iPhone 8 Plus best performing smartphone camera ever, iPhone X expected to be better

While the new iPhone 8 did very well beating all other manufacturer's devices in testing by DxOMark, the iPhone 8 Plus is the undisputed champion of all other smartphones ever produced.

In a review published on Friday, the iPhone 8 Plus was heralded for "under-the-hood upgrades" giving the camera notable improvements in almost every tested category. The iPhone 8 scored 92 points, with the iPhone 8 Plus scoring 94.

For comparison, the previous champion was the Google Pixel scoring 90.

Compared to the iPhone 7 family, DxOMark has determined that the iPhone 8 models do a better job of capturing HDR shots. The company cites better detail preservation and overall exposure than the iPhone 7 Plus.

The biggest improvements have come in the zoom feature in the iPhone 8 Plus. Scoring a full five points better than the iPhone 7 Plus in testing, the new iPhone 8 Plus exhibited improved framing and detail presentation over the predecessor.

Another five-point gain is gleaned in Bokeh, mostly delivered by the processing power boost in the iPhone 8 Plus.

"[The iPhone 8 Plus] features outstanding image quality, zoom for those needing to get closer to their subjects, and an industry-leading Portrait mode for artistic efforts," wrote DxOMark. "It is at the top of our scoring charts in nearly every category — and in particular, its advanced software allows it to do an amazing job of capturing high-dynamic range scenes and images in which it can recognize faces."

The company notes that the iPhone X camera with a wider aperture than the iPhone 8 Plus will be on "the cutting edge of zoom and portrait performance."

Still photography and video are combined into one score. Breaking out the scores separately, the Google Pixel scored 90 in still photography and 91 in video, with the iPhone 8 Plus coming in at 96 and 89 respectively.