iPhone SE vs. Google Pixel 3A: Both cameras compared
Pixel 3A versus iPhone SE.
Ian Knighton / CNET
The iPhone SE is Apple’s new entry-level phone. For $ 399, you get a device with the same powerful A13 processor as $ 699 iPhone 11, packed in the body of an iPhone 8. It is also impressive that you get a camera that is similar in many ways to the 11, but without a few frills. This is reminiscent of Google’s Pixel 3A. Last year, the 3A offered the exceptional 2018 Pixel 3 camera for just $ 399.
Which raises the question: does Apple’s new entry-level camera beat Google’s? In most cases, this is certainly the case.
The two phones have similar camera functions. Both are single lens setups that are rare in times when even inexpensive phones have two or three cameras on the back. As a result, both ultra-wide-angle features or a shooter dedicated to optimizing the zoom are missing. (To get an iPhone with a telephoto lens, you need to choose an 11 Pro.) Both can also record 4K videos.
They diverge the most at night: the 3A offers night vision, while the SE has no way of improving the conditions in low light conditions. And indeed the Pixel 3A has a much stronger nighttime performance. Apart from that, the SE wins big.
Standard rules for photography of the iPhone SE
Photos taken by Pixel 3A are generally more subdued than those taken by iPhone SE. This has advantages and disadvantages. The iPhone occasionally suffers from overwhelming highlights, while the pixel is more consistent. In my tests, it was usually the iPhone that took more impressive photos.
For example, see how much more vivid this close-up of a flower is. It looks undersaturated and artificially chilled when picked up by the Pixel 3A, and much more alive through the iPhone SE.
However, it is not always so one-sided. The banksia flower below is much more eye-catching, such as that captured by the iPhone, but the pixel has some advantages. The greens are deeper and the pixel has better used the light to separate the foreground and background.
For the most part, however, this tendency to exuberance has a positive effect on the iPhone. This coffee shot, which is somewhat embarrassing in public, shows another dynamic: the pixel tends to cool pictures while the iPhone warms them up. It’s fair to have a subjective preference on which tone you prefer, but the iPhone photo will surely appear more outside of the hue.
Again, there are times when the more reserved photography of the pixel works in its favor. This photo of bushes (there is not much to photograph at the moment, except flowers and green) has bulky lighting on the SE compared to the more balanced 3A.
But this photo is an outlier; Of the dozens of standard photos I took with the two phones, this one below is probably the most representative. Both phones take great photos, but the iPhones are more dynamic and eye-catching.
Pixel portraits vs. iPhone SE
Both the iPhone SE and Pixel 3A take exceptional portraits. However, there are differences. And here, more than standard shots that you like more, it’s mainly about personal preference rather than one camera being better than another.
An essential difference between the two is not the image quality, but the image to take. Pixel 3A zooms in when taking portraits – the image below was taken from exactly the same distance. This is a practical matter that makes the Pixel 3A a little less flexible when framing than the SE. (iPhones normally zoom into portrait mode 2x by default, but the SE does not because it has no telephoto lens.)
In the picture above you will find that my roommate Dan’s hair, both the curls above and the beard below, are sharper and more detailed in the pixel shot. His skin tone also looks a bit brushed in the iPhone recording. Also note how differently the two devices have detected its jumper. The green of the iPhone is more accurate.
In the following Rachael settings, the rendering of the pixel is more balanced. But it’s also flatter. Notice how clearly in the foreground it is in the iPhone shot. There is some loss of detail as Rachel’s eyes pop into the iPhone shot, but you can barely see their color on the pixel photo. Your skin also looks more natural in the iPhone portrait. The pixel photo looks like someone has taken the structural value in an Instagram post and moved it up.
iPhone SE (L) against Pixel 3a (R).
Daniel Van Boom / CNET
This is more pronounced in the following portraits of Dynn. His skin looks a little brushed in the iPhone shot, but much too sharp and sharp in the Pixel 3A image. The wrinkles under his eyes look like particularly unfortunate consequences of artificial sharpening.
Ultimately, it depends on subjective taste which phone makes a better portrait shot. However, I would give the iPhone points for more consistency.
Night vision is king
It’s easy when it comes to photography in low light. When we compare standing night shots, the iPhone is usually a little better. However, the Pixel 3A has a night vision device and the iPhone SE does not have the 11 series night mode. When Night Sight is activated, there is no competition.
Take the following scene. The Pixel 3A may have taken a cooler picture – the dim light creates an eerie effect – but the iPhone SE captured a lot more information. In the photo of the latter, you can see more of the mulch on the ground and more of the surrounding trees.
These Gnocchi pictures were taken with backlighting, not real night conditions. The iPhone has a much better contrast and a more satisfactory sharpness. Pixel 3A has an uncomfortable hue due to some white balance issues.
But then we come to the iPhone SE and take the Pixel 3A with the night vision device turned on. It’s a whole new game that shows how much blessing night modes are. In all of the cases below, Night Sight outperforms the (admirable) performance of the iPhone SE in low light.
Zoom is the weakness of the iPhone SE
You have to give me some leeway because comparing the zoom capabilities of the two phones was an inaccurate science. The iPhone SE photo app provides you with a zoom slider, but no corresponding number that indicates whether you are magnified 2x or 3x or 4x. Therefore, the following photos are not 1: 1 comparisons because they are displayed. It is unlikely that the exact same zoom level will be achieved.
Nevertheless, the Pixel 3a looks far ahead of the iPhone SE. I mean that literally, since the 3a can work up to 7x digital zoom and it looks like the SE is limited to 5x. The Pixel 3A also takes clearer enlarged photos.
In the photo above, the image of the pixel is much clearer and sharper at about 2x zoom. You will see this when you look closely at the green, but it strikes you immediately when you look at the pink flowers.
The following picture shows a 4x zoom of a bottle of wine that I have hidden from my roommates (drink responsibly, all of you). Admittedly, you can see that I have enlarged the iPhone SE a little further – but that there is a big difference in image quality that is probably not explained by the small gap in the zoom. The iPhone keeps its warmth, but looks much louder. This is especially true when you look at the background.
Finally, this water jug (previously filled with beer – drinking responsibly, etc.) was recorded on both mobile phones with a 5x zoom. The 3A’s shot is much clearer.
I really want to say something that is crucial, because here too I cannot be 100% sure which enlargement lengths I have included here. But it seems that the iPhone SE is far less zoomable.
Selfies work better on iPhone
The Pixel 3A and iPhone SE are generally evenly matched in terms of their front cameras. Sometimes the pixel captures more details, sometimes the iPhone captures richer colors. Can’t you have everything However, there is a difference. Based on my tests, the iPhone SE can better deal with a wider variety of lighting conditions.
In the following selfie you can see my oddly shaped head. If you take a closer look at the pixel recording, you will also notice more details in the background shrubbery. You can also see flat white residue on the coffee cup lid as well as my dry lips and unfortunately hairy ankles. Hooray for more details!
In the following selfie, however, I preferred the colors of the iPhone SE, especially in the background sheets. The pixel also made my face look unusually smooth, a reversal of its portrait mode effect.
But also pretty much coordinated here. Still, no matter how hard I tried, the Pixel couldn’t handle the lighting in front of my house. This is a portrait selfie, a feature that both phones have, but the standard shots were the same. Washed out, terrible colors and just completely out.
That doesn’t always happen, but even on other photos, I’ve noticed that the pixel is less able to deal with bright lighting conditions. So the nod goes to the iPhone.
Compare video
Compared to the iPhone, the Pixel does an excellent job with videos, as Apple’s devices are known for their video functions. But the iPhone stays ahead here. The main difference was the dynamic range. This was particularly evident at night, when car headlights flashed on the pixel and the iPhone could visibly capture deeper blacks. Check out the video below to see some videos compared.
Between more vivid shots, consistent portraits and selfies, I would call the iPhone a winner here – even though the pixel does better with zoom and night vision. But it’s an advantage that Apple may not be holding onto for long: the rumor Pixel 4A it is not far away.
