YouTuber Marques Brownlee has chosen the iPhone 15 Pro as the standout device in the best camera category of MKBHD's Smartphone Awards 2023.
Brownlee justified his choice by admitting that while there are smartphones on the market that can produce better results when using zoom, the iPhone 15 Pro offers the most solid all-round performance across the biggest variety of use cases, and its ease of use when taking photos and videos remains unrivaled.
Brownlee particularly highlighted the quality of video recorded on the iPhone 15 Pro, calling it the best and most consistent in various situations. He also applauded Apple for introducing Log recording to its feature set, as well as the ability to save video directly to an external storage device.
In MKBHD's blind smartphone camera test that was run online, the iPhone 15 Pro was also found to capture the best low-light photos. An honorable mention in the category went to the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra, for its stills camera performance when using the zoom lens.
Meanwhile, the iPhone 15 Plus won the best battery category, which is judged not only on the biggest capacity, but the overall battery experience. The iPhone 15 was chosen for its less power-hungry 60Hz display that allows the device to keep going beyond most rivals.
MKBHD said that the iPhone 15 Plus should be the choice for those looking for a "risk-free, no-brainer" device with great battery life. Brownlee also gave a shout-out to the ROG Phone 7, which does not have wireless charging but has the biggest battery capacity (6000 mAh) of any phone.
Phone of the Year went to the Google Pixel 8. Despite costing $100 more than its predecessor, Brownlee praised its great stills camera, dramatically better display, several excellent software features, and the promise of seven years of software updates.
All of the category winners for the MKBHD Smartphone Awards 2023 are as follows:
Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra
Best Compact Phone:
ASUS Zenfone 10
Best Camera:
iPhone 15 Pro
The Value Award:
Samsung Galaxy A54
Best Battery:
iPhone 15 Plus
Honor Magic V2
Best Foldable Phone:
OnePlus Open
Most Improved:
Nothing Phone 2
Bust of the Year (Worst Phone):
Saga Solana Cryptophone
Phone of the Year:
Google Pixel 8
You can watch the full video of MKBHD's Smartphone Awards above and on the YouTube website. What are your opinions on this year's winners? Let us know in the comments.
Top Rated Comments
Having watched a lot of these low-info tech reviewer channels for years, I'd put MKBHD in the top 3 in terms of content and honesty. I don't think he intentionally stirs the pot or trolls. He certainly doesn't shill for Apple, IMO. If anything, he's an Android fanboy at heart, but he's fair and openminded, and therefore see's the good in both platforms.
I think it's a deserved award.
The troll is not MKBHD here, that is for sure.
I see no reason the Pixel 8 won't last as long.
He prefaces the entire video by saying it's all his opinion, so I do find some of the ire in the comments quite funny. I know it's an Apple focused website, but Apple devices are not the greatest things ever made.
How on earth is a pixel more expensive than an iPhone long term lmao