iPhone X vs Pixel 2 XL vs Galaxy Note 8: The Best Camera Phone in the World?

The camera in a smartphone has become a crucial part of any shopper's buying decision. Whether you're a photography enthusiast or a casual Instagram-er, it's important to have a good camera in your phone. We get this question all the time - which is the best smartphone camera?

Well, we've tried to answer that in the past in our earlier camera shootouts but since then, there have been a couple of very interesting and important launches that have grabbed everyone's attention. We, of course, are talking about the iPhone X and Pixel 2 XL, two flagships with bleeding edge technology but most importantly, with two very impressive cameras. We're also adding the Galaxy Note 8 to this comparison, since it's currently Samsung's flagship offering with an equally impressive camera system.

All three phones have 12-megapixel sensors with large apertures and optical image stabilisation. The iPhone X and the Note 8 also sport secondary telephoto sensors, which allow them to do optical zoom and tricks like portrait mode. The Pixel 2 XL lacks a second sensor, but you'll be amazed at what it can achieve thanks to Google's software prowess.

For this comparison, we tested the three smartphone cameras under varying conditions, which are all explained in detail in the video below.

With that out of the way, let's take a closer look at the performance of each of the cameras in different scenarios. Though we used multiple images for each scenario, in the interest of brevity, we've restricted ourselves to just one image that best captures the differences between the various phones. Let's take a closer look'

iPhone X vs Pixel 2 XL vs Note 8: Daylight landscape
In our landscape tests, HDR was set to Auto for all phones. Here, we look for detail levels, light metering, and accuracy of colours.

The Pixel 2 XL takes the early lead thanks to better light metering and accurate colours. If you look at the first car, you'll notice the details on the bonnet and roof are clearly legible, compared to the overexposed look of the other two. While the iPhone X loses out in exposure, it's close behind the Pixel when it comes to sharpness. The Note 8 doesn't do too badly with the exposure but the details on the objects on the sides are a bit softer than the other two.

Tap for full-sized image of Pixel 2 XL camera sample

Other samples - Galaxy Note 8 and iPhone X

In our second landscape test, we shot this around noon, with the sun bearing down on the building in the front of us. Here, the iPhone X has the best representation of the scene as it balances the colours nicely. Details are also very good here but once again, the Pixel 2 XL has a slight edge in capturing detail. which is noticeable once you zoom in. The Note 8 has better hues for the sky and details are also quite good. The Pixel 2 XL's picture looks a bit cloudy compared to the other two.