OnePlus 11 vs. Google Pixel 7 Camera Comparison: Closer Than You Think

Nothing gets a budding photographer's heart racing like... Google Pixel smartphoneWe say this because the company's Pixel lineup has been the benchmark for mobile photography for a minute now. The Google Pixel 7, for example, is among the best camera phones you can buy right now. In this guide, we'll compare the OnePlus 11 and Google Pixel 7 cameras.

However, the landscape may soon change as it has announced that OnePlus Also recently, we've heard about the VFM flagship. We're, of course, talking about the OnePlus 11, which, among other things, gets a powerful camera array to boot.

So, if you're looking for a new Android and want to know which device takes better photos, you're in luck. We've spent some time with the phones and here's how their cameras perform.

First, let's take a closer look at the camera specs of our competitors. Starting with the Google Pixel 7, the device features a 50MP primary sensor with an f/1.85 aperture and an 84-degree FoV. The primary camera is paired with an ultrawide snapper with a 114-degree FoV and a 10.8MP selfie camera.

On the other hand, the OnePlus 11 comes with a 890MP Sony IMX50 imaging sensor, which works alongside a 32MP tele-portrait sensor and a 48MP ultrawide camera. For selfies, the device features a 16MP front camera.

With the camera specs out of the way, let's take a closer look at some photos captured by the phones in daylight. Now, first and foremost, you should know that the OnePlus 11 captures images with a warmer tone. Furthermore, while the phone captures slightly sharper photos than the Pixel 7 out of the box, you can capture a more detailed shot using the built-in high-resolution mode.

By doing this, the smartphone will click a 50MP photo, which is ideal when clicking landscapes.

The Pixel 7 also comes with a 50MP sensor, but it only allows users to capture pixelated photos. Therefore, for the purpose of this article, we extracted pixelated shots from both phones.

Now, as mentioned earlier, photos from the phones have a stark contrast in color temperature. For example, if you look at the attached shot above, you'll notice that the OnePlus output skews toward warmer tones. The red light sign, for example, looks vibrant in the snap.

At the same time, the smartphone also extracts information from shadows better. In contrast, the Pixel 7 tends to darken shadows in an attempt to make the scene more dramatic.

The same thing becomes apparent if you zoom in on the gray sedan toward the back of the light sign. Here, you'll notice that the two front frames appear sharper and offer more detail in the OnePlus image.

Another thing to note is that OnePlus' Hasselblad tuning tends to turn foliage yellow, which isn't ideal. The tree toward the back of the building, for example, has a yellow tinge that looks odd, to say the least.

The same thing is evident in this next shot as well. Here, the OnePlus 11 once again captures a warmer image, which is evident if you look at the flower pots, which are redder than usual. Furthermore, the grass appears yellow in the shot as well.

On the plus side, corner sharpness is slightly better than what you get with the Pixel 7. In fact, when cropped to 100 percent, the AC units placed on the building on the right appear sharper in the OnePlus 11's composition.

Similarly, in this next comparison shot, you'll notice that the OnePlus 11 has once again grouped the colors. The same is evident if you look at the taillights of a defunct hatchback parked near a building, or the color of the leaves.

However, at a closer crop, the OnePlus 11's composition is also more clear and detailed. In fact, at 100 percent crop, you can clearly make out the green generator toward the back in the OnePlus shot.

On the other hand, the Pixel 7's camera fell prey to some strange artifacts. In short, the Pixel 11 captures more accurate color images, while the OnePlus XNUMX delivers more detailed shots of the mix.

Furthermore, at 100 percent crop, you'll notice the flower petals seemingly merging into each other. On the other hand, the Pixel 7's output reveals vibrant oranges well, and the composition is free of any color cast.

The same goes for this next maroon flower, too. Here, the petals look distinct and structured in the Pixel shot, while OnePlus' post-processing captures some finer details. Don't get us wrong—both images look equally pleasing and will make your IG feed absolutely sparkle. However, Pixel watchers will find the Pixel's composition slightly better here.

Ultra Wide

The OnePlus 11 has a slight edge when it comes to ultra-high-resolution photos. We say this because the device can capture 48-megapixel images that offer better resolution when cropped closer. However, if you're limiting yourself to pixel-binned samples, you can use one or the other.

For example, in the sample shot attached above, both phones show commendable detail around the center of the frame. The images don't show any noticeable fringing either, and the shots contain plenty of detail around the edges of the composition as well. If anything, the OnePlus image has brighter colors and a slightly larger FoV. In other words, you can see more of the scene in the OnePlus 11 shot.

HUMAN SUBJECT

Both phones take great photos of human subjects, too. However, each device brings its own unique flavor to the shots, making them stand out even more.

The OnePlus 11, for example, tends to brighten people's faces. It also captures images with warmer tones, so you'll notice that objects in the periphery tend to have rich, vibrant colors.

On the other hand, the Pixel 7 captures images with slightly cooler color tones. The smartphone also adds distinct texture around the person's face to make it stand out more. Furthermore, we liked how the smartphone captured images in bright environments, too.

To that end, if you look at the camera sample attached above, you'll notice that both shots offer tremendous detail on the subject's face. However, the sunlight falling on the subject is slightly better exposed in the Pixel shot.

In the OnePlus' case, the top-right corner of the subject's face shows a slight crop to bring out the light. You'll also notice that the leaves in the background appear modified in the OnePlus image. However, the scene retains its naturalness in the Pixel shot.

Similarly, in the shot attached above, you'll notice that the OnePlus 11 image also exhibits some lens flare. While the image is sharper than the Pixel 7 shot, it looks worse—at least at face value.

However, in ideal lighting conditions, the phone's output is neck and neck. Now, of course, the OnePlus image is brighter. Furthermore, as evidenced by the colors of the subject's headwear, the smartphone has also slightly brightened the color tones. As such, you'll notice that the braids on the jacket look strangely energetic and glowing.

Selfie

The Google Pixel 7 has the edge over the OnePlus 11 in the selfie department. Both phones capture equally detailed shots under sunlight from their front cameras. In fact, in the shot attached below, you'll notice that both phones captured facial imperfections fairly well.

If anything, the OnePlus 11 shot looks a bit too pretty, with the subject's lips appearing pink in the image. Furthermore, there are white patches around the cheeks and nose as well. Otherwise, the images are on par.

The same goes for portraits, too, mind you. In fact, from the effectiveness of the blur effect to the sharpness and detail in the photos, you'll be hard-pressed to find a difference in the photos.

However, the scene takes a turn for the worse for the OnePlus when you try to click photos against a light source. To this end, the smartphone struggles to expose the scene properly, and you'll often find the subject's skin tone clearly lacking as well. Furthermore, unlike the Pixel 7, the OnePlus 11 can only record 1080p videos from the front camera.

On the other hand, Google's offering can shoot up to 4K at 60 frames per second, which is impressive. All said and done, the Pixel 7 would be our pick among selfie enthusiasts.

2X phone lens

Contrary to popular belief, the Google Pixel 7 can actually capture excellent close-up photos as well. In fact, the smartphone crops its main sensor to produce an image on par with what you'd get if you used a dedicated 2x telephoto lens. The OnePlus 11, on the other hand, comes with a dedicated telephoto sensor that can also capture photos at 2x zoom.

Unsurprisingly, both devices capture stunning photos at twice the rate. Now, the OnePlus 11 delivers a sharper shot, as evidenced by the maroon flower shot attached above.

Here, the flower petals appear more organized in the OnePlus image. Furthermore, we noticed that the OnePlus 11 can lock onto the subject faster, too.

Whatever the case, the device tends to blur particularly bright hues as well. The same is evident in this shot of a yellow flower, where the petals appear to blend into each other in the OnePlus image. Rest assured, you can use either phone if you want to click zoomed-in shots.

Soft light with night mode

The OnePlus 11 takes the lead in low-light scenarios. To this end, the smartphone captured more detailed shots with less lens flare after sunset. For example, if you look at the attached shot below, you'll notice that the OnePlus display resolved the light emitted by the lamps better.

Similarly, in this sample shot below, you can see that the scene appears brighter and offers better visibility in the OnePlus photo. Furthermore, the phone once again resolved the light emitted by the headlights better.

Shutter game

OnePlus is bringing its A game to the OnePlus 11. Don't get me wrong, the phone still has a ways to go. In fact, we preferred the Pixel 7's color technology much more.

However, the OnePlus 11 gets a number of things right as well. First, the device captures more information-intensive photos in low-light scenarios. Furthermore, the smartphone's primary camera is fast to focus and captures good-looking images most of the time, too.

The smartphone is more than adept at capturing high-quality close-up photos. As such, while Google's offering remains our top pick among the bunch, the OnePlus 11 is just two upgrades away from the Pixel 7.