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This a great thread, I'm testing out the Pixel 2 XL, gf has the iphone x. Have you decided to stay with the iphone or go back to pixel?
 
Honestly I’ve not been happy with iPhone pictures since the 5S.

Starting with the 6 (iOS 8) I noticed Apple had really fallen off a cliff with the picture quality.

It’s still good enough and honestly I think the XL2 oversharpens a bit out of the box but I haven’t relied on my iPhone as my main camera for years now.
 
Definitely turn on HDR. Those first pics with the bright window in the background would look much better if HDR was turned on.
 
Any fair minded iPhone user must concede that the Pixel has the best camera. The X is a great effort, but not the best in the field.

Isnt Samsung 9+ the better camera?

https://www.androidauthority.com/samsung-galaxy-s9-plus-vs-google-pixel-2-xl-camera-850727/

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Yes, compared to X the Pixel 2 camera is subjectively, marginally better in most cases. In other cases by a wider margin like Low light pics which is Apple’s Achilles heel.

However IMO there is more to a phone than a good camera and this is where the pixel 2 falls short in other categories in comparison to the X’s premium build. Let’s face it, the Pixel has a way to go on other levels aside from being a great camera. Overall the X, even with the 3rd or 4th best camera doesn’t make it a slouch by any means.

Personally, If one is so critical of their pictures I think a real camera would be better served.
 
This a great thread, I'm testing out the Pixel 2 XL, gf has the iphone x. Have you decided to stay with the iphone or go back to pixel?

I've decided to stick with the iPhone. Overall, I just love this phone. It's the perfect size and the display is significantly better than the one on my 2 XL. When I compare the screens side by side, the difference in clarity is truly night and day. Most importantly, text on the iPhone's display is much more clear and easier to read than it is on the Pixel. I've experienced less eye strain when reading long messages/emails/articles on the iPhone. This is a huge plus for me.

IOS is definitely taking some getting used to (been an Android user since around 2008), but so far so good. It has its quirks but I really think it's a much smoother OS.

I have noticed that videos taken with the iPhone look better and less choppy than they do on the Pixel. Here's an example.

Shot today with the iPhone X:
https://photos.app.goo.gl/9YbCs5hpA7sLMe652

Shot a couple months ago with the Pixel 2 XL:
https://photos.app.goo.gl/6zQr64Is7Vtirj1I2

Neither of these videos are great, mainly due to the sun, the high speed of the jets, and my being such an amateur in capturing video. But you can see the iPhone's video is clearly much smoother than the one taken with the Pixel.
 
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As many folks mentioned before, make sure that HDR is on.

Also, try tapping different areas of the screen to reprocess the light/exposure. Each time you tap a different area, the picture might change a bit. I don't think you'll achieve exact quality as the pixel, but it might be closer.
 
As many folks mentioned before, make sure that HDR is on.

Also, try tapping different areas of the screen to reprocess the light/exposure. Each time you tap a different area, the picture might change a bit. I don't think you'll achieve exact quality as the pixel, but it might be closer.

I can't figure out how to turn HDR on. When I open my camera app, there's no "HDR" button to click. On the top (or left side, depending on phone orientation) I have "Flash", "Live", "Timer", then 3 circles. But I don't have an "HDR" button and can't seem to find it anywhere.
 
I can't figure out how to turn HDR on. When I open my camera app, there's no "HDR" button to click. On the top (or left side, depending on phone orientation) I have "Flash", "Live", "Timer", then 3 circles. But I don't have an "HDR" button and can't seem to find it anywhere.

I'm using a Pixel, and my work iPhone is in my truck. But, check the settings app and then camera, it may be there .
 
I'm using a Pixel, and my work iPhone is in my truck. But, check the settings app and then camera, it may be there .

Under settings there is a check box for enabling/disabling "Auto HDR". It's currently checked 'On'. So I guess it just decides when to use HDR and when not to. Strange that i cant toggle it, though.

According to the below article, I should have an 'HDR' button within the camera app, but I definitely do not.

https://www.macworld.co.uk/how-to/iphone/how-turn-on-hdr-on-iphone-3664612/

EDIT: Figured it out. Disabling "Auto HDR" puts the HDR button back in the camera app.
 
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The Pixel is famed for having one of the best cameras on a mobile phone, if not the best. The Huwaei P20 Pro and Samsung S9 Plus are other contenders. Frankly the iPhone X is nothing more than a decent snapper next to these few.
 
The Samsung Galaxy Note 8 has a pretty good camera which is better than the iPhone 8 plus for sure especially for low lights. The sharpening/processing on the iPhone is too aggressive and makes things look like an oil painting with indoor pictures when zoomed in. I did not have this type of issue with the note 8 and when I took a picture of the cat indoor, I could distinctly see the hair in its fur. With the iPhone 8 plus it looks more like an oil painting when zoomed in.
 
I have the same feelings when I moved from a Pixel 1 XL to an iPhone X. I don't think the comparison is that big of a difference between 1 XL to the X vs 2 XL to the X but it is noticeable. I’ve been using iphones since the 5 and like someone stated before, picture quality went downhill starting with the 6.

I think its mainly the lack of detail when you zoom in on the photos. Might be that Iphones compress too much and when you zoom in on detail (esp in poorly lit areas) it looks smudged like a painting.

Hopefully Apple can add some software magic also in the future.
 
I've decided to stick with the iPhone. Overall, I just love this phone. It's the perfect size and the display is significantly better than the one on my 2 XL. When I compare the screens side by side, the difference in clarity is truly night and day. Most importantly, text on the iPhone's display is much more clear and easier to read than it is on the Pixel. I've experienced less eye strain when reading long messages/emails/articles on the iPhone. This is a huge plus for me.

IOS is definitely taking some getting used to (been an Android user since around 2008), but so far so good. It has its quirks but I really think it's a much smoother OS.

I have noticed that videos taken with the iPhone look better and less choppy than they do on the Pixel. Here's an example.

Shot today with the iPhone X:
https://photos.app.goo.gl/9YbCs5hpA7sLMe652

Shot a couple months ago with the Pixel 2 XL:
https://photos.app.goo.gl/6zQr64Is7Vtirj1I2

Neither of these videos are great, mainly due to the sun, the high speed of the jets, and my being such an amateur in capturing video. But you can see the iPhone's video is clearly much smoother than the one taken with the Pixel.

I’ve noticed the same looking at samples. The Pixel 2 camera and HDR capabilities are impressive and definitely give it an edge for many types of shots, but the iPhone X captures stunning video for a smartphone. If photo quality is really important to you, have you considered a dedicated camera, or do you already own one? I know... so five years ago, but there are some really awesome compact cameras... even ones with interchangeable pancake lenses that will outperform the Pixel 2. I shoot with both Nikon DSLR gear and micro 4/3 (the latter being my preferred format these days). Even though I have lenses that cost more than the iPhone X, I’m more than satisfied with the photos I get out of the iPhone. There are certainly situations where my Olympus or Nikon cameras and lenses will yield better results, and I can change lenses to focal lengths wider or longer than the iPhone lenses. However the iPhone X is good enough that I’m more comfortable leaving my dedicated camera at home more often.

Even shooting with just the iPhone X, you might experiment with different camera apps that can shoot raw, and try processing the raw files yourself. I think Apple has an excellent jpeg engine, but yeah... sometimes things are too punchy and the colors too warm. You can always adjust the jpegs, but raw gives you more data to work with.
 
Maybe I'm just crazy but those pictures look the same to me.

I can't understand how people can think this kinda stuff is a big deal.

Everyone has their priorities. I personally agree, I think we've reached the point with phone cameras that improvements on quality are showing diminishing returns. But a lot of people might think that about what I consider important, like high FPS, etc.
 
An associate who had an iPhoneX who went to a GalaxyS9 went to an iPhoneX a week later. He said the Galaxy camera was noticeably better in low light situations in particular but went back to the iPhoneX because he "was addicted to swiping."
 
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Over the last week I've found myself swapping back and forth between the Pixel 2 XL and the X a few times. I'm starting to find myself swaying back towards the Pixel more, though. However, the reasoning for this is not necessarily related to the camera.

Recently I'm finding that while face ID works to unlock the phone just about every time, it is unbelievably slow compared to the fingerprint reader on the Pixel. That and Apple's hilariously terrible take on notifications keeps me putting the Pixel back in the mix more and more often. I'm really trying to give the X a real shot, but currently I think it's on track to go back to T-Mobile within the next couple of weeks.

Oddly enough, for all the complaining people are doing about the notch, it has never once bothered me. I actually kind of like it.
 
The difference is mainly due to the software - Google has done some fantastic work by selecting the best settings before taking a shot and then enhancing it after using machine learning. The iPhone X can still catch up with a software update but Apple’s AI team is just not as good as Google’s team.
 
Over the last week I've found myself swapping back and forth between the Pixel 2 XL and the X a few times. I'm starting to find myself swaying back towards the Pixel more, though. However, the reasoning for this is not necessarily related to the camera.

Recently I'm finding that while face ID works to unlock the phone just about every time, it is unbelievably slow compared to the fingerprint reader on the Pixel. That and Apple's hilariously terrible take on notifications keeps me putting the Pixel back in the mix more and more often. I'm really trying to give the X a real shot, but currently I think it's on track to go back to T-Mobile within the next couple of weeks.

Oddly enough, for all the complaining people are doing about the notch, it has never once bothered me. I actually kind of like it.

There's no perfect phone, I feel just like you, I absolutely love the size of the iphone x , the screen is far better than the one on the pixel 2 xl, and I enjoy the performance it's just smoother than the pixel, but notifications are so bad, face id it's unreliable, the word prediction on the kexboard it's pretty bad and the camera it's just mediocre, dxo has become a joke to be honest.

The pixel 2 xl it's too big and the screen just plain bad.

Choices choices
 
There's no perfect phone, I feel just like you, I absolutely love the size of the iphone x , the screen is far better than the one on the pixel 2 xl, and I enjoy the performance it's just smoother than the pixel, but notifications are so bad, face id it's unreliable, the word prediction on the kexboard it's pretty bad and the camera it's just mediocre, dxo has become a joke to be honest.

The pixel 2 xl it's too big and the screen just plain bad.

Choices choices

Both awesome phones. I actually found my 2XL to be more smooth than my X. Especially scrolling in twitter. Overall UI is smooth on both though, so no complaints there.
 
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