In a test carried out by CNET, Apple’s iPhone 8 Plus and Samsung’s Galaxy Note 8 went head-to-head in a video shootout to identify the main differences between them. It was found that although the Galaxy Note 8 did have a slight edge, Apple’s newest device was the overall winner…
The exposure, color and auto-focus performance were all compared and a frame-grab was used to illustrate the main difference between the video-capture. The image from the iPhone 8 Plus was punchier.
Samsung’s camera applies greater HDR, allowing it to capture a more dynamic range but this does not come down with a downside. While it does pick up more shadowy details, it does a better job at preserving highlights making skin tones look rather flat. This is demonstrated in the below image, the iPhone 8 Plus shown on the right:
The general consensus is that Samsung has the technical edge whereas Apple wins artistically. Of course, the look you choose depends on your preference.
For auto-focus this was true also. The Galaxy Note 8 did a better job as it was able to switch focus points very quickly. However, this made it look quite jerky sometimes and the slower focus-tracking of the iPhone 8 Plus gave a more cinematic feel. Smoother camera movement was achieved with the Note’s combination of optical and digital image stabilization.
When it came to the front-facing camera, the iPhone won but the Note did a better job with audio recording. The iPhone has twice the frame-rate of the Note which allows for smooth slow-mo footage but the Note is limited to 30fps in 4K, ruling out any high definition slow-mo.
The iPhone certainly won when it came to coping with extremes of light. When shooting directly at the sun, the iPhone gave only subtle lens flare and good contrast while the Note had a more distracting flare and poor image contrast overall. In low light, there was no contest at all.
You can watch the whole video over at CNET to compare the two phones for yourself.
