Samsung Galaxy S7
New Samsung S7 (R) and S7 edge smartphones are displayed after their unveiling ceremony at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain, February 21, 2016. The incremental upgrades may not be enough to rejuvenate sales for the world's No. 1 smartphone maker. Reuters/Albert Gea

Google intends to capture photographers’ hearts with its new Pixel smartphone. The Pixel’s main camera is said to launch, shoot, enhance and save photos faster while being battery efficient. Meanwhile, the Samsung Galaxy S7 is still one of the best in the mobile industry when it comes to cameras.

Does Google’s new handset have what it takes to beat the Samsung flagship in a photographic mano-a-mano? Let’s take a look at the camera specs and enhancements of the Samsung Galaxy S7 and the Google Pixel.

READ: Apple iPhone 7 vs iPhone 6s camera comparison: What sets them apart

The main shooter of the Samsung Galaxy S7 is a 12 MP f/1.7 camera with phase detection autofocus, optical image stabilisation (OIS) and LED flash. The Google Pixel, meanwhile, sports a 12.3 MP primary camera with an f/2.0 aperture, electronic image stabilisation (EIS), phase detection/laser autofocus and dual-LED flash. The Galaxy S7 has the better main camera because of three reasons: it has wider lens, OIS and Dual Pixel technology.

The Samsung Galaxy S7’s wider lens means that it can absorb slightly more light than Google Pixel’s. Pictures taken in low-light are much better with a wider aperture. It’s also the same story when it comes to OIS and EIS. OIS is more effective at low resolutions and in dimly lit areas than EIS.

The Galaxy S7’s Dual Pixel technology allows each pixel on its image sensor to have two photodiodes instead of one. According to Trusted Reviews, this makes the Samsung phone’s camera focus faster. Unlike its other competitor, the Apple iPhone 7, which uses about 5 to 10 percent of its pixels for focusing, the Galaxy S7 involves every single pixel.

The secondary camera of the Pixel is more superior to that of the Galaxy S7. The Pixel has an 8 MP f/2.4 front-facing camera while the Galaxy S7 only has a 5 MP f/1.7 secondary snapper. Selfie shots and Skype sessions are slightly better with the Pixel. Both phones are able to produce 2160p videos at 30 frames per second, 1080p videos at 60 frames per second and 720p at 240 frames per second.

The clash of cameras between the Samsung Galaxy S7 and the Google Pixel is a seesaw battle. The Samsung flagship gains the upper hand with its main camera, but the new Google smartphone also earns a victory with its front-facing selfie snapper.

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