Cameras in Phones Are Now Better Than Compact Cameras from 5 Years Ago

Camera equipment rating service DxOMark announced today that it will be expanding its tests to cover the cameras found in mobile devices (e.g. cellphones, smartphones, and tablets). In its initial “first glance” of the industry published today, the service makes an interesting claim: that “mobile image quality is now superior to that of 5-year-old compact cameras” (so we were off by around 5 years).

Mobile phone cameras have become a key feature for a large number of consumers: in 2011, more than one quarter of all photos were taken with a mobile phone. This trend has accelerated in 2012 – which may end up being the year when mobile photography surpasses traditional amateur compact camera photography.