X

iPhone 8 Plus vs. Galaxy Note 8: the results of our comparison

Which photos do you like better, the ones shot on the Note or the iPhone? We tested out the dual cameras of these two flagship phones in different settings.

Vanessa Hand Orellana
As head of wearables at CNET, Vanessa reviews and writes about the latest smartwatches and fitness trackers. She joined the team seven years ago as an on-camera reporter for CNET's Spanish-language site and then moved on to the English side to host and produce some of CNET's videos and YouTube series. When she's not testing out smartwatches or dropping phones, you can catch her on a hike or trail run with her family.
Vanessa Hand Orellana
cover-1
1 of 21

iPhone 8 Plus vs Galaxy Note 8: which takes better photos?

The results of our photo comparison between Apple and Samsung's biggest flagship phones. 

note-taylor-trees
2 of 21 Vanessa Hand Orellana / CNET

Portrait - Note

The Note's has a brighter exposure which better illuminates Taylor's face, but it also creates an unnatural glow around her face and body and parts of the shot look blown out. The blur effect doesn't seem as harsh as the iPhone's.

iphone-taylor-trees
3 of 21

Portrait - iPhone

This portrait shot on the iPhone has greater contrast and richer colors, but Taylor's face looks darker than the Note's. The iPhone also had a hard time figuring out the edges of her hair and the blurred background effect looks harsh around her hair.

note-bellablanket
4 of 21

Portrait - Note

The Note washed out the shot and evened out the skin on Bella's face making it seem almost as if it has been retouched.

Portrait - iPhone
Portrait - iPhone
2:52
5 of 21 Vanessa Hand Orellana / CNET

Portrait - iPhone

The colors on the iPhone's shot look more vibrant, and you can even pick out a bit of sweat on Bella's forehead. Her skin tone is also more realistic.  

note-seldfie
6 of 21

Selfie - Note

The default setting on the Note's front camera applies a beauty filter (level 2) on selfies. This made the freckles on the girl's faces nearly disappear and the photo as a whole looks a bit washed out. 

iphone-seldfie
7 of 21

Selfie - iPhone

The colors in this shot are more vibrant and you can actually pick out the freckles in the girls faces. 

notee-close-up-sage
8 of 21

Close-up - Note

This shot of the sage plant appears flatter on the Note because it doesn't have as much contrast or saturation as the iPhone's, even though it's just as sharp. 

iphone-close-up-sage
9 of 21

iphone-close-up-sage

The sage appears to have more depth and detail here and the colors are richer. 

note-close-up-flower
10 of 21

Close-up - Note

The Note focuses at a closer range than the iPhone allowing you to get closer to your subject. It even has a manual focus mode in the Pro settings for more precision.

iphone-close-up-flower
11 of 21

iphone-close-up-flower

The iPhone won't focus if you get too close. This shot of the flower in the vase looks good, but it focused on the flowers in the back instead of the pistils of the yellow flower in the front which was what I was aiming for.

note2x-zoom
12 of 21

2x zoom - Note

The zoomed-in shot on the Note looks slightly cooler and the colors are more subdued than on the iPhone, but once you get up close to my face and the writing on the wall you'll notice it captured more detail than the iPhone. 

iphone2x-zoom
13 of 21

2x zoom - iPhone

The iPhone has warmer tones that more closely resemble my actual skin color. But if you get up close, you can start to see some noise around my face because the image is not as sharp as the Note's. 

note-landscape2
14 of 21

Landsape - Note

The cooler temperature of the Note look great on landscapes. The ripples in the water appear clearer in this shot of the Note. 

iphone-landscape2
15 of 21

Landscape - iPhone

But the clouds in this shot are more dramatic. 

note-landscape-gg
16 of 21

Landscape - Note

Both phones did a great job capturing the Golden Gate bridge. The Note produces cooler hues that make the bridge pop and make the shot look clearer. 

iphone-landscape-gg
17 of 21

Landscape - iPhone

But the shot on the iPhone more accurately captured the soft golden haze of the sunsetting over the bay. 

notee-lowlight-1
18 of 21

Lowlight - Note

You can see a lot more detail in the sidewalk and the houses in the background on this shot of the Note, but more noise around the street lights.  

iphone-lowlight-1
19 of 21

Lowlight - iPhone

The orb shot on the iPhone has more vibrant blues and greater contrast with less lens flare.

note-cityhall
20 of 21

Lowlight - Note

The greater contrast of the Note looks really nice on the shot of City Hall bringing out the details in the column and the fence around it.

iphone-cityhall
21 of 21 Lexy Savvides / CNET

Lowlight - iPhone

The shot of San Francisco City Hall on the iPhone doesn't look as sharp or as bright as the Note's, but the iPhone may have a higher shutter speed which means less motion blur from the lights.

More Galleries

My Favorite Shots From the Galaxy S24 Ultra's Camera
A houseplant

My Favorite Shots From the Galaxy S24 Ultra's Camera

20 Photos
Honor's Magic V2 Foldable Is Lighter Than Samsung's Galaxy S24 Ultra
magic-v2-2024-foldable-1383

Honor's Magic V2 Foldable Is Lighter Than Samsung's Galaxy S24 Ultra

10 Photos
The Samsung Galaxy S24 and S24 Plus Looks Sweet in Aluminum
Samsung Galaxy S24

The Samsung Galaxy S24 and S24 Plus Looks Sweet in Aluminum

23 Photos
Samsung's Galaxy S24 Ultra Now Has a Titanium Design
The Galaxy S24 Ultra in multiple colors

Samsung's Galaxy S24 Ultra Now Has a Titanium Design

23 Photos
I Took 600+ Photos With the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max. Look at My Favorites
img-0368.jpg

I Took 600+ Photos With the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max. Look at My Favorites

34 Photos
17 Hidden iOS 17 Features You Should Definitely Know About
Invitation for the Apple September iPhone 15 event

17 Hidden iOS 17 Features You Should Definitely Know About

18 Photos
AI or Not AI: Can You Spot the Real Photos?
img-1599-2.jpg

AI or Not AI: Can You Spot the Real Photos?

17 Photos