Content warning: Galaxy Flip phone, opened with image of person showing thumbs up, standing on a glass table top No, megapixel count is not the sole factor you should consider when shopping for a phone. Although megapixel counts are important, other variables affect image
No, megapixel count is not the sole factor you should consider when shopping for a phone. Although megapixel counts are important, other variables affect image quality. The hardware, software, and your personal preference determine picture quality. To understand why megapixel count isn’t the ultimate arbiter of camera quality, it helps to know how smartphone cameras work, what each part does, and how their performance is quantified.
Light is the most critical thing all cameras need to work. Professional cameras can control how much light they receive by adjusting the aperture (the opening between the internal workings of the camera and the outside world). Still, smartphones mostly don’t have that luxury.
Samsung released some flagship phones a few years ago with variable aperture, and Huawei currently has the Mate 50 available with the feature. However, phone manufacturers don’t want to use the space or spend the money to put them in their phones.
Both the Google Pixel and the iPhone phones have far fewer pixel count numbers than many other brands, yet their photos are noticeably better than most other phones. In the Pixel’s case Google uses very smart software to compensate, but both do have larger apertures, allowing more light in especially for low light conditions.
But this is also why I look more at the DXOMark camera tests rather than just the technical specs of any phone’s camera. The proof of the pudding is in the eating, not what it looks like.
