Best smartphone for selfies in 2022: You decide in this blind test

The same rules apply as in all our camera blind tests: We will show you six photos from six different smartphones, but will not reveal which photo came from which handset. Hence, you vote “blindly” for your favorite photo one by one, and then we will take a look at the results in a week’s time and select a winner. Of course, we’ll also reveal which smartphone was behind each particular photo then.

As for the smartphones, we always snap photos using the factory settings without making any tweaks. We also shot every selfie three times with each smartphone before selecting the best shot in each case to eliminate any outliers. Last but not least, we slightly cropped the pictures so that the individual smartphones and their selfie cameras did not give each other away with their slightly different focal lengths.

To further improve the image quality for comparison purposes, we also made sure that the selfie photos of all smartphones are not mirrored. We also activated or deactivated the bokeh mode across the board, also making sure that the beauty modes in all smartphones were deactivated.

Before we begin, here is a quick note: Each new grid of photos is randomly positioned. For example, sample 1A and sample 2A were probably taken using two different smartphones.

Fotografieren mit dem Pixel 6 Pro — The Pixel 6 Pro won our latest camera blind test. / © NextPit Image source: NextPit

Sample 1: Daylight, bokeh off

Let’s begin with the easiest shot: a daylight selfie without any bokeh. The background is a bit brighter than I am, so the smartphone cameras get to show how just how good their dynamic range is.

Which selfie do you like best?

Photo 1A: 41%
Photo 1B: 22%
Photo 1C: 4%
Photo 1D: 6%
Photo 1E: 19%
Photo 1F: 9%

Votes: 54

Sample 2: Daylight, bokeh on

The second subject is identical to the first, but here we have activated the bokeh mode across the board for the selfie camera. We shot using default bokeh settings in this blind test.

Which selfie do you like best?

Photo 2A: 7%
Photo 2B: 2%
Photo 2C: 35%
Photo 2D: 5%
Photo 2E: 47%
Photo 2F: 5%

Votes: 43

Sample 3: Indoor, bokeh off

For the third sample, the lighting conditions are reversed: Camila is more brightly lit here compared to the background. The selfie cameras should still have an easy time here thanks to a sufficient amount of light. But don’t worry, the difficulty level will slowly increase.

Which selfie do you like best?

Photo 3A: 11%
Photo 3B: 31%
Photo 3C: 19%
Photo 3D: 8%
Photo 3E: 8%
Photo 3F: 22%

Votes: 36

Sample 4: Indoor, bokeh on

Again, the previous motif is available for selection, but with Portrait mode activated for each case. Pay attention to how cleanly the smartphones crop Camila from the background. The most difficult aspect here would be the ear jewelry.

Which selfie do you like best?

Photo 4A: 27%
Photo 4B: 20%
Photo 4C: 7%
Photo 4D: 17%
Photo 4E: 13%
Photo 4F: 17%

Votes: 30

Sample 5: Backlight, bokeh off

With sample five, conditions become rather extreme. Fabi positioned himself in front of the window, and the selfie cameras have to prove whether they can cope with extreme contrasts. Most smartphones don’t manage to expose the background sufficiently. However, which picture do you prefer most?

Which selfie do you like best?

Photo 5A: 37%
Photo 5B: 13%
Photo 5C: 3%
Photo 5D: 37%
Photo 5E: 3%
Photo 5F: 7%

Votes: 30

Sample 6: Backlight, bokeh on

Once again, the same applies: Which smartphone delivers the best result in backlight with portrait mode activated? We look forward to your votes!

Which selfie do you like best?

Photo 6A: 14%
Photo 6B: 57%
Photo 6C: 0%
Photo 6D: 0%
Photo 6E: 21%
Photo 6F: 7%

Votes: 28

Sample 7: Tungsten light, bokeh off

Mixed light conditions are a challenge for any white balance situation. Accordingly, the seventh sample is about how well the selfie cameras of the various smartphones captured Antoine. Do pay particular attention to the colors in the image here.

Which selfie do you like best?

Photo 7A: 33%
Photo 7B: 19%
Photo 7C: 15%
Photo 7D: 7%
Photo 7E: 11%
Photo 7F: 15%

Votes: 27

Sample 8: Artificial light, bokeh on

In this next image, you can see the previous subject again, with the portrait mode activated. We found it interesting how the cameras rendered the bokeh with the artificial plants in the background. Which do you like best?

Which selfie do you like best?

Photo 8A: 7%
Photo 8B: 15%
Photo 8C: 19%
Photo 8D: 22%
Photo 8E: 15%
Photo 8F: 22%

Votes: 27

Sample 9: Low-light, bokeh off

One of the biggest differences in our camera blind tests is always in the low-light subjects, and selfie cameras are no exception. And it was really extremely dark with this subject: the light here only comes through a window located in the room on the other side of the hallway.

Which selfie do you like best?

Photo 9A: 0%
Photo 9B: 20%
Photo 9C: 23%
Photo 9D: 30%
Photo 9E: 13%
Photo 9F: 13%

Votes: 30

Sample 10: Low-Light, Bokeh on

It gets even more difficult when bokeh is activated, because, on some smartphones, the night mode for selfies is then no longer available, which was still supported properly previously. Which shot is your favorite?

Which selfie do you like best?

Photo 10A: 9%
Photo 10B: 44%
Photo 10C: 0%
Photo 10D: 12%
Photo 10E: 3%
Photo 10F: 31%

Votes: 32

And now, it is your turn!

Are you surprised by the sometimes rather significant differences between the individual selfie cameras? Or did you expect more drastic differences in image quality? We look forward to your feedback in the comments, and of course, your votes in the polls!

1 comment

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Aleks Quinn
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3 years ago

Thought I would get the results right away, so was a little disappointed, but fun blind test. And interesting idea for a review article. Best wishes for your website. Stay true. Never sell out.

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Sample 1: Daylight, bokeh off

Which selfie do you like best?

Sample 2: Daylight, bokeh on

Which selfie do you like best?

Sample 3: Indoor, bokeh off

Which selfie do you like best?

Sample 4: Indoor, bokeh on

Which selfie do you like best?

Sample 5: Backlight, bokeh off

Which selfie do you like best?

Sample 6: Backlight, bokeh on

Which selfie do you like best?

Sample 7: Tungsten light, bokeh off

Which selfie do you like best?

Sample 8: Artificial light, bokeh on

Which selfie do you like best?

Sample 9: Low-light, bokeh off

Which selfie do you like best?

Sample 10: Low-Light, Bokeh on

Which selfie do you like best?

And now, it is your turn!

1 comment

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