Lots of iPhone and Samsung smartphone camera comparisons have been done in the past and results have shown that Samsung produces better results. However, a new revelation coming from a former Google executive might shock smartphone photography enthusiasts.
Vic Gundotra, former Google senior vice president of engineering, said in a Facebook post that he could trade a DSLR (digital single-lens reflex) camera for the iPhone 7's shooter. Gundotra went down to explain how Apple has better camera technologies as compared to Samsung and other Android phone cameras.
He cited that the open source nature of Android is giving smartphone manufacturers a difficult job to innovate both on software and hardware levels because Google's mobile operating system has to be "neutral to all parties".
In his words, Gundotra states: "Ever wonder why a Samsung phone has a confused and bewildering array of photo options? Should I use the Samsung Camera? Or the Android Camera? Samsung gallery or Google Photos? It's because when Samsung innovates with the underlying hardware (like a better camera) they have to convince Google to allow that innovation to be surfaced to other applications via the appropriate API. That can take YEARS".
Gundotra furthered that innovation on the hardware level is only a piece of the whole picture. He stressed that at the computational photography level, Google is on the losing end.
"Google was crushing this five years ago...recently [it] has fallen back. I ran all of Google's mobile efforts from 2007-2010. I was SVP of engineering. So I understand this topic reasonably well. I would NEVER buy an Android phone again if I cared about photography."
He noted that Apple innovates "in the underlying hardware" and with just simple software updates, they are able to bring in new features with the camera, talking about the new portrait mode, and the device is ready for release.
Gundotra capped off his statement, "If you truly care about great photography, you own an iPhone. If you don't mind being a few years behind, buy an Android".
