Camera Shootouts
2023 Flagship Smartphones: Mega Camera Shootout
Not just two, but a complete mix of six flagships for you to see
We have crossed the halfway point of 2023. It’s no surprise that phone brands have already revealed their latest flagship offerings — whether that may be Samsung, Apple, Google, Xiaomi, vivo, OPPO, OnePlus, Huawei, HONOR, Sony, ASUS, and more in the list.
But in this special 2023 camera shootout, there aren’t just two, but a complete mix of six smartphones for you to dig in.
To be specific, these are the iPhone 14 Pro Max, Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra, OnePlus 11, Huawei P60 Pro, HONOR Magic5 Pro, and Xiaomi 13 Pro.
Most in this list have already been tested in several camera shootout. But a six-way camera shootout is a good way to feed our curiosities. It’s also great for seeing all the differences of these smartphones in terms of camera performance and imaging quality.
P.S: With the absence of the “higher-grade” models such as the Xiaomi 13 Ultra, Huawei P60 Art, OPPO Find X6 Pro, and HONOR Magic5 Ultimate, we’ve decided to just stick with what we have in our stash.
A Mix of Six
Steering away from our usual camera shootouts, I’m going to reveal which photos belong to which phone to eliminate that dizzying guess work. After all, we’ve tried to avert from doing “blind” camera shootouts as people want the results pronto:
A – HONOR Magic5 Pro
B – Huawei P60 Pro
D – OnePlus 11
F – Xiaomi 13 Pro
Disclaimer: Phones are listed alphabetically. All photos were taken straight from the phones’ camera app. No additional manipulations applied aside from collaging, resizing, and labeling for faster website loading.
Photo Perspectives
To celebrate the current year we’re living in, I’ve carefully nitpicked 23 photo samples and combined them into 23 photo sets. Each sample may either highlight or degrade the prowess and performance each smartphone has.
A (1x wide)
B (2x zoom)
C (3.5x zoom)
D (2x zoom)
E (2x zoom)
F (Dedicated zoom)
G (3.5x zoom)
H (Ultra-wide)
I (Dedicated zoom)
J (Ultra-wide)
K (Ultra-wide Night Mode)
L (1x Night Mode)
M (1x Night Mode)
N (1x Night Mode)
O (2x zoom)
P (3.5x zoom)
Q (2x zoom)
R (2x Night Mode)
S (1x Night Mode)
T (Portrait Mode)
U (1x Wide)
V (1x Wide)
W (Dedicated Zoom)
The Verdict
HONOR Magic5 Pro
The Good: The HONOR Magic5 Pro is one among the two in this list that offer a dedicated periscope zoom lens. But unlike its Samsung rival, HONOR actually has a zoom range of 3.5x instead of the farther 10x.
That being said, zoomed shots can be on par with the Galaxy S23 Ultra in most scenarios. However, different from the actual camera shootout I did where I despised how HONOR performed, there are times when Magic does its trick — especially in Sets F, G, and I.
Also, I love how wide its 50-megapixel ultra-wide angle camera looks — and the additional Action Mode, too (which we didn’t do for fairness’ sake).
The Bad: The inconsistencies in shots may not be evident to most but the HONOR Magic5 Pro is a dual-faced titan for taking photos that are either too cool or too warm. No matter what scenario it is, I can’t find the pattern on how HONOR decides which algorithm goes to each shot taken.
The Ugly: I stated this too in my previous camera duel: the HONOR Magic5 Pro still delivers brighter-looking photos because of its f/1.6 aperture. In that sense, I’m also not a fan of how HONOR deals with HDR.
Huawei P60 Pro
The Good: The variable aperture of the Huawei P60 Pro may sound like a gimmick, but it’s a true feat when you switch between bright or dark subjects. Speaking of, night shots taken using the P60 Pro look decently bright and sharp without unnecessary blurring or smudging.
Its ultra-wide angle camera gives the widest Field of View too alongside the HONOR Magic5 Pro (122-degrees). But with the lesser 13-megapixel count, it means less details in a single shot.
But on a greater scale of things, I like how the P60 Pro uses its telephoto lens to achieve a “super macro” shot such as in Set E. Additionally, I like how it has the most unique bokeh cutout in Set O.
The Bad: Portraits taken specifically using the Portrait Mode look very pleasing and enticing (evident in Sets T & U). But annoyingly, there’s some weird auto-smudging happening under Set V taken using the conventional 1x mode.
We all know how many East Asians are obsessed with AI face enhancements. This isn’t something I’m fond of. I want my photos to look as natural as possible.
The Ugly: It looks like Huawei has adapted some of Samsung’s not-so-pleasing color boosting that can be seen on food shots — especially if it’s taken indoors (Set D, R) or at night (Set Q).
iPhone 14 Pro Max
The Good: No matter what type of lens you use, the iPhone 14 Pro Max (or even the 14 Pro) offer/s a consistent look all throughout its photos. Also, its color science may not be the most vibrant but it shows a complete balance — the “most natural look” if one must say.
The Bad: Its 3x telephoto zoom lens may not be the worst performer but it isn’t the best in class either. Most shots look good in their own but some photos are a hit or miss. 2x crop zoom looks fine as it relies on the phone’s main sensor but once you go past the 3x mark, there’s some weird algorithm happening between its sharpening and contrast.
The Ugly: I’ve been an iPhone user for quite some time. I’ve been excited to try Night Mode since it first came out on the iPhone 11 series. Four years after, it’s still unacceptable how it shoots photos in low-light where Night Mode is activated — especially when you zoom in. It’s one of the worst Night Mode performers on my list.
OnePlus 11
The Good: Most would argue: “What is the OnePlus 11 doing here?”. Well, it can be considered as the toned-down version of OPPO Find X6 Pro that touts the same Hasselblad partnership minus the 1-inch sensor. And while on the topic, I love the color science in most shots taken on the OnePlus 11. No overdoing of the essentials, especially saturation.
Also, it displays the ideal amount of HDR with the right amount of highlights, shadows, and contrast. Personally, it’s my best pick in Set V.
The Bad: While its 2x telephoto zoom is decent, in some cases where you want to zoom in further, you’ll just be stuck with its crop zoom capabilities. That degrades the quality and detail of most zoomed shots.
The Ugly: The OnePlus 11 might just be the worst performer when it comes to shooting Portrait Mode (Set T). The overall quality is bland that the subject never looked lively in contrast with the other shots in the set.
Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra
The Good: Hands-down, the 10x periscope zoom of the Galaxy S23 Ultra is one of (if not the) best out there. Unfortunately, we haven’t showcased it here to be fair to other contenders that lack a dedicated 10x lens. Still, I would say the Galaxy S23 Ultra offers exquisite zoomed photos with clear detail and motion-free output altogether.
The Bad: I said this before and I’ll say it again: there’s too much over-sharpening happening just to make people see that Samsung always has the “clearest” photos of the bunch. But in all honesty, there are certain (but not a lot of) instances where that added sharpness truly makes the subject stand out.
The Ugly: Over-sharpening can be forgotten, but that harsh Night Mode is and will always be unforgiven. Out of all the night shots we took, Samsung not only had one of the longest shutter durations that resulted in blurry motion (Set N), its Night Mode AI algorithm also overdid the shadows and highlights — particularly in Sets K, L, and M. Even an indoor shot like in Set A isn’t safe from Samsung’s strange post-processing technique.
Xiaomi 13 Pro
The Good: Being the only smartphone with a 1-inch sensor in this list, the Xiaomi 13 Pro tops everyone else with its super-fast shutter release. This also comes handy in low-light shooting scenarios. While it doesn’t have the brightest night mode shot, it still delivered blur-free photos with a fair amount of overall exposure and not overdoing it.
Also, it rendered food shots quite well and is the closest to what I’ve seen in reality (Sets B, D O, Q, and R).
The Bad: While I personally prefer the less-saturated look of Xiaomi 13 Pro’s photos, most would probably think its color-calibration is the dealbreaker — even if you switch to the “more vibrant” Leica Vibrant mode.
Being surrounded by other flagships that lean towards the more saturated side of the spectrum, the Xiaomi 13 Pro feels left behind with its “natural-looking” colors. Even though some shots turned out so damn well (Set A), others are just plain — in a literal sense.
The Ugly: I’ve always loved portraits I took with the Xiaomi 13 Pro. Whether just by using the regular 1x lens or the special portrait mode, it made portrait subjects stand out even more.
However in this particular shootout, MJ and I both disliked the outcome of our photos in Sets T, U, and V. While the portrait bokeh looks deliciously creamy, the vignette (which I previously praised in my review write-up) actually ruined the overall feel of the shot. Moreover, the dark and warmer skin tones you see aren’t actually what we look IRL.
Conclusion
So far, we’re in this specific technological timeline where smartphones can now go head-to-head against near pro-grade shooting equipment. While we’re still far from replacing these professional cameras with pocketable smartphones alongside their gigantic bumps, lenses, and sensors, it’s still quite a dream that we’re living now where photos taken with phone cameras look great in just a finger tap of that digital shutter button.
Nonetheless, nothing is precisely perfect — that includes smartphones alongside their camera performance.
If you’re fond of zooming in, your obvious choices would be the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra, HONOR Magic5 Pro, and the Huawei P60 Pro. Ultra-wide champ can either be the Magic5 Pro or the P60 Pro with their similar FoV — minus the latter’s smaller megapixel count.
For those who want swift and precise shooting, the Xiaomi 13 Pro is the most recommendable among the list. That’s also on top of a user who prefers Leica’s less-saturated calibration. But if that’s not your cup of tea, either Samsung or Huawei could provide that punchy look for you.
The OnePlus 11 can be recommended as your go-to camera smartphone. Even without any additional bells and whistles, it still kept up with most flagships thanks to its built-in Hasselblad calibration. But for all-around flexibility, the iPhone 14 Pro Max simply is the answer — not to mention it still triumphs in the videography category today (that we didn’t cover since this is a photo-only camera shootout).
Camera Shootouts
Camera Shootout: HONOR 600 Pro vs OPPO Reno15 Pro
Camera clash of the two Mainlander midranger
Year after year, major phone brands are defying the manufacturing and costing challenges just to give the mid-class the smartphone cameras they deserve.
This 2026 and beyond, it seems like it’s the new norm for the freshest breed of premium midrangers.
Mainlander Midranger
The HONOR 600 Pro and OPPO Reno15 Pro are two smartphones positioned in the peak of the midranger pyramid.
On paper, they are highly likely the closest in terms of camera hardware.
HONOR 600 Pro |
OPPO Reno15 Pro |
|
Wide |
200MP f/1.9
|
200MP f/1.8
|
Ultra-Wide |
12MP f/2.2
|
50MP f/2.0
|
Telephoto |
50MP f/2.8
|
50MP f/2.8
|
Selfie |
50MP f/2.0 |
50MP f/2.0 |
First and foremost, while these phones rock a similar 200MP cameras by Samsung, the sensor sizes and age are quite different.
The HONOR 600 Pro has a bigger yet older (2022) 1/1.4-inch ISOCELL HP3. Meanwhile, a newer (2025) yet standard-sized ISOCELL HP5 was used in the Reno15 Pro.
The biggest disparity can be seen in their ultra-wide modules. HONOR didn’t focus too much on it by giving a smaller 12MP f/2.2 with a tighter 112-degree FoV (Field of View).
On the other hand, the OPPO equipped a bigger 50MP module with a brighter f/2.0 aperture, and an even wider 116-degree FoV.
Lastly, both the telephoto and selfie shooters are at 50MP. Both telephoto cameras are capable of optically zooming in to 3.5x.
Fair and Square
Both of these midrangers have their own set of special sauces. But, for the sake of fairness, I’ve stuck with each of their default camera color profiles: Natural for the HONOR 600 Pro while Original in the OPPO Reno15 Pro.
Disclaimer: If you are new here, sample photos were all taken using the default AI Camera Mode. These images were resized and labeled for faster loading and better online preview. No color correction, zoomed-in cropping, nor any other type of photo manipulation were applied.
3.5x Telephoto
Starting with the common denominator of both phones: their 3.5x 50MP f/2.8 telephoto shooters
T1
T2
T3
T4
T5
T6
T7
T8
T9
T10
T11
T12
Beyond Telephoto Zoom
We have to break the barriers just to test each phones’ telephoto unit limit.
ZB1
ZB2
ZB3
ZB4
ZB5
ZB6
1x Wide (Main)
Again, both phones rock a 200MP camera but of different aperture and sensor sizes. Can you differentiate them from another though?
W1
W2
W3
W4
W5
W6
W7
W8
W9
W10
Ultra-Wide Angle (UWA)
Each FoV value can be your primary hint to determine which is which. But, is it enough for you to tell who’s the better performer?
U1
U2
U3
U4
U5
Mood for Food
A separate section for prospective users who will use one of these for food shots.
F1
F2
F3
F4
F5
Furry Friends
Whether it’s our pets or wild animals, they all have one thing in common: they are all very hard to capture especially when in motion.
FF1
FF2
FF3
FF4
FF5
FF6
FF7
FF8
Indoors
Subjects taken in any controlled lighting is another tricky test for both of these smartphones.
IN1
IN2
IN3
IN4
IN5
IN6
IN7
IN8
IN9
IN10
IN11
IN12
The Night is Right
The ultimate camera test all boils down to shots taken at night (or low-light).
Actual camera processing is one. Added AI algorithms and the actual output for another.
N1A | 1x Wide
N1B | 3.5x Optical Zoom
N2 | Ultra-Wide
N3A | 3.5x Optical Zoom
N3B | 5x Lossless Zoom
N4 | 5x Zoom
N5 | 2x In-Sensor Zoom
N6 | 3.5x Optical Zoom
N7 | 1x Wide
N8A | UWA
N8B | 1x Wide
N9 | 3.5x Optical Zoom
N10 | 5x Lossless Zoom
BONUS: Super Moon
That same telephoto module gives both the HONOR and OPPO midrangers a zoom reach as far as 120x.
M1 | 40x Digital Zoom
M2 | 120x Max Zoom
Results
Were you able to write down and tally your picks? Well, here are the results:
Conclusion
For the most part, samples taken on the HONOR 600 Pro are already social media-ready. They require little to no effort prior sharing it as your Facebook post or Instagram story.
And by that, the saturation and contrast game is strong as opposed to its rival — a look preferred by most users. These are clearly seen in Sets T1 / T5 / ZB5 / W1 / W2 / N1A.
Meanwhile, the OPPO Reno15 Pro leans more into the “natural” side.
Despite the absence of that premium Hasselblad partnership, it still gave desirable results for those who want the less “AI-processed” look (softer, reduced saturation, minimized contrast) which are evident in Photos T2 / T4 / T8 / T12 / ZB1 / ZB3 / W7 / W8 / FF7 / FF8.
Definitely, the results are not totally consistent. The OPPO Reno15 Pro mostly had a brighter and warmer output (T1 / T5 ~T7 / ZB6 / W1 / W4 / W5 / W8 / W10 / U1 / U2 / F1 / F2 / F4 / FF1 / FF2 / IN3 / IN8 / IN12 / N3A / N5).
Other times, the latter is brighter yet cooler (T12 / ZB1 / ZB2 / ZB3 / ZB4 / FF3 / FF8 / IN1 / IN2 / IN7 / IN9 / IN10 / IN11). Even the super moon shots on the HONOR 600 Pro were brighter, too.
These differences and inconsistencies might make or break your final decision which smartphone best suits your overall camera taste.
Pro-grade for less
Despite the continuous innovation and evolution of flagship smartphones when it comes to mobile imaging, phone manufacturers still try to balance everything out with midrange smartphones in the horizon.
The HONOR 600 Pro and OPPO Reno15 Pro are two among the handful midranger wonders meant for any pro-grade user who lacks the purchasing power to buy the bestest in the lineup — but, still want a very capable device for their smartphone-tography needs.
Clearly, the camera hardware isn’t the most “powerful” out there. Still, they are clear with the positioning of these phones. They are your pro-grade cameras for less.
As similar as their camera hardware, the HONOR 600 Pro and OPPO Reno15 Pro also have similar SRPs — at least the 12+512GB configuration.
- HONOR 600 Pro = PhP 48,999 / MYR 3299 / SG$ 1049
- OPPO Reno15 Pro = PhP 48,999 / MYR 3299 / SG$ 1049 (as Reno15 Pro Max)
HONOR your Reno?
Over the years of making dedicated camera shootout write-ups, I always thought that photos that look closer to our naked eyes is something that I should call “the better smartphone camera” — especially because of the accuracy of their output.
Now, with the advent of smartphone cameras with countless camera partnerships and all the imaginable profiles / presets / styles / recipes (or whatever you want to call ’em) to ever exist, it got harder to decide which smartphone to recommend for most users.
Such sentiment made me realize that there is no single clear winner at all.
So what’s the point of making another extensive camera comparison like this? Well, it’s still for you to show how each phone is capable (or incapable) both in camera hardware and software. It’s also for you to choose the camera look that’s closer to your liking.
Clearly, both the HONOR 600 Pro and OPPO Reno15 Pro are very capable smartphone cameras. But, at the end of the day, it’s your power as a buyer which pro-grade midranger wins your eyes and heart.
Now, if you will consider other aspects such as their core hardware, OS skin, and even after-sales service, that’s clearly for another story.
Camera Shootouts
Camera Shootout: HONOR 400 Pro vs TECNO CAMON 40 Premier
Camera battle of two midranger wonders
In my previous camera smackdown, I clearly stated that we don’t have the HONOR 400 Pro to try out.
Months have passed, the odds were (finally) in my favor as I was able to test it against another midranger wonder, the TECNO CAMON 40 Premier.
Oh CAMON, your HONOR
I’ve decided to clash the HONOR 400 Pro and TECNO CAMON 40 Premier primarily because both phones offer the quintessential triple rear camera system.
HONOR 400 Pro |
TECNO CAMON 40 Premier |
|
Wide |
200MP f/1.9
|
50MP f/1.88
|
Ultra-Wide |
12MP f/2.2 |
50MP f/2.2 |
Telephoto / Periscope |
50MP f/2.4
|
50MP f/2.2
|
Selfie |
50MP f/2.0 |
50MP f/2.5 |
Hardware-wise, disparities are quite evident. The TECNO CAMON 40 Premier rocks quad 50MP cameras (including the selfie camera), whereas the HONOR 400 Pro has variations in its overall camera system.
It highlights its 200MP Samsung ISOCELL HP3 main camera while TECNO begs to differ as it packs a sensor made by the Korean giant’s Japanese rival — the newcomer Sony LYT-701C sensor that’s only used in two phones so far (2024’s realme 13 Pro+ being the other).
The opposite happens in HONOR 400 Pro’s ultra-wide lens as it features the smaller 12MP camera.
But, the biggest dealbreaker has got to be the existence of 3x zoom shooters that their base models lack.
Although both acquire the same megapixel count, the HONOR 400 Pro is equipped with a traditional telephoto lens structure while the TECNO CAMON 40 Premier boasts a periscope lens that utilizes a prism design / mirror system for capturing long-range subjects and objects.
Lastly, both phones have 50MP front-facing cameras with slight differences in aperture value.
Sticking with the Standard
Much like any other shootouts, I’ve opted to stick with the standard shooting profiles that both phones have right after setting ’em up: Standard for TECNO, Natural for HONOR.
Disclaimer: Photos were all taken using Auto Mode with AI scene detection turned on. These images were collaged, resized, and labeled for faster loading and better preview. No color correction, zoomed-in cropping, nor any other type of photo manipulation were applied.
Ultra-Wide Angle (UWA)
Similar lens diaphragm, totally different megapixel count.
Does that alone make a far cry?
U1
U2
U3
U4
U5
U6
U7
Main (1x + 2x)
The massive 200-megapixel main camera of the HONOR 400 Pro is four times larger compared to TECNO CAMON 40 Premier’s already capable 50MP Sony sensor. Obviously, that comes in very handy when taking zoomed shots via in-sensor cropping.
However, can you even tell which sample belongs to which smartphone?
M1
M2
M3
M4
M5
M6
M7
M8
M9
3x Optical Zoom
The crème de la crème of these two phones are their zoom shooters.
While lens structure are different (again, telephoto for HONOR while periscope for TECNO), which one gives THE better optically-zoomed shots?
ZO1
ZO2
ZO3
ZO4
ZO5
ZO6
ZO7
ZO8
ZO9
ZO10
ZO11
ZO12
ZO13
Beyond 5x Zoom
Given that both phones are capable of shooting optically up to 3x, how can each phone go beyond 5x zoom?
ZB1
ZB2
ZB3
ZB4
ZB5
ZB6
ZB7
ZB8
ZB9
ZB10
Food
Hardware is one. Software is for another.
Food shots are one of the best ways to know how good (or bad) a phone is when it comes to photo quality and color accuracy.
F1
F2A
F2B
F3A
F3B
F4
F5
Portrait Mode
Taking creamy~licious portraits shouldn’t be a rare feat among modern-day midrangers.
But can TECNO’s standard Portrait Mode compete with HONOR’s Harcourt prowess?
PM1
PM2
PM3
PM4
PM5
Low-Light
I said it before and I’ll say it again.
Taking shots in low-light is what makes or breaks a phone’s photography performance.
LL1
LL2
LL3
LL4
LL5
BONUS: Selfie
B1A | Ultra-Wide Portrait ON
B1B | 1x Wide Portrait ON
B2A | 1x Wide Portrait OFF
B2B | Ultra-Wide Portrait OFF
Results
Notice a pattern? Or lack thereof?
Well, the results are definitely consistent.
Conclusion
At first, it’s kind of hard to distinguish which phone is which.
For instance, the ultra-wide, 1x wide, and 2x photos of the TECNO CAMON 40 Premier leaned more onto the cooler side. However, the contrary happens in Sample Sets M5 / M8 / M9 where the shots are warmer than its HONOR counterpart.
If you zoom in further, HONOR 400 Pro’s 200MP main sensor doesn’t have a huge advantage — delivering somewhat the same amount of detail compared to the CAMON 40 Premier.
Except for Photos ZO6 / ZO8 / ZO9 / ZB7 / ZB8, consistency in warmness continues among photos taken in the CAMON 40 Premier’s 3x periscope zoom lens.
How natural is “Natural”?
Despite choosing the “Natural” Color Mode in the HONOR 400 Pro, Sets M4 / ZO12 / ZO13 / LL5 truly showed lack of saturation with its washed out photos. That same look is even evident in 5 out of 7 food shots.
It also struggles to capture a balanced dynamic range. Making Set M3 as an example, look at how blown-out the highlights of the night lights have turned out in HONOR versus TECNO.
There were times when HONOR takes brighter photos but at the expense of amping up shadows and losing contrast (M4 / M8 / ZB2 / ZB3). Inconsistently, the results turned out the other way around in Sets U1 / U2 / U4 with lower exposure and darker shadows.
Photos taken at night also looked dimmer versus TECNO’s post-ready low-light takes.
HONOR’s “Natural” color profile doesn’t look natural at all with its inaccuracy and inconsistencies compared to how I / we perceive the actual subjects in real life.
That’s not to say the HONOR 400 Pro produces bad photos. Honestly, there are times where I preferred the HONOR more — Samples ZO6 / ZB7 / ZB8 / ZB9 are living proof to that.
If there’s a category where I think HONOR has nailed, it’s definitely the Portrait Mode with better shots and depth segmentation, properly showcasing its Harcourt specialty. Additionally, selfies looked better no matter where and how you look at it
Higher price ≠ Higher performance
Reiterating what I’ve said in my HONOR 400 vs vivo V50 camera showdown, the HONOR 400 Pro and TECNO CAMON 40 Premier are also two midrangers positioned in different levels of the same sailing ship.
Price-wise, the HONOR 400 Pro costs more at PhP 32,999. Meanwhile, TECNO’s CAMON 40 Premier is heaps cheaper at just PhP 21,999. That makes it a very contending smartphone in the upper-midrange space.
For the same price, you’ll only get the HONOR 400 at PhP 22,999 along its absence of a dedicated telephoto lens.
While there are more factors to consider in this huge price gap such as a faster chipset, bigger battery capacity, larger internal storage, and several other hardware nuances, it’s safe to say that a higher price tag isn’t always synonymous to having the best cameras. This camera shootout alone is just one among many testaments to that.
READ: It’s the little things that make the HONOR 400 Pro 5G a daily wonder
At the end of the day, it’s your choice as a consumer which smartphone camera (both in image quality and overall look) dominates your priorities and overall purchasing power.
Now, if you’d ask me, the TECNO CAMON 40 Premier ultimately bags that “bang for the buck” title for offering the better camera flexibility despite its more affordable price tag.
It feels like just yesterday we were comparing three foldables in one big camera shootout. In reality, it’s been a full year — and a lot has changed. This time, it’s down to two powerhouses: the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold7 and the OPPO Find N5.
Both are book-style foldables launched globally in 2025 — Samsung in July, OPPO earlier in February. Both also come with major physical changes: they’re slimmer, taller, and in the Fold7’s case, slightly wider too. But the real battle lies inside: the cameras.
Samsung brought over the 200MP main shooter from the Galaxy S25 Ultra to the Fold7. The rest of the system, however, didn’t see major changes. Meanwhile, OPPO gave the Find N5 a full-on imaging overhaul.
On paper
| Samsung Galaxy Z Fold7 | OPPO Find N5 | |
| Main Camera | 200 MP, f/1.7, 24 mm (wide), 1/1.3″, PDAF, OIS | 50 MP, f/1.89, 1/1.56″, OIS (HyperTone wide-angle) |
| Ultrawide | 12 MP, f/2.2, 120°, 1.4 µm, PDAF | (Not specified in source – likely none or under 50 MP) |
| Telephoto / Periscope | 10 MP, f/2.4, 67 mm, PDAF, OIS, 3× optical zoom | 50 MP periscope telephoto with macro (~10 cm macro) |
| Video Recording | 8K@30 fps, 4K@60 fps, 1080p@60/120/240 fps, 720p@960 fps, gyro-EIS, 10-bit HDR10+ | LivePhoto with enhanced EIS; video specs not detailed |
| Selfie Cameras | Dual 10 MP front cams (cover + inner display) | Not detailed in provided source |
Specs tell part of the story, but photos reveal the truth. As always, the only edits applied were for cropping and resizing to fit our format.
So how do they compare in real-world shooting?
W (1x)
w1
w2
W3
W4
W5
W6
W7
W8
W9
W10
W11
W12
Zoom A (2x-3x)
ZA1
ZA2
ZA3
ZA4
ZA5
ZA6
ZA7
ZA8
ZA9
ZA10
ZA11
ZOOM B (6x and up)
ZB1
ZB2
ZB3
ZB4
ZB5
ZB6
Selfie (Outer Camera)
S1
S2
S3
S4
Low light
L1
L2
Blind test reveal & first impressions
Did you guess which was which?
A is the OPPO Find N5. B is the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold7.
Now that you know, a few things stand out:
- The Find N5 consistently produced brighter images, especially in low light. OPPO’s post-processing really flexes here.
- The Galaxy Z Fold7 leaned toward a more natural, life-like output, a noticeable shift from Samsung’s traditionally saturated look.
That said, using the Fold7’s main camera at 1x felt… off. The focal length feels awkward — too wide for most shots but just right for taking main-camera selfies. I found myself constantly switching to 2x or 3x, which makes up a big chunk of the samples here.
Flat or flavorful?
One of the biggest differences is in how the two phones handle processing and depth.
Take the Brooklyn Bridge photo through cyclone wire (W8):
- The Find N5 nailed it with more pronounced depth and contrast.
- The Fold7 came off a little flat in comparison.
But this wasn’t always the case. In the shot of the yellow vehicle (w5) and in main-camera selfies (W12), the Fold7 delivered bokeh that looked more organic.
Overall, the Find N5 clearly does more processing after you hit the shutter, while the Fold7 gives you what it sees, almost instantly. Your preference between a more “finished” photo and a natural one will really show here.
Zoom zoom
Let’s be real — this wasn’t even close.
At 6x and beyond, the OPPO Find N5 easily outclassed the Fold7. Detail, sharpness, and clarity all went to OPPO’s corner. Samsung’s telephoto performance just didn’t keep up.
Final thoughts
If we’re talking eye-catching, the OPPO Find N5 wins out of the gate. Brighter shots, better zoom, more punch overall.
But the Galaxy Z Fold7 holds its own. At 1x to 3x — and especially in low light — it sometimes captures a mood the Find N5 over-brightens. The beer glass in a dimly lit bar is a perfect example: OPPO lit it up; Samsung kept the vibe.
At the end of the day, this comes down to what you value.
- Want bright, punchy, more dramatic photos? Go OPPO.
- Prefer subtler, moodier, more natural output? Samsung’s your bet.
That said — if we’re choosing a winner in camera versatility and polish, the OPPO Find N5 edges ahead.
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