Google Pixel 6A Wins Blind Smartphone Test

Credit: Google

Critical consensus may favor high-end devices like the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra, Xiaomi 12S Ultra, and iPhone 14 Pro Max for their superior camera quality because of their industry-leading technology and cutting-edge computational photography, while uninformed consumers seem to choose a different smartphone: the Google Pixel 6A.

YouTuber Marques Brownlee has, as he has done often over the last several years, compiled a big blind test comparison of the market’s most popular camera devices. A website was used instead of Twitter for this year’s test, which resulted in higher quality images and more votes.

Hundreds of photographs were available in the blind test, split between normal lighting, low light, and portrait. Using an ELO rating system, it was clear that the Google Pixel 6A produces the highest quality images every time. And by “best,” we mean the photos that received the most votes. First place went to the Pixel 6A, then the Pixel 7 Pro, and finally the Asus Zenfone 9. Fifth was the Galaxy S22 Ultra, and seventh was the iPhone 14 Pro.

The Sony Xperia IV has the weakest photo quality of all the smartphones that were tested, seconded by the Moto Edge 30 Ultra that has a 200 MP camera, followed by Nothing Phone (1), the iPhone SE (2022), the OnePlus 10 Pro, and finally  the Xiaomi 12S Ultra.

There is a lot of material here, and readers might benefit from seeing the video explanation at the conclusion of the piece. Users preferred photos that were bright but not excessively bright, while they disliked the darkest images. This is the basic theme that runs throughout the research. Google’s Real Tone technology has been praised for its ability to accurately capture people with darker skin tones, and Pixels have shown excellent camera performance overall. This is supported by the findings of the tests.

The empirical evidence strongly suggests that Google’s Pixel line of smartphones are the best, at least strictly in terms of visual aesthetics, since they have also came out on top in past versions of this test. The Pixel 6A, which can be bought for typically less than US$400, is a stylish continuation of this trend.

Susan Kowal
Susan Kowal is a serial entrepreneur, angel investor/advisor, and health enthusiast.