OnePlus 6 camera shootout results!

We put the OnePlus 6 in an all-out camera camera battle against its biggest competitors, the Google Pixel 2 XL, Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus, iPhone X.

We took identical images with each phone and asked you to pick your favorites. This time we made the results anonymous — you simply knew them as “Phone 1”, “Phone 2”, “Phone 3”, and “Phone 4.”

Today we reveal these mystery devices’ identities and crown the king. One of you lucky readers will also be walking away with a OnePlus 6, so stick around until the end of the post for more details on that!

Without further ado, let’s start by revealing the contenders’ hidden identities.

Revealed phone identities

• Phone 1: Google Pixel 2 XL
• Phone 2: OnePlus 6
• Phone 3: iPhone X
• Phone 4: Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus

Full resolution images

Just in case you still want to go and take a look at the full resolution images. The ones used in this post (as well as the original shootout) were resized for web loading purposes.

• Phone 1 full resolution images
• Phone 2 full resolution images
• Phone 3 full resolution images
• Phone 4 full resolution images

Vote results

Let’s take a look at the votes. The phone that won the most times each category will be victorious!

Daylight

Winner: Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus (41 percent of all votes)

The Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus was the clear winner, getting 41 percent of over 2,200 votes. It’s quite an achievement, and we can see why so many of you liked this photo. Samsung is known for both its hardware and software photo capabilities, and both are clearly on display here.

Samsung’s photo has striking post-processing, but maintains an overall high quality. Everything seems balanced. There is good detail, fair dynamic range, vibrant coloring, a bright blue sky, and an even good exposure — all without giving up detail in the tower and foliage.

Winner: Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus (36 percent of all votes)

The Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus took this section by storm, getting both wins in the Daylight category. In this image we see a more evenly exposed frame with good details, no blowouts, and great colors. Even details in the water and sculpture’s texture are significantly more noticeable.

Lowlight

Winner: OnePlus 6 (31 percent of all votes)

The OnePlus 6 took the winning spot by one percent, with the Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus right behind it.  Both devices took a great photo, but I can see some clear differences between the two. The OnePlus 6 picture had better white balance, for starters. It was also better exposed, showing more details in the paint, wall’s texture, and the corner in the back. Furthermore, dynamic range is better in the OnePlus photo.

Winner: Google Pixel 2 XL (44 percent of all votes)

This was my favorite picture of the day. Nothing like a good hometown skyline shot, right? This time the Google Pixel 2 XL rose above — by far. The nearest contender was the iPhone X at 25 percent.

We knew the Google Pixel 2 XL’s image would be the winner from the moment the shots were taken. The phone grabbed more detail from the water and buildings, all without over-softening or adding weird elements. Buildings in the back carry detail, but are not over-exposed. The image is true to life, yet improved in subtle ways to keep colors vibrant and exposure more realistic. It is clean, crisp, and colorful.

Landscape

Winner: iPhone X (39 percent of all votes)

While the iPhone X isn’t so popular ’round these parts, it deserved props here. All you need to do is look at the stones in the foreground to see how much detail it captured.

The dynamic range in this shot is amazing, considering how the sensor fought against direct sunlight. Other phones couldn’t even come close. It also had a more balanced exposure, overall. The water has plenty of detail, as do the cliffs and people.

Winner: Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus (35 percent of all votes)

Samsung is back at it with an evenly exposed shot, vibrant colors, a crisp San Diego skyline, and great dynamic range. Trees come with plenty of detail, as do clouds. The sky is not as blue as some may like, but as usual, the photo looks closer to real life.

Portrait mode

Winner: Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus (54 percent of all votes)

We didn’t love any of these shots, but we can see why people liked Samsung’s sample better. Colors are strong, the background is blurred out well, and the phone did a pretty good job separating the subject from the background.

Winner: Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus (40 percent of all votes) 

The real contest here was between the OnePlus 6 and the Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus. The Pixel shot was too hazy and colors were off, and the iPhone X’s exposure was a mess. We can see why so many of you picked Samsung’s photo — blacks are deeper, colors are saturated, and separation between the subject and background is amazing. I just wish it showed more of my hair’s detail; it looks too dark.

Food

Winner: iPhone X (36 percent of all votes)

The iPhone X hasn’t gotten many wins, but at least it got the white balance, color, and exposure here right. All other photos messed up in these departments. It was a tough shot, which made deciding the best one a little easier. It’s simpler to tell the best photo when the others are all horrendous.

Winner: Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus (38 percent of all votes)

It was clear the Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus would win this one. Exposure is spot on, with no blowouts or weird light elements. Colors are vibrant, and details on the desserts are crisp. Really nice food shot for Instagram!

Pets

Winner: OnePlus 6 (69 percent of all votes)

I take advantage of every opportunity to show off my cat, but I want to make sure I do it with the best camera possible. The OnePlus 6 took this contest with 69 percent of all votes, which makes total sense. Colors are much more appealing in its shot, and it caught much more detail in the fur. The image is crisp. Even though it is also a bit under-exposed, it is a clear winner.

Winner: OnePlus 6 (45 percent of all votes) 

There was plenty of color and detail to capture here. The Pixel came out with a hazy picture, while the iPhone X over-softened the image and didn’t get color right. Out of the two left, we thought the clear winner was the OnePlus 6. We are glad to see many of you agreed. The photo is crisp, well exposed, has strong hues, and offers an amount of hair detail none of the contenders can match.

It seems the OnePlus 6 is great with pets!

Selfie

Winner: OnePlus 6 (52 percent of all votes)

This photo loses plenty of detail in the shade, an obvious sign of over-processing, but we can’t deny it is definitely the best of the bunch. The background looks colorful, blacks are deep, and you can even appreciate the beautifully smooth texture of my skin. That must be why most people voted for this shot!

Winner: OnePlus 6 (36 percent of all votes)

There’s a similar pattern here. Deep blacks and strong shadows, with plenty of crispness, detail in my face, and vibrant colors. It lost detail in the beard, but the OnePlus 6’s image is still a winner.

Conclusion & giveaway winner

• Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus: 6 wins (31.64% of 7206 votes)
• OnePlus 6: 5 wins (30% of all votes)
• iPhone X: 2 wins (20.34 of all votes)
• Google Pixel 2 XL: 1 wins (18.02% of all votes)

You voted and crowned the Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus as the best camera phone in this shootout. Beating a Samsung flagship is no easy feat, especially for the OnePlus 6, which stands at a price point hundreds of dollars lower. Then again, Apple’s contender is also $1,000 and still fell way behind.

However, the overall score doesn’t say it all. Every single user has different preferences, habits, and needs. The OnePlus 6 did better with selfies and pets. While, most of you preferred the Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus for daylight and portrait images.

Figuring out what you want from a smartphone is exactly the point of these shootouts. It’s about finding where camera phones excel and fall short. Now, if you want a winner, the people have chosen Samsung — and luck has chosen one of you.

That’s right — it’s time to announce the OnePlus 6 giveaway winner. Congratulations to Blue K. from Australia, the winner of a brand new OnePlus 6! For everyone else, we’re giving away a Samsung Galaxy S9 this week, so head to this giveaway page for another chance to win.

Read Next: 5 reasons you should buy the OnePlus 6