HTC U11 Beats Google Pixel to Become DxOMark’s Top Smartphone Camera

In a totally unexpected turn of events, Googles extremely impressive Google Pixel was just unseated as DxOMark Mobile’s best smartphone camera by the new HTC U11. DxO announced the news a few hours ago, giving the U11 a top score of 90, one point better than the Google Pixel and 4 points higher than the iPhone 7.

If you haven’t heard of the HTC U11, we’ll forgive you. Unlike, say, the iPhone 7, Samsung Galaxy S8, or Google Pixel, it wasn’t the benefactor of the same sort of hype. In fact, its marquee feature is this strange “squeezable” gimmick:

But that’s not all it can do, as DxOMark Mobile discovered when they put the phone’s 12-megapixel camera with dual pixel AF, multi-axis optical and electronic stabilization, and f/1.7 aperture to the test.

The U11 performed exceptionally well across the board—with particularly high marks in Autofocus, Stabilization, and Noise—becoming their highest-scoring smartphone cam ever tested.

“Not only is the HTC U11 the highest-scoring phone we’ve ever tested, it’s the highest-scoring in both still image quality and video quality, beating out the Google Pixel by 1 point in each,” writes DxOMark in their conclusion. “Those who want to shoot and share their photos will particularly appreciate the vibrant colors and bright exposures of the HTC U11 […] The HTC U11’s very low noise and excellent detail preservation also allow for sharing and printing larger-sized images than with most other phones.”

You can see how the U11 compares to the Pixel in every category below:

To see sample shots and a full breakdown of their tests, head over to DxOMark Mobile by clicking here. And if you want to learn more or buy one for yourself, head over to HTC’s website where you can pre-order yours for $650.