Samsung Galaxy S4 shootout versus HTC One, iPhone5

Galaxy S4's 13-megapixel camera with settings and modes, but none of that matters if the phone's image quality can't stand up to the hype.
And so, here is a smartphone shootout between the Galaxy S4's top Android rival, the HTC One, and another beacon of smartphone photographic excellence, the iPhone 5.


One important thing to note is that all three phones have very different sensors. The Galaxy S4 hosts a 13-megapixel camera, and the iPhone 5 has an 8-megapixel shooter. For its part, the HTC One has what it calls an UltraPixel Camera, which is actually a 4-megapixel camera.
Although there aren't a lot of other specific details available, it's pretty clear that each smartphone camera has different focal lengths.
A note on my methodology: I took all photos at the same time and from the same vantage point. In most cases, I used the camera's automatic mode and kept flash in auto mode as well. I want to show how well the cameras handled the common scenarios I set up without any special adjustments. If you're more photographically inclined, you'll be able to tease out even better images using manual settings and other modes.
Most pictures are resized and cropped; I'll point out if they're crops from full-resolution images. When it came time to evaluate the photos, I called on CNET camera editor Josh Goldman to review them with me. Down the line, Josh plans to put the Galaxy S4 camera through his usual battery of camera tests in New York. For now, though, I hope you enjoy this San Francisco shootout.


Arrow up

A very cool, colorful, and tucked-away statue stacks up arrows (or are they pixelated people?) in a towering arrangement.

HTC One

iPhone 5

The verdict:
Josh and I thought that Samsung's Galaxy S4 colors look the most accurate, if a little cool. The image is also the most evenly exposed. HTC's One overexposes the shot, with blown-out yellow, and a lot of lost highlight detail in the background and in the reflection of the glass door on the left. However, you can see the seam on the black statue most clearly in the HTC One's shot. For its part, the iPhone underexposes the image a bit, but the rounded-out colors are a little more pleasing.

I shot these pictures of a fountain fixture in a nearby plaza.                                                                                              

Galaxy S4

                                                                                                                                                      

HTC One 

iPhone 5

The verdict:

The Galaxy S4 loses this round. Its camera didn't seem to know where to focus, so it chose the steadiest thing around: the block of rock within the fountain. HTC's One is the clear winner, likely leaning on fast shutter speed to successfully freeze the running water. Of all three pictures, this image is also the most focused across the entire plane, but as before, the One blew out the detail in the water's the splash. The iPhone 5, meanwhile, fits right in between the two.

We also noticed that the HTC One's color is off, tending toward blue. You see that replicated in many images throughout this test.

Fountain close-up

Here's the cropped, full-resolution portion at the focal point in the water's stream.

Galaxy S4

The verdict:

This is one of those photo setups that's pure stress test, though few would likely re-create this exact scene. Once again, Samsung's Galaxy S4 completely wiped out, which leaves the bout for the top low-light prize for this full-resolution crop between the iPhone 5 and HTC One. The One hits the technically better shot when you account for the highest amount of detail and least amount of color noise. The iPhone 5 image contains a tremendous helping of noise, but I think that if you were to take a photo of a menu like this in its entirety, the iPhone's picture would be the easiest to read.

Final assessment

Josh and I both agree that the HTC One's camera is the weakest of the three. Its color reproduction is cooler and adds a blue cast to shades. It also overexposes more shots and conveys the least amount of detail. However, the One's low-light performance was pretty good, and in many instances, we'd be happy using a picture from the One in casual photo-sharing situations.

When it comes to the out-and-out winner, the tussle between the iPhone 5 and Samsung Galaxy S4 grows murkier. In well-lit photos, the choice for the "better" camera is a coin toss. The iPhone's slight underexposure captures the most detail across a scene, but the GS4 camera produced a lot of the photos we liked best.

If there's one thing that tips in the iPhone's all-around favor, it's low-light performance -- and in this, the Galaxy phone's automatic mode miserably failed. The iPhone has always had a terrific track record with consistently good shots that don't require you to dig through settings first, and it's proven that again here against the GS4.

Still, Samsung deserved kudos for a job well done with the Galaxy S4's camera, including tools like automatic burst mode and settings like panorama and HDR, among more fanciful creations.