also phones like the Realme 7 5G, or the Realme 6i and the POCO M3, two phenomenal high-value cameras system.
We rank these mobile camera systems based on our mobile camera HardWare benchmark called Camera HW. It ranks the hardware strength of an unprecedented number of mobile camera systems (172 today) with a proprietary algorithm that analyzes the cameras’ hardware.
For more details about this benchmark, check the Camera HW FAQ. The full list of cameras is at the bottom of the page. The algorithm is tuned and adjusted with real-world image analysis from our image-based Uber IQ Camera benchmark (IQ = Image Quality).
New Camera hardware scores for Dec 21, 2020
| New scores, Dec 21 2020, Camera HW v1.1 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Score | Smartphone | MSRP | Value |
| 164 | Samsung Galaxy Note 20 5G SD865+) | $999.99 | 16 |
| 162 | Samsung Galaxy S20+ | $1199.99 | 14 |
| 161 | Samsung Galaxy S20 | $999.99 | 16 |
| 136 | Realme 6 Pro | $232.00 | 59 |
| 121 | Motorola Moto G Stylus | $249.99 | 48 |
| 119 | ZTE nubia Red Magic 5S | $550.00 | 22 |
| 119 | OnePlus 8T | $750.00 | 16 |
| 108 | Realme 6i | $179.99 | 60 |
| 105 | Realme 7 5G | $370.00 | 28 |
| 89 | POCO M3 | $149.99 | 60 |
| 78 | Elephone U5 | $159.99 | 49 |
| 75 | LG K51 | $199.99 | 38 |
| 54 | Nokia 3 V | $168.00 | 32 |
This week, we have many phones in the sub-$600 price range, so it’s not surprising to see the Galaxy Series 20 scoring high in this table. They were all launched at $999.99+, so it’s not surprising that these Samsung phones come equipped with powerful (and expensive) camera modules.
"AFFORDABLE CAMERA SYSTEMS WITH GOOD SIZE SENSORS AND LARGE APERTURES"We have been agreeably surprised by the hardware strength of the Motorola Moto G Stylus ($250) and the Realme 6 Pro ($232). These two affordable camera systems feature good-size sensors and large-aperture optics, supported by decent auxiliary Ultrawide or Zoom cameras.
ZTE Nubia Red Magic 5S
The ZTE nubia Red Magic 5S gaming phone is not far from these two. However, it costs $550 because some of the costs went into gaming features that are not camera-related, but still expensive. For example, we would point out the larger AMOLED screen, better 5G, and slightly larger battery.
The Realme 7 5G design is focused on 5G broadband, so the camera is decent but less impressive than some of the Realme 6-series phones. At $370, it competes at every level with the TCL 10 5G, which we featured recently as the most affordable 5G phone at Verizon. Verizon distributes the TCL 10 5G, so TCL retains an advantage for now, but what out for Realme, because this OEM is progressing very fast.
"A PHENOMENAL CAMERA VALUE"Below $200, the Xiaomi POCO M3 and the Realme 6i provide a phenomenal camera value. Regardless of your budget, you are getting a good deal for every dollar spent with these two. The Realme 6i is presently the highest-scoring camera system below $200.
Scores updates
This time, we have one update only: The OnePlus 8T had a data update and saw its score drop slightly by ~2.5%. The new score doesn’t change its overall position in the market, except for its immediate competition.
For a complete list of mobile cameras ranked, go to our Camera HW homepage. We will rate more camera systems in the weeks and months ahead, so keep in touch via Facebook and Instagram!
Filed in . Read more about Camera Benchmarks, Camera HW, Nubia, Realme and ZTE.
