Huawei P10 Plus Vs. iPhone 7 Plus Camera Shootout: Pro Controls Vs. Ease Of Use
The Huawei P10 Plus is a flagship smartphone that is aimed at mobile photography. Boasting two Leica-branded lenses, the Chinese manufacturer’s latest halo device is designed to take the best photos possible with a smartphone. However, compared to the iPhone 7 Plus, which arguably is equipped with the best mobile sensors in the market today, how do the Huawei P10 Plus and its Leica-branded lenses stack up?
In a lot of ways, it appears that Huawei was channeling Apple’s iPhone 7 Plus when it designed the Huawei P10 Plus. A Trusted Reviews report stated that from the side, the two devices look almost identical, down to the P10 Plus’s curved sides and antenna lines. Specs-wise, the P10 is no joke, boasting a 5.5-inch Quad-HD IPS display, 4GB of RAM (6GB in some regions), 64GB of storage (128GB in selected regions), and a pretty hefty 3,750 mAh battery. A powerful HiSilicon Kirin 960 processor rounds up the specs of the Chinese manufacturer’s latest flagship device.
Compared to the iPhone 7 Plus’ 5.5-inch 1080p IPS display, 3GB of RAM, and 2,900 mAh battery, it appears that the Huawei P10 Plus completely outguns its Apple rival. However, inasmuch as the iPhone 7 Plus is a bit underwhelming when it comes to raw specs, its primary camera, comprised of two 12MP sensors, is the best in its class. Combined with iOS 10’s Portrait mode, the iPhone 7 Plus is capable of producing almost professional-grade photographs with the iconic “bokeh” effect, according to a Digital Photography Review report.
#MWC2017 goers took one last chance to get hands-on with the award-winning #HuaweiP10 today. Next stop… https://t.co/bl89FlrdoZ pic.twitter.com/YcPFabAh3w
— Huawei Mobile (@HuaweiMobile) March 2, 2017
The Huawei P10 Plus’ cameras are equally formidable on their own, however. Partnering with Leica once more, the P10 Plus’ dual sensors are extremely high-quality. The device’s front camera alone, which features an 8MP selfie sensor with f/1.9 aperture, is capable of producing premium portrait shots with multiple effects. At the rear of the device, however, is where the magic of the P10 Plus really happens.
The Huawei P10 Plus is equipped with two Leica-branded sensors, one 20MP monochrome camera, and another 12MP RGB sensor. The 10MP monochrome sensor is designed to give the P10 Plus’ photographs more detail and brightness, while the 12MP camera is designed to capture natural colors. Both lenses feature a f/1.8 aperture. Just like the front camera, the rear sensors are also equipped with a Portrait mode capable of producing shots with a bokeh effect, much like the photos produced by the iPhone 7 Plus.
An Engadget report has taken the Huawei P10 Plus on a real-world test of the flagship device’s photographic capabilities. While the P10 Plus’ sensors were indeed exceptional, the report stated that the photographs produced by the smartphone were almost identical in quality to the ones that were taken by the Huawei P9, the P10 Plus’ predecessor. Apart from this, Engadget‘s real-world test of the P10 Plus also concluded that the device’s Auto mode is a bit moody, taking great shots at some points and taking substandard images in others.
The Huawei P10 Plus’s dual sensors, however, are truly formidable when shifted to Pro mode. In this configuration, users of the device would be able to access and modify the dual cameras’ ISO, shutter speed, and other settings. This particular feature, notably, is not present in the iPhone 7 Plus, which relies more on the device’s own algorithms to determine which settings to utilize when taking pictures.
Overall, the Huawei P10 Plus’ cameras are among the best sensors currently available in the market. Coupled with its Pro mode, the device’s Leica-branded lenses really do shine. However, the nature of the P10 Plus’ cameras requires its users to have some form of knowledge about basic photography. Thus, while exceptional in its own way, the P10’s dual-cameras are not for everyone.
The iPhone 7 Plus, on the other hand, follows a far easier point-and-shoot system, and thus, it could be adequately manipulated by users with absolutely no knowledge about photography concepts. Overall, the Huawei P10 Plus’s cameras are best for those who love control with their photographs, while the iPhone 7 Plus remains the champion for everyday, casual mobile photography.
[Featured Image by Anthony Harvey/Getty Images]
