Galaxy S10+ tops iPhone XS in new camera rankings

The ink on all the press Samsung is getting for its new line of Galaxy smartphones is barely dry, but the camera on the S10+ already has received top marks from testing lab DxOMark.

One of five new Galaxy phones launched this week, the S10+ tied two Huawei handsets as the best-rated smartphones for mobile photographers.

Based in France, DxOMark is an independent lab that has reviewed digital cameras and smartphones for 10 years and its reviews considered a benchmark. Engineers analyze more than 1,500 images and record at least two hours of video in a variety of shooting conditions. The lab uses a camera’s default settings, assigns a score and highlight the pros and cons.

Galaxy S10+ camera scores big

The S10+, with a three-camera array on its backplate, scored a 109, the same score the lab gave Huawei’s Mate 20 Pro and P20 Pro phones. The Xiaomi Mi 9 has a score of 107 followed by Apple’s highest-rated phone, the iPhone XS Max, with 105.

The iPhone, once the smartphone that set the bar for smartphone cameras, now finds its competitors matching or exceeding features and image quality.

The S10+ scored especially well for exposure, color, and simulated bokeh, the blur applied to the background of a portrait. The S10+ starts at $999. The smaller S10 has the same camera system.

“The S10+ really shines with its dynamic range,” according to DxOMark. “The camera captures a noticeably wider tonal range than its closest rivals, with images showing better detail in both the shadow and highlight areas of the frame.

“The Galaxy S10+ comes with the best camera we’ve seen on a Samsung smartphone and will no doubt be one of the devices to beat in 2019.”

Apple will likely roll out new iPhones this fall with at least one model rumored to have a triple-camera module on the back plate.