Google Pixel 3 Scores 101 on DxOMark, Ties With iPhone XR as Highest-Rated Single-Lens Phone

The phone cameras are getting better with each new flagship and Google has particularly established itself as the company to beat in the smartphone camera market. The company's Pixel 2 reigned over the DxOMark's single-lens smartphone camera rankings until the arrival of iPhone XR and now the Pixel 3 has tied the XR's score to become top-ranked single-lens Android phone. The Pixel 3's overall DxOMark score is only behind a select few flagship smartphones with multi-camera setups.

Google Pixel 3 sports a 12.2-megapixel, 1/2.55-inch dual-pixel sensor with 28mm f/1.8 lens and dual-LED flash. It also supports optical image stabilisation and comes with Google's computation imaging capabilities, which make the Pixel cameras so good despite the lack of any added lenses. The smartphone scored an overall 101 in DxOMark investigation with 103 in photo-specific testing and 98 in video. Comparably, the original Pixel had an overall score of 90 and the Pixel 2 had managed 98.

Breaking down the test, the website remarked that Pixel 3 manages to preserve good detail in most conditions and offers a generally good target exposure and dynamic range. Additionally, it has a fast autofocus and accurate target exposure for LED flash photos. The Pixel 3 camera's video recordings include low noise and efficient motion stabilisation. Though the colours were sometimes dull in the recordings.

According to the DxOMark review, the search giant has shown impressive gains in image processing of Pixel 3 with computational imaging, making it a versatile camera phone that consumers can confidently use in any situation. DxOMark adds that Pixel 3's Zoom and Bokeh functionality have also shown great improvements compared to older Pixel phones but it still lags behind flagships with multi-camera setup.

“But for Android users who don't want to carry a larger phone sporting multiple cameras, the Pixel 3 is the best phone camera they can buy. In terms of pulling a phone out of your pocket and pressing the shutter to let the phone camera do its best, the Pixel 3 is superlative,” writes DxOMark in its review.

Among all smartphones, regardless of the camera setup, the Pixel 3 currently sits at the fifth place in the DxOMark ranking alongside iPhone XR. The Huawei P20 Pro leads the table with an overall score of 109, followed by the iPhone XS Max with a score of 105, HTC U12+ with a score of 103 (it's tied with the Samsung Galaxy Note 9 and Xiaomi Mi Mix 3), and the Huawei P20 with a score of 102.