Samsung is throwing shade once again, naming names in its latest Galaxy S5 TV spot. The promo for the new Android flagship calls out the fact that its camera takes pictures at “twice the resolution” of the iPhone 5s, which is sort of true in a barebones, numbers-on-paper kind of way, but not necessarily reflective of the relative merits of the actual experience of using both devices as cameras.
Don’t get me wrong: I’m a fan of the Galaxy S5’s camera, which does indeed boast 16 megapixel resolution. But Apple’s iPhone still has the best mobile camera in the biz, hands down, at least in terms of daily use value. Nokia might have a camera worthy of a compact dedicated digicam in its Lumia 1020, and Samsung’s camera might have some neat tricks like background defocus, but Apple makes the best shooter and software for producing consistently great results with every shutter press, with a minimum of fuss, for pics that look great when shared on the web.
High resolution is terrific for prints – but I can count how often I make prints from my digital photos using no fingers on no hands. Like it or not, the best camera phone these days is the best Instagram phone, and that remains the iPhone, despite improvements in specs by recent challengers. Taking potshots at the competition is fine, but the iPhone’s camera isn’t a weak point to be exploited, especially when you’re having camera issues of your own.