Xiaomi Pocophone F1 beats out original Google Pixel w/ DxoMark camera score of 91

Ben Schoon | Jan 30 2019 - 8:54 am PT

The original Google Pixel was a big deal for smartphone cameras, and the results it put out are still impressive today. However, the rest of the industry is catching up, and now the sub-$300 Xiaomi Pocophone has managed to get a DxO score that beats Google’s first Pixel camera.

Xiaomi’s Pocophone F1 has made waves in the industry thanks to a very low price point and some killer specs. For $300, it performs across the board far better than it should for that money. At these price points, though, the camera is one of the first portions of the device to suffer.

However, the Pocophone F1 seems to be somewhat immune to that trend. In a blind camera test last year, it actually came in second place, beating out high-end flagships such as the iPhone XS and even Google’s Pixel 3.

In DxOMark’s formal review of the camera, the well-known outlet ranked it at a score of 91. While that may fall well behind the Pixel 3’s 101 or Mate 20 Pro’s 109, it’s an impressive score for such an inexpensive device. It also beats out the original Pixel by one point and puts the Pocophone on par with the likes of the iPhone 8 and Galaxy Note 8.

Of course, DxO scores still shouldn’t make or break a camera, but it’s pretty impressive to see the Pocophone F1 rank so high. DxO gives the Pocophone F1 camera high marks for how it handles exposure, color, and flash, as well as a fast autofocus system. Videos also gets great marks with praise for the stabilization and “vivid color.”