On our site we often see how more does not have to mean better. This is something that we generally attribute to mobile cameras, where manufacturers seem to have entered a battle that involves adding more and more sensors and more and more megapixels. However, reality bathrooms exist and from time to time we can see how a more modest terminal can cope with all the giants.
This is precisely what the comparison we have made on our official YouTube channel is about, and which you can see just below these lines. Jose Morales, the conductor of our site in the most famous video portal, has faced an entire iPhone 12 Pro Max, with a modest Pixel 4a. Both terminals have nothing to do in terms of hardware or price , but the results of the photos taken under the same circumstances will surprise more than one. Before continuing, let’s recall the huge differences in cameras that separate the two teams.
iPhone 12 Pro Max
- Main: 12 MP f / 1.6, 26mm, IBIS
- Ultra Wide Angle: 12 MP f / 2.4, 13mm
- Phone: 12 MP f / 2.2, 65mm, OIS, 2.5x zoom
- Front: 12 MP f / 2.2, 23mm
Pixel 4a
- Main: 12.2 MP f / 1.7, 27mm, OIS
- Front: 8 MP f / 2.0, 24mm
iPhone 12 Pro Max vs Google Pixel 4a
In the different example shots that we will see, the shots on the left or top always belong to the iPhone, while the bottom or right will be reserved for the Pixel. The tonic is similar in all examples.
Pixel up to par
In this first example we hardly see any differences between the two terminals . It is true that the Pixel offers a good dynamic range, but it reddens the image somewhat more than it actually looked. The sky, for its part, is more saturated on iPhone.
iPhone stands out in detail
In this example we can see something similar, since the interpretation of the color is similar in both mobiles. However, the objects are somewhat more detailed on the iPhone, despite having practically the same resolution.
Is more realism better?
In this new shot, we see how the iPhone 12 Pro Max, on the left, saturates the colors more, which makes it leave the section of realism in the hands of the Pixel. Here the personal taste of each will come into play, with the balance between what the human eye really saw, and what the terminal has decided to process.
Portrait mode
Notable differences in this photo with portrait mode, where the Pixel turns off the colors a little more. However, the level of detail and trim is almost perfect on both terminals. The blur is more pronounced on the iPhone, which reveals less what is in the background, which is better deduced on the Pixel 4a.
Selfie mode
Interestingly, and although iPhone has been polishing this aspect over the years, the selfie mode is more real and accurate on the Pixel 4a shown on the right. The colors and the level of detail is superior , as well as the trim of the hair and even the details, appreciable the lining of the jacket.
The difficulty with artificial light
This is one of the most complicated shots for many terminals, and the most common these days. Photographing artificial light is not an easy task, but the Pixel 4a keeps the type without going off the paper and does not over-illuminate the shot. The iPhone achieves an almost traced result. However, when expanding the detail achieved is somewhat greater in the Google terminal.
Night shot
In the last shot, the iPhone 12 Pro Max takes the price to the greatest realism. It contains better than the Pixel the orange light of the bulbs and manages the color well. The Pixel 4a photo is somewhat cooler and lacks a bit more detail in the textures.
Conclusions
The truth is that between the iPhone 12 Pro Max and the Pixel 4a, there is an abysmal difference, as far as many sections of hardawre are concerned. However, if we consider only the cameras and these results, they are not as far as it might seem. In the day-to-day life of any undemanding user, the results can be more than satisfactory with both, and even surpassed by the Pixel on some occasions.