Daylight Photography
Bright conditions reveal fundamental sensor and processing differences. The Meizu 21 leverages its 200MP Samsung HP3 main sensor (1/1.4-inch, f/1.7), capturing immense detail in 12.5MP binned shots. Images exhibit vibrant, slightly saturated colors with exceptional sharpness in foliage and textures. Dynamic range is impressive, though highlights occasionally clip under harsh sunlight. The 13MP ultrawide (f/2.4) delivers good corner sharpness but struggles with lens flare and color consistency versus the main camera.
Samsung’s Galaxy S24 (50MP main, 1/1.56-inch, f/1.8) prioritizes computational refinement. Its multi-frame processing produces balanced exposures with naturalistic colors and industry-leading highlight/shadow recovery. The 12MP ultrawide (f/2.2) maintains color parity and minimizes distortion. Apple’s iPhone 15 Pro (48MP main, f/1.78) offers true-to-life color science and ProRAW flexibility. Its sensor-shift stabilization ensures tack-sharp images, though default processing can appear overly contrasty. Google’s Pixel 8 (50MP main, f/1.68) dominates with HDR+ processing, preserving intricate details in clouds and shadows while rendering natural textures. Its ultrawide suffers minor softness at edges.
Verdict: Pixel 8 for dynamic range, S24 for consistency, Meizu 21 for sheer resolution.
Low Light & Night Photography
Night mode performance separates contenders. The Meizu 21’s large sensor absorbs ample light, reducing noise in 1-2 second captures. Its algorithm prioritizes brightness, sometimes over-smoothing textures and introducing artificial sharpening. Ultrawide shots show visible noise and reduced detail. The Galaxy S24 excels with adaptive pixel technology, merging 2µm pixels into larger light-gathering units. Nightography maintains color accuracy and texture, with minimal noise even at 3x zoom.
iPhone 15 Pro leverages its Photonic Engine, delivering clean, balanced exposures in 3-5 seconds. Deep Fusion preserves skin textures and fabric details where rivals smooth excessively. The Pixel 8’s Night Sight remains unmatched, combining Astrophotography mode and AI-powered denoising. It renders nuanced shadows and accurate colors in near-total darkness, though motion blur can occur in moving subjects.
Verdict: Pixel 8 for realism, S24 for versatility, Meizu 21 for speed.
Portrait Mode
Bokeh quality and edge detection define this test. Meizu 21 uses its 200MP sensor for depth mapping, enabling adjustable f/1.4-f/2.4 aperture simulation. Subject isolation is strong with natural hair/glasses separation, but background blur occasionally appears artificial. Skin tones lean warm. Samsung’s S24 employs a 3D depth map from multiple lenses, yielding studio-like portraits with creamy bokeh. Its object-aware AI perfectly isolates complex edges (e.g., frizzy hair) but over-brightens skin.
iPhone 15 Pro’s LiDAR scanner enables millimeter-precise subject separation, even in low light. Natural bokeh roll-off and true-to-life skin rendering stand out, though mid-range backgrounds lack depth gradation. Pixel 8’s Face Unblur and Magic Eraser enhance portraits technically, but its bokeh can appear harsh, with occasional halo artifacts around ears.
Verdict: iPhone 15 Pro for edge accuracy, S24 for flattering processing, Meizu 21 for aperture flexibility.
Zoom Capabilities
Optical versus digital zoom battles ignite here. Meizu 21 lacks a dedicated telephoto lens, relying on 2x “lossless” zoom (cropping its 200MP sensor to 50MP). Outputs are sharp with minimal noise at 2x but degrade noticeably at 5x+. The 13MP ultrawide shows barrel distortion and soft corners. Samsung’s S24 shines with its 10MP 3x telephoto (f/2.4). Details remain crisp up to 10x hybrid zoom, aided by AI Super Resolution. The ultrawide offers 120° FOV with minimal chromatic aberration.
iPhone 15 Pro’s 12MP 3x telephoto (f/2.8) captures neutral colors and excellent detail at 5x, though smaller apertures limit low-light performance. Pixel 8’s Super Res Zoom leverages AI to enhance its digital 8x zoom, rivaling optical systems in daylight but struggling with motion blur. All competitors’ ultrawides outperform Meizu’s in distortion control.
Verdict: S24 for optical reach, iPhone 15 Pro for consistency, Meizu 21 for 2x daylight sharpness.
Video Performance
Stabilization, dynamic range, and audio matter. Meizu 21 shoots 8K/24fps or 4K/60fps with effective OIS + EIS. Colors pop in HDR10+, but rolling shutter is evident during panning. Low-light video shows noise in shadows. Samsung’s S24 records 8K/30fps with superior Adaptive VDIS stabilization. Its HDR10+ grading preserves highlights in backlit scenes, and directional audio isolates voices clearly.
iPhone 15 Pro dominates with 4K/60fps ProRes LOG support, cinematic mode (4K HDR), and best-in-class sensor-shift stabilization. Dolby Vision grading offers unparalleled editability. Pixel 8’s Real Tone ensures accurate skin hues across lighting, while Video Boost uploads footage for cloud-based HDR enhancement—ideal for challenging scenes but requires processing time. Audio Magic Eraser removes background noise dynamically.
Verdict: iPhone 15 Pro for professionals, S24 for stabilization, Pixel 8 for computational enhancements.