Android Authority was in Valencia Spain, for the launch of the Asus Zenfone 6. We took the Zenfone 6, with its clever flip camera system, out for a walk to shoot some photos. We took the same shots with the Huawei P30 Pro — a phone that costs double as much — to see just how well it stacks up against the (current) best in the business.
In the photos that follow, we disabled Huawei’s Master AI because it tends to bump saturation and contrast too much to get an easily comparable result. Naturally, the phone that costs double as much generally performs better, but in some situations, the Zenfone 6 is tantalisingly close. Those situations tend to be well-lit scenes, the type in which most modern smartphone cameras perform well. In tougher circumstances, the P30 Pro surges ahead.
Let’s check out a few sample shots with a slider to see just how much of a difference you can see, and whether or not you think it’s worth paying double as much for. We’d be interested to hear your thoughts in the comments below. Is the added versatility of the P30 Pro worth paying an extra $500 for? Or is the Zenfone 6 more than able to satisfy your photographic needs?
Low light
Asus_Zenfone_6 camera_sample_194724 Huawei_P30_Pro camera_sample_194712
Asus_Zenfone_6 camera_sample_221926 Huawei_P30_Pro camera_sample_221933
The main things to note in the first pair, barring the obvious difference in detail if inspected up close, is the major difference in color temperature. In the second pairing, both taken with night mode enabled, the most obvious difference is that the Zenfone produces a far darker night shot than the P30 Pro.
Selfie
Asus_Zenfone_6 camera_sample_131524 Huawei_P30_Pro camera_sample_131510
Asus_Zenfone_6 camera_sample_115550 Huawei_P30_Pro camera_sample_115601
If the Asus Zenfone 6 has any chance to beat the Huawei P30 Pro at anything, it is in selfie mode. Because the Zenfone 6 uses the 48MP IMX586 for the selfie camera as well as the main camera, it’s to be expected that it competes aggressively on detail against the P30 Pro. The P30 Pro tends to add a little more contrast and doesn’t produce overly pink skin tones like the Zenfone 6.
Color
Asus_Zenfone_6 camera_sample_130012 Huawei_P30_Pro camera_sample_130002
Asus_Zenfone_6 camera_sample_123000 Huawei_P30_Pro camera_sample_122952
Color reproduction in these shots is great on both phones. In fact, we have a hard time deciding which is best. It’ll pretty much come down to your personal preference as to which you like more.
Wide-angle
Asus_Zenfone_6 camera_sample_112913 Huawei_P30_Pro camera_sample_112855
Asus_Zenfone_6 camera_sample_115952 Huawei_P30_Pro camera_sample_115939
Both of these shots show just how much you can fit in the frame with a wide-angled lens. Both phones do an admirable job of correcting distortion and both balance out the bright sunlight and darker areas well in the first shot. Looking through the gloomy gate out into the bright sunlight, however, the Huawei P30 Pro clearly pulls ahead with the way it balances exposure under the bridge and outside. The difference in dynamic range is very apparent.
High contrast
Asus_Zenfone_6 camera_sample_114233 Huawei_P30_Pro camera_sample_114215
Asus_Zenfone_6 camera_sample_121440 Huawei_P30_Pro camera_sample_121436
In this pair, the Zenfone’s tendency to slightly overexpose actually helps it lift the shadows more around the motorbikes at the bottom left of frame, though it does make for more washed out colors elsewhere. The same effect is visible in the shot of the orange tree; although the P30 Pro didn’t focus on the subject properly in this shot, the same darker exposure is evident. (I took this shot three times, and all three were slightly out of focus)
Full-res (48MP vs 40MP)
Asus_Zenfone_6 camera_sample_131314 Huawei_P30_Pro camera_sample_131315
To see the differences in detail here you’ll just have to hit the link to the full-resolution originals. On the surface though, both shots pretty look great. The big question here is: is the Huawei P30 Pro worth paying double the price as the Asus Zenfone 6? After all, we do know technique easily trumps hardware. Let us know your thoughts down below.