[massysett]

I had a One M7. I bought it largely because it promised good low light camera performance. My phone was one of many with a flaw that cast a purple haze on low light photos, rendering it nearly useless in low light. Foolishly I waited awhile in hopes that a software update would fix it.

HTC offered some sort of replacement program but that would require me to go without a phone for weeks.

Eventually Verizon sent me a replacement unit whose camera was even worse. I decided my next phone would be an iPhone. I now have the 6 Plus and it's the best point and shoot camera I've ever had, period (even counting standalone cameras.) If something goes wrong with the phone I know I can go to an Apple retail store and get it fixed or replaced immediately, not in weeks.

[tw04]

I've got an iphone 6 for work, and an S6 edge for personal use. I can say with confidence that the Samsung camera is better. However I will say they're close enough, and they're both so far ahead of the pack, that you could flip a coin.

[cloudwalking]

Blind testing swings the other way: http://www.androidauthority.com/blind-camera-shootout-winner...

Taste is subjective, I have no doubt you like the Samsung more. But subjectively, on average, people like iPhone photos more often than they like Android photos.

[nothrabannosir]

It turned out to be quite a close-run race between the iPhone 6S and the Galaxy Note 5 for the title but Apple’s latest just beat Samsung’s latest with 38.2 and 34.1 percent of the 7810 votes respectively.

On an internet poll. When the results are this close, details matter. Not to mention there are no Android photos, only Samsung, Nokia, &c. And even then, different models.

Not saying you're wrong (I think you're right). But if you're going to quote something, choose a believable source that sustains your point, not a dodgy one that almost refutes it.

[467568985476]

Both of these phones have great cameras, but they don't hold a candle to the performance of even crop sensor entry level DSLRs and mirrorless bodies. It seems pointless to me to split hairs over picture quality between two strong options when anyone who _seriously_ cares about pixel peeping wouldn't use a smartphone for photography in the first place

[foolrush]

Amen.

It would even be valid suggesting that a point and shoot outclasses mobile phone cameras.

Also, please before someone does, do not use the “The best watercolors are the watercolors you have on you” trope.

[Bud]

This is just plainly false. There are now serious photographers and movie-makers using the iPhone for serious photography. A lot of them.

[467568985476]

I think you misunderstand me... I'm not making a judgement about the art produced with any device. The art of photography is only tangentially related to camera gear quality. I'm saying that comparing smartphone camera quality at the high end is an exercise in futility since these cameras are designed to be pretty good general purpose point and shoots, and they both clearly accomplish that.

Ultimately, smartphone cameras have very small sensors, so their "technical" performance (the pixel peeping I mentioned) is inherently inferior to that of larger format cameras.

[oldstrangers]

"Both of these phones have great cameras, but they don't hold a candle to the performance of even crop sensor entry level DSLRs and mirrorless bodies. "

That part is definitely not false... My Sony RX100 II blows these cameras out of the water and its a pocket camera.

[bitmapbrother]

DXOMark rated the iPhone 6s camera #10 on its list. Far below the Android flagships. Taste may be subjective, but testing isn't.

[pcurve]

As a big photo person with art background, I thought B and D were consistently better. I never would've guessed C was iPhone as some shots were downright poor.

[acchow]

I have the Galaxy S6. Camera is wonderful. Battery life is crap. Going iPhone next.

[tw04]

I agree, the battery life is shockingly poor. I blame touchwiz as much as anything else. I would take a slightly thicker phone for a battery that consistently lasts all day.

[willtim]

Samsung TouchWiz with KitKat 4.4.4 had awesome performance and battery life on my Note4, then they destroyed it with a Lollipop update (after constant update nags) and forced me to downgrade probably voiding my warranty in the process, anyone sane would have returned the phone. I don't know if Samsung or Google is to blame for the serious battery and performance regressions, but I do blame Samsung for pushing it out to its users. Many people have been burned by this and will never buy Samsung again. What were they thinking? It's not as if Lollipop offers anything much for the average user (developers are another matter). It's such a shame, as the hardware is top notch.

[MichaelGG]

How about the silly OEMs that ship tiny batteries? The Huawei Mate 2 lasts 30-40 hours easily. The Blu Energy Studio lasts around 3 days.

[willtim]

Well we shouldn't need huge batteries if Android was fixed. Have you seen the batteries Apple put inside iPhones? iOS is great for their hardware margins.

[alttab]

I want to believe you. Can you produce a link to a place I can buy a battery that will fit into a Note 4 that won't need consistent charging all day?

[fernandotakai]

i have my s6 rooted and with a custom rom. battery is not as bad, but not amazing. if i'm on a place with good mobile signal and on wifi, i can get a day[0] of battery life with ~2h of SOT (with my pebble connected and syncing all day long).

but at the same time it's kind of worth it, because it's easily the best camera on a cellphone i've ever used.

[0] http://i.imgur.com/J7Xe2FV.jpg

[willtim]

I see Google Services at the top consuming 22% of your battery. It must be Lollipop. Under KitKat, the screen is almost always at the top of the list.

[TylerE]

That's the biggest difference. The main thing I've noticed (I've owned, in order a Moto Droid, iPhone 4s, HTC One m7, and now an iphone 6s+) is that battery life during USAGE is broadly similar, but iPhone uses a HUGE amount less when sleeping/idle.

[alexqgb]

I swapped an iPhone 6 for an S6 so I could run a GearVR, which is fantastic. The rest of the Android experience is surprisingly not bad, and Google Now is notably better than Siri.

But man, the battery...

[pen2l]

What about the new battery saving features and all in the new Marshmallow upgrade?

Also, Nexus 6P (with the usb 3.1 type C) can get fully charged in under 10 minutes. I've heard that it's possible to get days worth of usage with just like 8 or 9 minutes of charging. That sounds pretty nifty.

[vetinari]

> they're both so far ahead of the pack,

As a Xperia Z5 owner, I don't believe you ;)

Seriously, there are more phones with great cameras now. Both Samsung and Apple can get lost in the crowd - see above mentioned Xperia or LG G4.