Aside from 10 as my favorite number, 11 is also a special one: IVE’s Eleven, Stranger Things’ Eleven, wishing every 11:11, to name a few. But which “11” will reign in today’s camera smackdown?

Coincidental or not, iQOO and OnePlus both offer “11” as their latest flagship smartphones. Both equipped with the latest Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset and both coming from the same parent company BBK Electronics, a lot of you will probably say they are just similar phones with a different body.

To add more to the guesswork, iQOO’s 11 was launched as early as December 2022. Meanwhile, OnePlus 11 was launched as early as January 2023 in China followed by a global launch in February.

Camera Specs

Looking at their specific camera hardware specifications, the only thing that’s quite similar are their main (1x wide) camera sensors. The difference? iQOO 11 uses Samsung’s GN5 which is also the same one from its older sibling, the iQOO 9T. Meanwhile, OnePlus 11 has the newest offering from Sony — the IMX890. Selfie cameras are also the same at 16MP with an f/2.5 aperture.

	OnePlus 11	iQOO 11
Wide	50MP f/1.8 1/1.56” Sensor Size Multi-directional PDAF OIS	50MP f/1.9 1/1.57” Sensor Size PDAF OIS
Ultra-Wide	48MP f/2.2 115º AF	8MP f/2.2 116º
Telephoto	32MP f/2.0 2x optical zoom 20x digital zoom PDAF	13MP f/2.5 2x optical zoom 20x digital zoom PDAF
Selfie	16MP f/2.5 Gyro-EIS	16MP f/2.5 Gyro-EIS

Other than that, there are major differences between their ultra-wide (UWA) and 2x telephoto lenses. Most of all, iQOO has vivo’s special V2 imaging chip while OnePlus’ has its Hasselblad partnership for a more accurate camera color calibration plus built-in camera filters (that I didn’t use for fairness’ sake).

But as we always say, specs are just numbers. What we need to know are the real-world camera performance of each phone. To fully-embody “11” in this specific writeup, I’ve nit-picked 11 sets of photos for each category — together with some bonuses at the end (that are not 11, sorry).

Disclaimer: Just like our previous camera shootouts, photos were collaged, resized, and labeled for faster loading and preview. No other manipulations were applied.

Wide

When it comes to camera hardware, the wide sensors of both phones are a close call. But are they actually close in terms of output quality?

W1

W2

W3

W4

W5

W6

W7

W8

W9

W10

W11

Ultra-wide

Even though the UWA lenses of both phones are close in terms of aperture and FoV (Field of View), the obvious advantage of the OnePlus 11 is its 48MP shooter over iQOO 11’s measly 12MP sensor. But can you actually tell which is which?

U1

U2

U3

U4

U5

U6

U7

U8

U9

U10

U11

2x Zoom

Another major difference between these two phones are their 2x zoom cameras. OnePlus 11 has an obvious advantage on paper when it comes to megapixel count and lens opening. Then again, let your judgments, preferences, and the photo quality prevail.

Z1

Z2

Z3

Z4

Z5

Z6

Z7

Z8

Z9

Z10

Z11

Night Mode

This is always what makes or breaks a camera smartphone. With various AI processing magic and Night Mode algorithms made by vivo for iQOO and OnePlus with Hasselblad, which phone can actually deliver favorable nighttime photos?

N1 (1x wide)

N2 (1x wide)

N3 (1x wide)

N4 (2x zoom)

N5 (2x zoom)

N6 (2x zoom)

N7 (Ultra-wide)

N8 (Ultra-wide)

N9 (Ultra-wide)

N10 (Ultra-wide)

N11 (Ultra-wide)

BONUS: 5x digital zoom

Both phones lack a dedicated periscope zoom lens but that didn’t stop me from trying out at least its 5x digital zoom capabilities both during the day and night.

B1

B2

BONUS: Faces

Some users are critical when it comes to selfie and portrait quality. While there’s barely any difference between the selfie (and wide) cameras of the two, I’m still leaving some photo samples that feature faces in it — so you can see that there are still differences between each phones’ AI processing techniques.

B3 (Natural Beauty Mode)

B4 (Classic Beauty Mode)

B5 (Custom Beauty Mode)

B6 (1x wide)

BONUS: Macro Mode

It’s either good or bad news for some, but only the OnePlus 11 has a built-in Macro Mode feature out of the box.
Furthermore, exploring iQOO 11’s camera modes doesn’t show any “Super Macro” mode that was present on its predecessor, the iQOO 9T.

Results

Are you convinced with your picks? Well, here are the results:

Photo A — iQOO 11

Photo B — OnePlus 11

Conclusion

Some of you might have already noticed that most photos are consistent all throughout the set. Regardless of what type of camera lens and mode it is, whether its wide, ultra-wide, 2x, indoors or outdoors, day or even night, the left side lean towards the cooler side of the spectrum while the latter has an overall warmer output. What most of you didn’t know is telling which phone is which.

If you have read our iQOO 9T vs vivo X80 Pro camera shootout before, overall results show that vivo produced cooler photos over its iQOO counterpart. But the case is different with this camera duel.

The iQOO 11 may have the latest V2 imaging chip from its parent brand, vivo, but that didn’t help much in taking more color-accurate photos. Photos tend to be less vibrant and have cooler AWB — well except for OnePlus’ photos in sets W10 / W11 / Z7 / Z8 / Z11 / that looked cooler than iQOO’s. And even if OIS is turned on, some photo details are less clear. They are just blurry even if you try hard to be still, especially in 2x zoom and night mode shots.

On the other side of the coin, OnePlus 11 has an overall better representation of how my eyes perceived the subjects, objects, and sceneries I’ve captured IRL. It’s maybe because of the new Sony IMX890 sensor, the equipped 13-channel multi-spectral sensor, and/or even the added Hasselblad color calibration.

Convenience and faster snaps

While I wasn’t able to show the beauty of Hasselblad filters (you can head over to Rodneil’s OPPO Find N2 review to know more about that), it’s a great addition if you want to capture photos with more oomph. Moreover, the OnePlus 11 snaps photos faster than the iQOO 11. Double clicking power button is handy for quick camera sessions that the iQOO 11 doesn’t possess.

Lastly, taking night mode photos was also a breeze. Most nighttime photos with the OnePlus 11 only took below 0.5 seconds whereas iQOO struggles between 1-3 seconds of night mode shutter duration. That’s more helpful when taking photos of moving subjects, city life, and even pets at night.

Back in 2019, aside from the US and Huawei tensions, we’ve made a head-to-head flagship duel between the iPhone 11 Pro Max and Huawei Mate 30 Pro. Fast forward three years after, the two companies met again in a very feature-focused camera showdown.

The iPhone 14 Pro Max (together with its smaller Pro sibling) are just two of the best smartphone cameras in the market right now.

Meanwhile, after two years, Huawei has decide to bring back something that was already considered “dead” — their Mate line. And just like past Mate smartphones, the Mate 50 Pro is also a big contender in today’s flagship smartphone category.

Camera specs

	Huawei Mate 50 Pro	iPhone 14 Pro Max
Wide	50MP f/1.4-4.0 Dual Variable Aperture OIS + PDAF + Laser AF	48MP f/1.78 Sensor-Shift OIS + Dual-Pixel PDAF
Ultra-Wide	13MP f/2.2 120º	12MP f/2.2 120º
Telephoto	64MP f/3.5 3.5x optical zoom 100x digital zoom OIS	12MP f/2.8 3x optical zoom 15x digital zoom
Selfie	13MP f/2.4 + ToF 3D Depth	12MP f/1.9
Others	LED Flash Up to 4K/60fps	Dual-LED Dual-Tone Flash Up to 4K/60fps Cinematic Mode 4K LiDAR Scanner

While there are many differences between the imaging system of these two smartphones, they are close enough to be considered direct rivals of one another. Ultra-wide cameras that seem too similar, main sensors and selfie cameras that are close enough in megapixel count.

But what makes the Mate 50 Pro stand out at least on paper? If you’re still not aware, the new Mate features an “Ultra-Aperture Camera” with a dual variable aperture system that switches between f/1.4 to f/4.0. Other than that, it offers a revolutionary periscope telephoto lens with a zoom range between 3.5x up to 100x.

For the iPhone, it’s got a nifty LiDAR scanner with a dual-LED dual-tone flash, as well as its ever-stable Sensor-Shift OIS and 4K Cinematic Mode. And oh, did I mention that Apple added a 2x crop zoom based on the large 48MP sensor?

But just like what we always say in this website, numbers and tech specs aren’t everything. We’re here to show you how the cameras of these phones perform IRL by comparing photo samples side-by-side through this camera shootout test.

Wide

The megapixel count between these two phones is a close call: 48MP vs 50MP. But what really sets one apart from the other?

As previously emphasized, the Mate 50 Pro highlights a dual-variable aperture system between f/1.4 to f/4.0 (versus iPhone 14 Pro Max’s f/1.78). But does it really offer anything significant in terms of photo quality?

#1

#2

#3

#4

#5

#6

#7

#8

#9

#10

#11

#12

#13A (Portrait OFF)

#13B (Portrait ON)

#14

#15

Ultra-wide

Offering the same 120-degree FoV (Field of View) and f/2.2 aperture, do we really expect anything grand between these two?

#16

#17

#18A

Telephoto

The major difference has got to be the telephoto lenses of these two smartphones.

The iPhone 14 Pro Max offers a measly 12MP f/2.8 that can zoom between 3x to 15x. However, the Mate 50 Pro is just miles ahead with its 64MP f/3.5 periscope telephoto lens can zoom between 3.5x to 100x. But what does it really tell in photo quality?

#18B (3.5x zoom)

#19A (3.5x zoom)

#19B (10x zoom)

#19C (10x zoom)

#20 (3.5x zoom)

#21 (3.5x zoom)

Night Mode

While iPhones aren’t the best when it comes to night time smartphone photography, it can still shoot Night Mode photos ever since the iPhone 11 release.

Concurrently, Huawei highlights its “Super Night Mode” capabilities thanks to its new Ultra Aperture Camera, RYYB Sensor, and XD Fusion Pro image engine.

#22 (Wide)

#23 (Wide)

#24 (Ultra-wide)

#25 (Wide)

#26 (Ultra-wide)

#27A (Wide)

#27B (Ultra-wide)

#28 (3.5x zoom)

#29A (Wide)

#29B (3.5x zoom)

#30 (10x zoom)

BONUS: Selfie

The iPhone 14 Pro Max features an all-new 12MP f/1.9 selfie camera with autofocus capabilities. Meanwhile. the Huawei Mate 50 Pro offers a 13MP f/2.4 with an additional ToF 3D depth sensor.

Results

A lot of you might have been confused or tricked but here are the corresponding photos for each phone:

Photo A – Huawei Mate 50 Pro

Photo B – iPhone 14 Pro Max

Conclusion

Both phones showed decent amounts of highlights, shadows, contrast, sharpness, and an overall desirable High Dynamic Range. What sets these two phones apart from each other though is how each phone identifies AWB (Auto White Balance).

Having to use the Huawei P50 Pro during the early months of 2022 (and even compared it against the iPhone 13 Pro Max), I was expecting that the Mate 50 Pro would perform the same way as P50 Pro: having warm photos all throughout the board.

The (literally) cooler photos tell otherwise. In some instances, the Mate 50 Pro took “warmer shots” based on how its AI mode processed photos such as in indoor wide shots #4 / #8 / #9 / #12 and outdoor UWA photos #16 and #17. However, the same thing cannot be said in night mode. They all resulted to warmer shots versus the iPhone.

Not that it’s a bad thing as I actually prefer them over the iPhone. Having an eyesight that is clear enough than the rest of the population, I can tell that what the Mate 50 Pro is closer to reality than what the iPhone 14 Pro Max offered. Specifically in shots #23 / #28 / #30, it was able to preserve a decent amount of highlights instead of blowing them out. Most of all, the shots on the Mate 50 Pro are more lifelike / vivid.

Lastly, if you’ve read my iPhone 14 Pro Max versus the XS Max camera comparison, you’d know that the newest iPhone can’t shoot subjects closer. The same case can be seen on Shot #15. The only fix is to use the iPhone’s 2x zoom and shoot at a farther distance.

While both phones performed close to one another, the Huawei Mate 50 Pro still shines the most with its powerful periscope telephoto zoom and Super Night Mode prowess. It truly excelled in making zoomed and low-light shots into something that’s lively and closer to the naked eye.

SEE ALSO:

Huawei Mate 50 Pro vs HONOR Magic4 Pro: Camera Shootout

iPhone 14 Pro Max vs iPhone XS Max: Camera Shootout

In case you didn’t know, HONOR used to be Huawei’s sub-brand — until they decided to part ways. While still using Huawei’s EMUI software (but calling it Magic UI), HONOR is now operating as a separate entity.

But what actually makes the HONOR Magic4 Pro different from Huawei’s reborn flagship, the Mate 50 Pro?

Well, aside from the obvious Magic vs Mate branding, Huawei has its own “Ultra Aperture” camera. Coined from the term itself, it features a dual-variable aperture versus the Magic4 Pro’s fixed f/1.8 lens opening.

	Huawei Mate 50 Pro	HONOR Magic4 Pro
Wide	50MP f/1.4-4.0 PDAF + Laser AF + OIS	50MP f/1.8 Multi-Directional PDAF + Laser AF
Ultra-Wide	13MP f/2.2 120º	50MP f/2.2 122º
Telephoto	64MP f/3.5 3.5x optical zoom 100x digital zoom OIS	64MP f/3.5 3.5x optical zoom 100x digital zoom OIS
Selfie	13MP f/2.4 + ToF 3D Depth	12MP f/2.4 + ToF 3D Depth

It also looks like the megapixel count is smaller on the ultra-wide unit of the Huawei Mate 50 Pro. Aside from that, the periscope telephoto lens and selfie cameras of the two phones are very much alike.

Now that you get a clear picture between the similarities and differences of each phone’s camera system, let’s get on to our camera shootout!

Wide

As previously mentioned, the Mate 50 Pro features a dual-variable aperture while the Magic4 Pro is consistent with its aperture offering. But can you really tell which is which considering they both feature a 50MP sensor?

#1

#2

#3

#4

#5 (Portrait)

#6

#7

#8

Ultra-Wide

For shots that require a wider Field of View (FoV), which do you think wins this round considering that the Magic4 Pro features a 50MP ultra-wide shooter while the Mate 50 Pro has a measly 12MP UWA shooter? (Despite the same f/2.2 aperture)

#9

#10

#11

Periscope Telephoto: Optical Zoom

Both the Mate and the Magic have a similar 64MP f/3.5 lens that has an optical zoom range of 3.5x. But of course, there would still be a difference in post-processing AI algorithm.

#12

#13

#14

 #15

#16

Periscope Telephoto: Lossless to Digital Zoom

With a similar periscope lens, both phones can both achieve a 10x lossless zoom and up to 100x digital zoom. But in this specific section, I chose to just zoom up digitally to just 60x.

#17 (10x)

#18 (10x)

#19 (30x)

#20 (60x)

Night Mode

This is what makes or breaks a smartphone camera. With the obvious differences in Night Mode processing magic, one phone definitely stands out. That’s either a matter of personal preference or just fans’ favorites.

#21 (Ultra-wide)

#22

#23

#24

#25

#26 (3.5x zoom)

#27

#28

#29

#30

BONUS: Super Macro

Just like other flagship smartphones nowadays, Super Macro is a feature that uses the ultra-wide lenses instead of the regular wide one in order to take close-up macro shots of objects. Doing so requires you to go closer to the subject you are shooting.

Results

You may already have a hint considering the results are consistent throughout the board:

Photo A — HONOR Magic4 Pro

Photo B — Huawei Mate 50 Pro

Conclusion

What should set both phones apart are the way they process each shot — but Huawei and HONOR’s similar AI camera processing techniques are what actually makes it hard to differentiate one phone from another.

For the most part, you can barely tell which is which. Shots taken during the broad daylight looked barely different regardless if its the regular wide, ultra-wide, or even the periscope telephoto lens.

But in some instances, the HONOR Magic4 Pro boosts saturation while the Huawei Mate 50 Pro samples focuses on brightening up the shots. However, its dual-variable aperture camera did not really make drastic differences in daylight shots for it to be considered a “groundbreaking” camera feature in today’s flagship smartphones.

Now when it comes to Night Mode “Magic”, the Huawei Mate 50 Pro is the clearer winner — especially with its very wide f/1.4 aperture. As I told in my past camera shootouts, the “better” Night Mode shot isn’t just about being the brightest nor the most vibrant of the bunch.

In the case of the Mate, it displayed the right amount of shadows, highlights, contrast and even the dynamic range. Most of all, its saturation what you can actually see irl.

Honestly speaking, I thought the HONOR Magic4 Pro is one among the best flagship smartphones for night photography. But after seeing how there’s a clear distinction between it and the Huawei Mate 50 Pro, I have reconsidered my opinion.

The less-saturated look of the night shots taken with the HONOR Magic4 Pro is preferential though. Some may still like it because it gives you that flat, RAW-like image. Thus, giving you more creative freedom in post-processing the shot afterwards.

Honestly, you can never go wrong between choosing these smartphones. But the dealbreaker is: can you compromise 5G and proper GMS support over a set of cameras that perform better at night?

SEE ALSO:

iPhone 14 Pro Max vs Huawei Mate 50 Pro: Camera Shootout

Get Google Apps on your Huawei Mate 50 Pro

HONOR Magic4 Pro: My Best Concert Companion