Camera shootout - Google Pixel 5 tested vs the best Android camera phones - Android - Canadian apps and news

Camera shootout - Google Pixel 5 tested vs the best Android camera phones - Android

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Google's Pixel 5 comes at a lower price point this year, but can it still compete with the best smartphone cameras around?

Google has a reputation as one of the best phone camera companies in the business, but can the search giant hold on to that reputation in 2020? The Google Pixel 5 sticks uses the same old main sensor as last year’s Pixel 4, while also ditching telephoto capabilities for a wide-angle lens. It’s a very conservative approach in the modern age of quad-lenses and experimental sensors. It’s going to be an uphill battle against its rivals.

We’re undertaking a four-way shootout this time, pitting the Google Pixel 5 against three of the best camera phones of the year: the Samsung Galaxy S20 Plus, Huawei P40 Pro, and the Sony Xperia 5 II. With the Pixel 5 arriving at a much more affordable price point than its rivals, can it still offer a competitive camera experience? Let’s find out.

If you want to examine the results in closer detail, you can find the full-res shots in this Google Drive folder.

More Pixel 5 camera shootouts:

Google Pixel 5 vs OnePlus 8T
Google Pixel 5 vs Samsung Galaxy S20 FE

Camera specs

	Google Pixel 5	Samsung Galaxy S20 Plus	Huawei P40 Pro	Sony Xperia 5 II
Main Camera	12.2 megapixels f/1.7 aperture 1/2.55-inch sensor Dual Pixel PDAF, OIS	12 megapixels f/1.8 aperture 1/1.76-inch sensor Dual Pixel PDAF, OIS	50 megapixels (12.5MP binned) f/1.9 aperture 1/1.28-inch sensor Omnidirectional PDAF, OIS, RYYB	12 megapixels f/1.7 aperture 1/1.7-inch sensor Dual Pixel PDAF, OIS
Secondary camera	107˚ wide-angle 16 megapixel f/2.2 aperture	Wide-angle 12 megapixels f/2.2 aperture	Wide-angle 40 megapixels (10MP binned) f/1.8 aperture 1/1.54-inch sensor PDAF	124˚ wide-angle 12 megapixels f/2.2 aperture 1/2.55-inch sensor Dual Pixel PDAF
Third camera		3x hybrid zoom 64 megapixels (16MP binned) f/2.0 aperture 1/1.72-inch sensor PDAF, OIS	5x telephoto zoom 12 megapixels f/3.4 aperture PDAF, OIS, RYYB	3x optical zoom 12 megapixels f/2.4 aperture 1/3.4-inch sensor PDAF, OIS
Fourth camera		Depth (time-of-flight) 0.3 megapixels	Depth (time-of-flight)

Color balance and exposure

Let’s start with the quintessential aspects of any good picture. Color, exposure, and white balance.

: Google Pixel 5

: Samsung Galaxy S20+

: Huawei P40 Pro

: Sony Xperia 5 II

We know what to expect from these companies when it comes to color processing. Samsung heavily saturates for more pop, but results don’t look very realistic. Sony aims for natural, muted colors, although this can appear boring in places. Google and Huawei sit somewhere in the middle, aiming for realism but sometimes adding in a small boost to accentuate some scenes.

This really is a case of personal preference. I lean towards Sony’s approach.

: Google Pixel 5

: Samsung Galaxy S20+