Tech in review: Top 5 dual-camera smartphones that ruled markets in 2017

Business Standard looks back at smartphones with the best dual-camera set-up iterations that were launched in 2017. Here are the our top 5 picks

The concept of dual rear cameras in smartphones is not new. However, the trend seems to have caught everyone's fancy in 2017. Now, as the year draws to a close, we have no dearth of good dual-camera smartphones to choose the best – be it devices in the budget segment or flagship ones.

Technically, not all dual-camera set-ups are the same; they deliver different prepositions. Different smartphone makers employ different types of dual camera set-ups from distinct original equipment makers (OEMs) in their devices, and each has its own way of functioning.

Business Standard looks back at the smartphones launched in 2017 to pick the top 5 best iterations of dual-camera set-ups:

Apple iPhone X and iPhone 8 Plus

Cupertino, US-based technology giant Apple should get the credit for making the dual-camera set-up mainstream in smartphones. The company first employed dual cameras in the iPhone 7 Plus, and the trend only picked up higher from there.

This year, the company’s flagship iPhone 8 Plus and the anniversary-edition iPhone X feature dual-camera set-up on the back. Although the camera set-up in the iPhone 8 Plus is carried over from iPhone 7 Plus – 12 megapixel (OIS-based) primary shooter, coupled with 13 MP telephoto lens -- it brings a lot of aesthetic and cosmetic changes with a new set of software-based algorithms to improve the camera performance on all parameters. The iPhone X, on the other hand, sports the same shooter but with OIS-enabled for both the shooters.

Both, the iPhone 8 Plus and iPhone X top the list for their impeccable photography and videography capabilities.

Samsung Galaxy Note 8

The Galaxy Note 8 is the first smartphone coming from the stable of South Korea-based electronics giant Samsung with dual-camera capabilities. Launched after a backlash following the Galaxy Note 7 fiasco last year, the Galaxy Note 8 had to be perfect in every sense, and it was -- at least in so far as camera capabilities are concerned.

The Galaxy Note 8’s dual-camera set-up boasts dual 12 MP sensors with f/1.7 and f2.4 aperture sizes. Both the cameras feature autofocus, among other top-tier software- and hardware-backed features. The performance is top-notch in all lighting conditions.

If there is any 2017 dual-camera based smartphone that comes close to Apple iPhone 8 Plus and iPhone X, it has to be the Samsung Galaxy Note 8.

LG G6

LG has a long history of bringing dual-camera-based smartphones. That gives the company an upper hand over competitors in terms of experience. However, the company takes a different approach -- a rather radical one -- towards the dual-camera set-up.

The LG G6 boasts a dual-camera set-up with a regular 13 MP shooter assisted by 3-axis OIS, PDAF and f/1.8 aperture and an ultra-wide-angle 13 MP shooter with 125-degree field view. If not for overall performance, the camera in the LG G6 is a clear winner for photographers with interest in the landscape genre.

Honor 8 Pro

Someone keeping a track of the history of dual-camera smartphones would agree that Huawei’s online sub-brand Honor was among the first to bring the dual-camera device to the market. Just like LG, the China-based smartphone manufacturer has ample experience in this game and does not shy away in experimenting with a different set-up.

However, the most adopted set-up directly carried over from the class-leading Leica-powered Huawei P-series smartphone is found in the Honor 8 Pro. The smartphone boasts dual 12 MP sensors – a regular one, and a monochrome sensor to help capture more light for low-light performance. The camera in the Honor 8 Pro is not class-leading or anywhere close to the iPhone X, iPhone 8 Plus or Samsung Galaxy Note 8. But, given that it is a mid-tier smartphone, the Honor 8 Pro brings exceptional photography capabilities at one-third of the value of premium smartphones.

Xiaomi Mi A1

The Xiaomi Mi A1 is the only budget smartphone that could challenge the might of pricier devices. That the smartphone is based on the Google Android One project could be one reason why the phone has exceptional camera performance – as seen in the Google Pixel 2-series.

The Mi A1 sports dual 12MP sensors with primary camera mated with telephoto lens. The camera delivers exceptional imaging capabilities, which could be compared with Xiaomi’s flagship Mi 6 smartphone. The telephoto lens allows 2x optical zoom and the Bokeh effect -- where background gets enhanced blur and the objects remain in focus – looks natural, unlike other budget dual-camera-based smartphones.