Smartphone cameras have been on a roll in the past two years. OnePlus launches their OnePlus 9 flagship series in partnership with Hasselblad, OPPO’s Find X3 Pro comes with a microscopic lens, Samsung pushing technology with 108-Megapixel sensors, Sony even pushing the limits of their 12-Megapixel sensors with their Alpha camera knowhow. These are nothing new, to be fair. Co-branding smartphone cameras with big camera brand names started with Nokia and Zeiss. The phenomenon hit the main stage with HUAWEI and Leica’s big partnership since the HUAWEI P9.
With the advancement in camera technology on smartphones though, has these brands made proper cameras obsolete? While nothing bigger sensor still has its own advantages in terms of low-light performance and detail, smartphone cameras have progressed so much with the software that they are paired with that even low-light photography is a breeze with a smartphone. The advancement of smartphone technology also made it easier for you to get the shots you want in less time and less work than a DSLR or mirrorless.
What does this mean for dedicated cameras though? Does this mean we can replace these kinds of stuff with the small slate in our pockets? Or, should you still spend your hard-earned money on a proper camera that could set you back anywhere between half the price of a Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra to multiple flagship smartphones? We discuss this in this episode of Tech & Tonic.