Camera test: iPhone 12 Pro Max vs. Mate 40 Pro vs. Xperia 1 II vs. Galaxy Note20 Ultra

GSMArena Team, 27 November 2020.

Low-light photo quality, telephoto camera

Zooming in at night remains among the tougher challenges for smartphone photography, and we're still not at a point where teles can really be relied on in the dark. But we're getting there.

Starting at 2.5x because that's the iPhone's default and the iPhone is what we've been waiting for, we know not to expect a fight from the Galaxy - it threw in the towel in mid-level zooming in good light already.

In scenes where the iPhone does, in fact, shoot with its tele camera, it captures the sharpest photos of the bunch, and then it's mostly a tie between the Xperia and the Mate. If it's dark enough that the Pro Max falls back to its main camera for 2.5x shooting, the Mate and the Xperia can actually outperform it.

Low light, 2.5x-ish zoom: Galaxy Note20 Ultra • iPhone 12 Pro Max • Mate 40 Pro • Xperia 1 II

As was the case on the ultra-wide camera, the Mate's 2.5x zoom shots actually do get worse in Night mode. A similar development can be seen in the Galaxy's images, and with the iPhone not having a Night mode for the tele camera and the Xperia not having a Night mode at all, here are just a couple of scenes from the Huawei and the Samsung.

Low light, 2.5x-ish zoom, Night mode: Galaxy Note20 Ultra • Mate 40 Pro • Galaxy Note20 Ultra • Mate 40 Pro

Going once again to 5x zoom level, and all of a sudden, the Mate has the strongest halos around mall signs. That's about everything bad that can be said of its images, however. They are otherwise properly great. Sharp, detailed, and clean from noise, they outclass the Note's on all three counts. The Note isn't bad, and its output is a level up from the digitally zoomed-in photos of the Xperia and the iPhone, but the Mate is just superior.

Having said that, we remain unconvinced about Huawei's white balance choices - even the ones among us that don't find a particular company's color science a dealbreaker when choosing a phone.

Low light, 5x zoom: Galaxy Note20 Ultra • iPhone 12 Pro Max • Mate 40 Pro • Xperia 1 II

Against our better judgment, we also tried Night mode. Images get softer on both phones (remember, only the Galaxy and the Mate have Night mode on the telephotos), though there is now some shadow detail lifted out of the extreme darkness. The Mate's output turns noisier too. Ultimately, we would refrain from Night mode in all but the most dire of situations.

Low light, 5x zoom, Night mode: Galaxy Note20 Ultra • Mate 40 Pro • Galaxy Note20 Ultra • Mate 40 Pro

Reader comments

Hossien
28 Apr 2023
cSx

No phone in the world can take pictures as well as a camera, a phone is something that is always available. The camera is not always available, but the phone is everywhere. If a random scene happens, the camera is not available to you, you have to ...

Anonymous
03 May 2022
fD9

imma tell you what, i know a thing or two about taking photos and i would take a proper camera over this

Anonymous
06 Mar 2022
Y7I

That's why I have a Sony RX100 VI for trips and outings when I want better pictures than with my phone. I can zoom in optically a lot and it has a nice picture quality. No need for a DSLR unless you are a paid photographer or need it for work or...