Why New Smartphone Cameras Feel Worse

Despite better hardware specs, smartphone photos increasingly look worse than older models. MKBHD investigates the trend toward computational photography over-processing and why manufacturers are prioritising AI filters over natural image quality.

Smartphone cameras have evolved from simple sensors to complex computational imaging systems. While hardware has improved dramatically, the software processing pipeline has introduced artefacts, oversharpening, and unnatural skin tones that users are noticing more.

For most people, their smartphone is their primary camera — understanding the trade-offs between computational and natural photography helps consumers make better buying decisions.