The best smartphone front cameras of 2019

[CrazyBoy28]

Please note: we will update this article soon to include the Huawei nova 6 5G which is the new number one in our DXOMARK Selfie ranking. 

Just like we’ve done for smartphone main cameras, we’ve had another look at all the smartphone front cameras we tested in 2019 and have picked our favorites in several categories for you (note we will still test a number of smartphone front cameras before the end of the year and update this list accordingly if necessary). We launched DXOMARK Selfie back in January and have since used the new protocol to test the front cameras of 25 smartphones, from entry-level to flagship devices.

As it is for the main camera, the overall Selfie score is a great indicator for the all-round performance of a front camera. However, it also makes sense to dive deeper and have a closer look at the sub-scores as well in order to make sure you find the right device for your specific requirements. We’ve done some of that work for you and picked our favorites for a range of front camera use cases. So without further ado, here are our favorite smartphone front cameras for 2019:

Best all-rounder: Samsung Galaxy Note 10+ 5G

Samsung Galaxy Note 10+ 5G

With an overall Selfie score of 99 points, the Samsung Galaxy Note 10+ 5G is the current leader in our DXOMARK Selfie ranking for smartphone front cameras. Excellent performance across pretty much all test categories makes it an ideal choice for most types of selfie shooting under most light conditions.

Selfies captured with the Samsung’s front camera show good exposure on faces down to very low light levels, and a wide dynamic range means that highlight clipping in difficult high-contrast scenes is fairly well under control. We also like the Samsung’s skin tone rendering and color in general; saturation fades a little only in low light. Although not up there with the very best in the category, image detail is good, and noise is very well controlled, making for very clean images in most situations.

The Samsung also does very well in flash mode, with with consistently good results when shooting both in complete darkness and in low ambient light. Further, the camera’s artificial bokeh mode creates images with good subject isolation and an overall pleasant blur effect.

Best for video: Samsung Galaxy Note 10+ 5G

Samsung Galaxy Note 10+ 5G

The Samsung Galaxy Note 10+ 5G isn’t only the best choice for still images, it’s also the number one for Video in our Selfie ranking, with excellent results across all video test categories. Thanks to 4K resolution, the Samsung is among the best devices for video texture, with excellent detail in bright light and under typical indoor conditions. Some fine texture is lost in low light, but the Note 10+ 5G is still better than most competitors in dim conditions.

Despite the high resolution, noise is still well-controlled in most conditions, with some luminance and chroma noise creeping in only in low light. Samsung has also done a very good job in terms of video stabilization, which is still very efficient in both indoor and outdoor conditions, despite the higher 4K pixel count that the algorithms have to deal with. It efficiently corrects for both walking motion and for camera shake when holding the device still, making for smooth and stable video output in most situations.

Areas to improve include occasional exposure instabilities and stepping, as well as white balance casts that can be visible, especially in low light. Those minor shortcomings aside, the Note 10+ 5G’s video performance is excellent overall.