Camera Testing: How We Rate Cameras

Last updated: February 2026

In the ever-evolving landscape of smartphones, camera performance holds a pivotal position in shaping the overall user experience. Amidst a plethora of devices vying for attention, discerning the true photo and video capturing prowess of a smartphone can be a daunting task. To address this challenge, PhoneArena has introduced the PhoneArena Camera Score, a comprehensive benchmark that objectively assesses the imaging capabilities of smartphones across a diverse range of scenarios.

See our Camera Test Results page

Objective evaluation of camera systems

Traditionally, smartphone camera testing has relied heavily on subjective evaluations, often leading to inconsistent and inconclusive coverage. Recognizing the need for a more objective and unbiased approach, we developed the PhoneArena Camera Score, a structured methodology that strives to objectively evaluate each camera on a smartphone based on a multitude of criteria.

Controlled test environment

To ensure consistent and reliable results, we’ve come up with a controlled test environment optimized to reliably test the exposure and color capabilities of each camera. This controlled setting isolates the performance of the camera hardware and software, eliminating external factors that could influence the evaluation, such as weather conditions, varying composition and so on.

It’s important to note that we’ve checked these controlled environment tests against performance in real-world scenarios numerous times and made sure that our test results are representative of the kind of image quality you’re bound to get once you go out there and start taking photos. On top of that, we continue to double-check against real-world performance and use real-world results to evaluate certain camera aspects, such as portrait mode separation quality.

At PhoneArena, we've had the chance to test and evaluate hundreds of phone cameras over the years, and we're confident the breadth of experience we've accumulated across our team of industry veterans and tech enthusiasts has been successfully integrated into this new camera evaluation process.

How the PhoneArena Camera Score works

We evaluate each camera on a phone across a multitude of criteria: from essentials like exposure, color representation and detail resolution, to specialties like portrait mode separation quality and viewfinder reliability.

Depending on the camera (main, zoom, ultrawide or selfie), a bigger emphasis is put on those features seen as more foundational for the specific camera’s purpose. For example, the level of resolved detail has a higher relative weight when evaluating zoom cameras, as compared to when evaluating the ultrawide camera.

Here are some of the main criteria we evaluate in phone cameras:
• Exposure
• Subject exposure
• Color temperature
• Color tint
• Detail resolution level
• Oversharpening artifacts
• Portrait mode separation quality
• Preview reliability (HDR, resolution, portrait mode)
• Stabilization

Scoring system

Each test is evaluated individually, and the scores are weighted based on their importance for the specific camera type (main, zoom, ultrawide, or selfie). These weighted scores are then aggregated to produce a final Camera Score for the entire phone. This ensures that the Camera Score accurately reflects the overall camera performance of the device.

The PhoneArena Camera Score widget

Along with this brand new rating procedure, we’ve developed a special Camera Score widget, the purpose of which is to display all camera ratings for a particular phone model.



The widget will display an overall Camera Score rating, main sub-ratings for Photo Score and Video Score, as well as per-camera sub-ratings, so readers can get an idea of a particular camera’s showing.



The widget displays all these ratings, plus it provides indication of how a particular score compares relative to the best in each category. In the case of the examples above, you can see that the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra holds the current best score for Main camera in photo, while its zoom photo score of 28 falls just a bit short of the current best, which is 30 and belongs to the Vivo X300 Pro.

It’s important to note that we’ve assigned different weights to the different types of cameras (main, zoom, ultrawide and selfie). The ratios of the weights are as follows: 100 for the Main camera; 35 for Zoom; 30 for Ultrawide; and 35 for Selfie. These ratios are the same between the photo and video categories.

All the sub-ratings in the photo category make up the overall Photo Score, while the final Camera Score is the result of both Photo and Video scores, with the current weighting being 50:50 between Photo and Video.

As smartphone camera technology continues to evolve, we remain committed to continuously refining our testing methodology to reflect the latest advancements and user habits. We regularly update our test scenarios, software, and evaluation criteria to ensure that the PhoneArena Camera Score remains the most comprehensive and accurate benchmark for smartphone camera performance.

The philosophy behind the PhoneArena Camera Score rating

Surveying the relatively uncharted territory of camera benchmarking, one question loomed large: what should we measure against? Because evaluating a camera, especially a smartphone camera, is inherently subjective. So, what constitutes a great phone camera? What is it, exactly, that we're looking to see from these snappers?

One plausible path, which we initially considered, was to establish "reality" as the benchmark. In this scenario, we would capture photographs of our test environment in a brutally realistic manner, closely mirroring how the human eye perceives it. We would then evaluate the images produced by the phone cameras against this lifelike reference.

While this approach holds merit, it encounters a significant hurdle: it contradicts the desires of users when it comes to their phone cameras. Users crave cameras that effortlessly generate stunning, shareable photos. With the exception of a few purists, most of us seek photos that enhance our appearance, elevate the beauty of our surroundings, and are instantly ready for sharing. Frankly, no one desires a dark, dreary, bluish photo simply because it was taken on an overcast day. If that's the case, we'd prefer our photos to be more balanced, warmer, and appealing.

We believe that phone manufacturers are currently overindulging in image processing. We've grown weary of the artificially sharpened aesthetics, the perpetually radiant and vibrant colors, and skin tones that render people with an orange hue.



However, we also understand that we can't dwell solely in the realm of make-believe. We cannot defy human nature and insist that phone cameras produce photos as realistic as possible because, in all honesty, that's not what we truly desire.

What we desire are photos that simply look great! And what constitutes "great"? Well, that's what phone manufacturers are constantly grappling with. Year after year, they tweak, revamp, innovate, refine, and upgrade, all in pursuit of a formula that resonates with customers.

Hence, we've chosen a less-traveled path, one that represents a middle ground. It's a road less traveled because we don't foresee reverting to a pursuit of realism in phone photography, but we also disdain the excessively processed appearance prevalent in many popular phones today. This is why we've set our benchmark target on what we call "Reality Plus." Essentially, it means we want our photos to remain grounded in reality, but have a tastefully enhanced look that makes them that much more desirable and suitable for viewing and sharing.



The PhoneArena Camera Score evaluates various objective aspects, such as a camera's ability to capture genuine detail, the reliability of its preview, or the extent of undesirable oversharpening.

However, when it comes to assessing the visual "style" of photos produced by our beloved little snappers, which has always been, and continues to be, an inherently subjective matter, we've chosen to base our ratings on our concept of "Reality Plus." This entails achieving a level of brightness and an approach to color reproduction that stays rooted in reality while tastefully enhancing a photo's visual appeal.