We Reveal the Phones Behind the Images: Blind Camera Test Results. The Results May Surprise You

We’ve all been complaining about the lack of innovation in smartphones in recent years. It feels like the only thing getting upgraded is the camera, which has taken on a more prominent role, as evidenced by the amount of time dedicated to camera announcements during phone launches.

The question has always been whether these upgrades are meaningful. We can all agree that a $1,200 Galaxy S24 Ultra takes better pictures than a $90 Galaxy F05. However, are we talking about objective superiority, or is the nature of photography inherently subjective?

We know cheap phones can handle everyday tasks like social media doom-scrolling and calls decently well, which is the extent of most people’s use. So, if photo quality isn’t vastly different, are flagships a scam?

We wanted to see how budget phones would fare against recent flagships in the camera department. To find out, we conducted a blind camera test with the phones we had on hand.

Here are camera samples from four different phones. Pick your favourite and make a mental note of it.

The images

The images were taken by:

• The $85 ZTE Blade A35
• The $95 ZTE Blade A55
• The $120 nubia V60 Design
• The iPhone 14 (launched at $800 in 2022 but now available for under $600 in Zimbabwe—and even just below $500 for a pre-loved unit).

The reveal

Looking at the combatants, it doesn’t seem like a fair fight—but is that the case? Before I reveal which phone took which image, you can try to guess. Go back to the images and try to match each one with a phone.

Here’s who took what:

• Image A – V60
• Image B – A35
• Image C – iPhone
• Image D – A55

I imagine many people correctly matched the iPhone and the V60 but may have swapped the A35 and A55.

Which image did people like?

We asked people which image they preferred, and these were the results:

On X:

• Image A (V60): 14%
• Image B (A35): 10.9%
• Image C (iPhone): 74.1%
• Image D (A55): 1%

On WhatsApp:

• Image A (V60): 10.6%
• Image B (A35): 10.3%
• Image C (iPhone): 74.9%
• Image D (A55): 4.2%

The iPhone was the winner on Facebook as well, as expected. However, the budget phones received far more votes than most people anticipated.

The iPhone was preferred by only three-quarters of respondents. A whole quarter liked the images produced by the budget phones. Here’s what a few people had to say about the images:

• “A looks authentic, C is great, but doesn’t look original” [@Eng_Srm01 on X]
• “No iPhone image, all look bad” [Dudley Mutero on Facebook]
• “B looks real but I kinda like C” [Trevor Tanaka Takawira on Facebook]
• “A is true to life kkkk” [Kwela Ndabezitha Gabela on Facebook]

As you can see, preferences vary. While the ultimate numbers suggest the iPhone 14 produced an objectively better image, it’s not an undisputed victory.

My preference

In my opinion, the iPhone’s image is the best. It managed to avoid blowing out the sun and its reflection on the water, unlike B and D. In other words, it captured the golden glow of the setting sun most effectively. The V60 (Image A) did okay, while the other two produced a washed-out white mess.

The iPhone also retained some of the colour that others couldn’t, especially the bluish/greenish hue in the water, which matched what my eyes saw.

The difference is even starker in terms of detail. Look at the clouds in the iPhone’s image—they’re sharper and correctly capture the golden glow from the sun, all in greater detail. The same goes for the ripples in the water.

However, as the 25% who voted for other options show, technical superiority doesn’t always lead to a universally pleasing picture. Some thought the V60’s image was true to life, while others felt the A35’s looked real. Subjectivity remains subjective.

I was impressed with the V60’s performance, it rightfully earned its second-place finish. It was unexpected to see how close people on WhatsApp rated the V60 to the A35. The A35’s photo lacked any vibrancy, the water appeared almost black.

The A55’s results were disappointing. It was significantly outperformed by the more affordable A35. Its image quality was the poorest of the bunch, primarily due to a reddish tint and overexposed highlights. This issue was consistent across multiple shots.

Are flagships worth it?

You could argue that the comparison wasn’t fair to the iPhone 14 because it’s two years old, while the others are 2024 models. Or you could say it still costs significantly more, so it was the favourite.

The iPhone 16 takes better pictures than the 14, so I imagine it would have fared even better. It might not have been uninamous, but it would have been decisive.

However, if you liked one of the other three’s photos, what does that mean? Are you better off saving money and getting a budget phone, even if you can afford a flagship? If the major reason to buy a flagship is image quality, and 25% of people prefer the budget options, are flagships worth it?

Let us know what you think. Did you guess correctly? Were you surprised by the results?

Oh, we have the budget phones included in this test for sale here on Techzim if you are interested. Just click on the names and you will be able to find out more about the devices and proceed to buy if you wish.

• ZTE Blade A35 (64GB, 4GB) – $85
• ZTE Blade A55 (128GB, 4GB) – $95
• ZTE Nubia Blade V60 (256GB, 4GB) – $120

Also read:

• ZTE Blade V50 Design: one of the best phones you can get for around $120
• iPhone 14 review – solid little phone that even Android enthusiasts can tolerate/enjoy
• ZTE playing games by slapping iPhone-inspired stuff like the Live Island on budget devices?