Posted on 01/13/2015 11:09:05 PM PST by Swordmaker
Speed kills, and the iPhone goes from 0 to a good picture faster than anything else
I was at Intel’s CES booth, composing a photo with my Android smartphone, when a pair of anonymous hands thrust a shining iPhone 6 Plus into my line of vision. A nonchalant tap of the camera shutter button later, the hands were pulling back, having captured a stupendously clear and sharp picture on the first attempt. By the time I’d completed my routine of setting proper focus and steadying myself, the dude who’d beaten me to a better shot with none of the effort was already walking away. It was enough to make anyone sink into a deep state of gadget envy.
For a show overrun with various visions of smart drones and smarter homes for the future, the present of CES was remarkably uniform. I saw more iPhones in the hands of CES attendees than I did Android phones across the countless exhibitor booths. From the biggest keynote event to the smallest stall on the show floor, everything was being documented with Apple’s latest smartphone, and it all looked so irritatingly easy. I don’t want an iPhone, but dammit, I want the effortlessness of the iPhone’s camera.
I DON’T WANT AN IPHONE, BUT DAMMIT, I WANT THE EFFORTLESSNESS OF THE IPHONE’S CAMERA
The iPhone’s lead as the smartphone to beat has rarely been defined by just one thing. At one point, the biggest advantage was the simplicity and speed of its interface; at another, it was down to the diversity and quality of available apps; and most recently, the iPhone has distinguished itself with the quality of its 8-megapixel camera. Today, the combination of all these things — simple and fast operation, strong optics and image processing, and a wide app ecosystem — is helping people create the best possible images with the least possible hassle.
The effortlessness of taking good pictures with the iPhone is probably that phone’s most underrated quality. And yet, its importance grows with every passing day. Consider how vital the camera in any modern smartphone is. Snapchat, Instagram, Facebook, WhatsApp, and Twitter are the most popular communication platforms, and they’re all either image-centric or moving toward a greater reliance on visuals. To get the most out of Pinterest, Tumblr, Foursquare check-ins, or Yelp restaurant reviews, you’ll want to be able to take quick and easy mobile pictures. The standard that must be reached isn’t so much about image quality as it is about quickness, predictability, and reliability — and nobody does those things better than Apple.
SNAPCHAT, INSTAGRAM, FACEBOOK... THE APPS YOU USE MOST ALL NEED A GOOD CAMERA
In all the years of Android’s existence, in spite of huge investments of time and money, there’s never been a standout Android cameraphone. Some have cameras that are better in low light than the iPhone’s, many have higher resolution, and a number claim to be faster at focusing — but none pull it all together into the same comprehensive package that the iPhone can offer. Samsung and LG give you a pared-down "just shoot" experience, but they lack software polish and speed; Motorola’s camera launches and shoots quickly, but the quality is mediocre; and Sony manages to combine an excellent image sensor with terrible autofocus. Microsoft’s PureView cameras fare better, but the Windows Phone camera app is comparatively slow and unintuitive, and there’s a reason why former Lumia chief Ari Partinen is now tagging his photos with #iPhone6Plus instead of #Lumia1520.
As 2015 gets going in earnest and phone makers resume their annual quest to oust the iPhone from its dominant position, I offer this advice: don’t worry about the phone, focus on beating the camera. This is a familiar refrain, as true today as it was three years ago, and it’s frankly embarrassing for the mobile industry to lag so badly for so long on such a fundamental aspect of the modern user experience. The pursuit of gimmicks like UltraPixels and laser autofocus goes some way to explaining this conundrum, but I’d rather we just fix it.
The most critical component to Apple’s current mobile dominance lies behind that sapphire crystal lens. In today’s commoditized smartphone market, even great design and spectacular thinness are becoming commonplace. Powerful processors and large batteries are expected rather than exceptional. To win over new customers (and to keep existing ones), smartphone makers will have to act like what they are selling is actually a smart camera first and everything else second.
Ignoring your insults, that is not what all of the reviewers and photographers say.
I think I will accept the opinion of the professionals such as the Pulitzer Prize winning photographer who now uses an iPhone over your ignorantly biased one.
Considering your first paragraph, I suspect you've had too much to drink.
My neighbor and good friend is a professional photographer, and often just takes pics for fun with his phone. I’ve seen his work with his phone appear on websites, and sometimes he wishes he were allowed by his company to USE his phone instead of the “pro” gear he hauls. Pro gear is used for compatability with company-wide pro gear. But his Samsung takes great pics.
This is good news if the Iphone 6 is that much better than the Droids, or at least better than the Iphone 5.
I'm sure you did. The LG G3 is said to be on a par with the iPhone6 camera.
I’ve had my G3 for 6 months and love the camera!
13MP and laser focusing makes for a superior camera - esp for a phone.
In addition, the screen’s Quad-HD resolution is far superior to the Apple 6.
Finally, Tim Cook’s proclamation that homos are God’s “special human beings” is utterly repulsive...and utterly false.
“When I wish to take sharp photographs, I use a high-quality digital camera.”
IF you have one handy.
If you don’t, sure helps to have a high-quality substitute in your pocket already.
“YOU are not old enough to refer to me as “son,” “
You act like a nerdy little kid that is nothing but an Apple fanboy, so “son” fits perfectly, son.
I have to admit that my neighbor’s Samsung takes better quality photos than my iPhone 5s. It is the only thing I covet about his phone. LOL.
You just tap on it to focus where you want!
The thing is ... the phone is with you all the time and it’s as good as some of the best consumer cameras around. That iPhone camera is quite, quite amazing!
You’re out of touch with reality on this ...
I have a Galaxy and use the camera mostly for snapping photos of parts of my ragged Willys and really can’t complain about the quality. I think I just cropped this slightly but otherwise left it alone.
http://tysonneil.smugmug.com/Cars/1968-Project-Willys-CJ5/i-JNdjw5b/A
That being said, I prefer my Lumix for doing anything important and submission for stock galleries. That is 4K video though.
A few years ago I was doing some sub contract work for Dell and DSS that had me traveling all over the state. I had a little pocket camera, a Canon with me and when I saw something interesting from the side of the road, get a photo.
This one came from it and a few people liked it as a postcard.
http://www.zazzle.com/old_barn_in_a_green_field_postcards-239204601577190480
Interesting article, SM.
I agree. Fail here for the Cupertino gay mafia. The latest Galaxy have superior cameras to the iphone 6
I saw it too. It’s not what the other two people said. It’s some really high-end camera with a smart phone wrapped around it...so to speak. I don’t remember the name, but it was described as a game changer and a camera that professional photographers will love. I should be easy to recognize though. It was like the lens took up about a third of the body of the phone.
Apple fanboy just reached my retching threhsold - i just barfed. What a drone!
I'm very happy for those who like to ‘stay in touch’ and who are into the social media thing. Personally, I love anonymity. I like the idea of being unreachable at times. I like the idea of being able to say, “sorry, I was out of town and didn't receive your message” - instead of having everyone expect that you will receive their email and respond quickly, even if you are on Mars.
Further, selfies are just a reminder to me that reality is even worse than my already shaken self-image...
Photo bloggers have cited the quality of the iPhone camera since the 5.
Pixels don’t tell the story. It is lens and firmware, color rendition and focus logic, whole package issues for a photographer.
Consumers get caught up in numbers and users just know what works well.
My wife like a 12 year old flip phone due to her reliance on the simple keys.
I like the 6.
I’ve probably watched a total of “pro” wrestling in my life. But I’m pretty sure that was equivalent to Hulk Hogan jumping off the ropes and slamming his elbow into Jesse Ventura’s gut.
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