A recently posted article on PCWorld discusses the reality as to whether the the new iPhone 4S can capture still images and videos better than the latest and best Android smartphones. The iPhone 4S was put to the test against the Samsung Galaxy S II, the T-Mobile myTouch 4G Slide, the Motorola DROID Bionic, the HTC Sensation 4G, and the Nikon Coolpix P300. How do they stack up?
To compare the camera of the smartphones, each device was fixed on a tripod and used to capture three images and videos from the same location and under the same lighting conditions After the photos and videos were taken, they were shown (unlabeled) to a panel of five judges.
The criteria or basis of the judging were as follows: exposure — 25%, color — 30%, sharpness — 30%, and distortion — 15%. The results were tallied for the overall rating and score of each device.
Image Quality Results (courtesy of PCWorld)
| Model Name | Megapixels | Score (Out of 100) | Word Score |
| Nikon Coolpix P300 (Control Subject) | 12 | 82.4 | Very Good |
| T-Mobile myTouch Slide 4G | 8 | 81.7 | Very Good |
| Samsung Galaxy S II | 8 | 81.4 | Very Good |
| Apple iPhone 4S | 8 | 81.0 | Very Good |
| HTC Sensation 4G | 8 | 75.1 | Good |
| Apple iPhone 4 (Black) | 5 | 74.6 | Good |
| Motorola DROID Bionic | 8 | 72.4 | Fair |
In the results for overall image quality, the T-mobile myTouch 4G Slide ranked on top of the other phones, but the Samsung Galaxy S II was not far behind with a differential of only 0.7 points followed by the Apple’s iPhone 4s which is only behind it by 0.3 points.
Image Quality Category Results (courtesy of PCWorld)
| Model Name | Exposure Quality (25%) | Color Accuracy (30%) | Sharpness (30%) | Distortion (15%) |
| Nikon Coolpix P300 (Control Subject) | 80.1 Very Good | 78.0 Good | 87.5 Superior | 85.2 Very Good |
| T-Mobile myTouch 4G Slide | 84.3 Very Good | 85.1 Very Good | 82.5 Very Good | 67.6 Fair |
| Samsung Galaxy S II | 86.4 Very Good | 82.9 Very Good | 79.8 Very Good | 72.6 Fair |
| Apple iPhone 4S | 83.8 Very Good | 83.0 Very Good | 80.0 Very Good | 73.6 Good |
| HTC Sensation 4G | 80.7 Very Good | 77.1 Good | 74.5 Good | 62.0 Poor |
| Apple iPhone 4 (Black) | 78.8 Good | 78.8 Good | 69.2 Fair | 66.4 Fair |
| Motorola DROID Bionic | 73.1 Fair | 72.1 Fair | 72.9 Fair | 71.0 Fair |
The images were also evaluated based on quality categories for still image quality. The T-Mobile myTouch 4G Slide had the sharpest and most accurate shots; the Samsung Galaxy S II had the most evenly exposed pics (without using flash), and the iPhone 4S captured photos with no distortion and has balanced scores in other criteria. This proves that the automated white balance feature of iPhone 4s is very accurate.
Video Quality Results (courtesy of PCWorld)
| Model Name | Resolution | Video: Normal | Video: Low Light | Audio | Overall Video Score |
| Samsung Galaxy S II | 1080p | 88.0 Superior | 64.2 Fair | 68.6 Fair | 82.9 Very Good |
| Nikon Coolpix P300 (Control Subject) | 1080p | 80.6 Very Good | 62.0 Poor | 85.2 Very Good | 80.6 Very Good |
| HTC Sensation 4G | 1080p | 79.8 Very Good | 68.6 Fair | 72.6 Fair | 77.8 Good |
| Apple iPhone 4S | 1080p | 79.0 Good | 77.0 Good | 70.4 Fair | 77.2 Good |
| Motorola DROID Bionic | 1080p | 75.4 Good | 82.8 Very Good | 77.0 Good | 76.1 Good |
| Apple iPhone 4 | 720p | 74.8 Good | 73.6 Good | 73.2 Fair | 74.4 Good |
| T-Mobile myTouch 4G Slide | 1080p | 68.6 Fair | 65.4 Fair | 64.2 Fair | 67.6 Fair |
Also here’s some 1080p video comparison:
(iPhone 4S, Galaxy S II and Droid Bionic 1080P test from Matthew Panzarino)
Samsung Galaxy S II
Nikon Coolpix P300
HTC Sensation 4G
Apple iPhone 4S
Motorola DROID Bionic
Apple iPhone 4
T-Mobile myTouch 4G Slide
In the Video Quality test, the Samsung Galaxy S II beat the other phones to the top followed by the HTC Sensation 4G. The iPhone 4s has been consistent though, as it still in the third place, as it had solid scores for bright-light and low-light video. Even though the iPhone 4S did not top the categories, it was consistent in its ranking–whether in video or image quality.
Yet, the Samsung Galaxy S II is definitely better than the iPhone 4S in both aspects, leaving the iPhone just behind it.
So, if you are to choose between a Samsung Galaxy S II or and iPhone 4s what would you choose?
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