Technologies

OnePlus 11 vs. Pixel 7 Pro Cameras Tested: Which Is Better?

The OnePlus 11 and Google Pixel 7 Pro have great triple cameras. We tested both devices to figure out which is the best at taking pictures.

The OnePlus 11 is a powerful Android phone with a great looking design and handy extras like hyperfast charging. But these days, a good phone also has to take superb pictures. The OnePlus 11’s triple camera array takes high-quality shots, which you can read more about in the full review for the OnePlus 11. But I also wanted to see how it stacks up against its main rival, the Google Pixel 7 Pro.

The Pixel 7 Pro earned a coveted CNET Editors’ Choice award last year because of its specs and superb camera, so I knew it was going to be a fun «shoot-out» to determine which one captures the better photos.

I charged both handsets up and headed off around beautiful Edinburgh, Scotland, to see what’s what.

OnePlus 11, main camera.

Andrew Lanxon/CNET

Pixel 7 Pro, main camera.

Andrew Lanxon/CNET

The OnePlus 11’s shot above is certainly more vibrant than the image from the Pixel 7 Pro, but it looks oversaturated, with quite a teal tone to the sky. As a result, the OnePlus image looks less natural. It’s something I found generally with the OnePlus 11 camera in testing it for my review.

OnePlus 11, ultra-wide lens.

Andrew Lanxon/CNET

Pixel 7 Pro, ultra-wide lens.

Andrew Lanxon/CNET

Switching to the ultra-wide lens, the OnePlus 11 has again produced a more vibrant shot. (See above.) It’s not that it’s a bad photo — if you want bright, punchy shots of your friends having fun, it’ll suit you well. But it’s worth keeping in mind if you prefer more natural-looking shots like the one from the Pixel.

Both phones captured bright and well-exposed scenes in the photos above. But the HDR on the OnePlus 11 is too aggressive in lifting the shadows, resulting in quite a «processed» look. It’s again produced a blue sky that leans more into teal tones, while the Pixel 7 Pro’s shot looks more true-to-life overall.

Take a look above where it’s exactly the same story when we switch to the ultra-wide lens; overly lifted shadows and toned down highlights resulting in quite an HDR look to the image, to my eye.

I don’t feel the OnePlus 11 has done great in the photo above either, but mostly due to the color balance which has resulted in quite a teal-colored sky and a yellow-green tinge to the buildings on the left.

OnePlus 11, 2x zoom.

Andrew Lanxon/CNET

One of the things I found most disappointing in my OnePlus 11 review is that it lacks a proper telephoto zoom lens, instead having just a 2x zoom for portrait shots. I love a zoom lens on a phone as it allows you to find interesting compositions in your surroundings that might be lost to your friends and their wide-angle-only phone cameras. In the photo above, the OnePlus 11’s 2x lens only goes so far in getting a closer-up view of the buildings against the river.

Pixel 7 Pro, 5x optical zoom.

Andrew Lanxon/CNET

With its 5x optical zoom, the Pixel 7 Pro can get a much closer view. Check out the Pixel’s photo above. I always enjoy taking photos with the Pixel’s zoom lens as I feel I can get a lot more creative with the zoom than I can with just a wide-angle lens.

Where the OnePlus 11 excels though is in its night mode photos.

OnePlus 11, night mode.

Andrew Lanxon/CNET

Pixel 7 Pro, night mode.

Andrew Lanxon/CNET

The OnePlus 11 has achieved a brighter image above, which is especially noticeable on the main building in the center of the frame. I think the colors look better too, and there’s generally more detail to be seen throughout the image.

And it’s the same in the photos above. The OnePlus 11 captured a much brighter shot, with clouds in the night sky being particularly noticeable.

Both images above suffer from significant flares when shooting toward bright light sources, but most phones tend to have this problem. It’s not really any worse on either phone, so it’s just something you’ll need to keep in mind when shooting at night.

Which is the better camera phone?

Throughout my testing, I’ve found that the OnePlus 11 quite consistently delivers shots that are highly saturated and show heavy-handed HDR processing that lifts shadows and tones down highlights to a sometimes unrealistic extent. By contrast, the Pixel 7 Pro’s images are more true to life, with accurate colors and more satisfying shadow areas that haven’t been ‘fixed’ (read: lightened) by the camera software.

However, it’s important to keep in mind that this is largely subjective. As a photographer, imaging skills are a top priority for me in a phone. I want a camera that takes more realistic photos, with more «neutral» contrast and exposure, so that I have a better image to potentially apply my own edits or effects to later on. As a result, I prefer the shots from the Pixel 7 Pro. But if photography is maybe less of a concern and you instead want vibrant, punchy images straight out of the camera that you can instantly share with family and friends, then perhaps you’ll enjoy the vivid look of the OnePlus 11’s pictures. It’s certainly got the edge when it comes to night mode too.

What’s not subjective though is the lack of a bigger zoom on the OnePlus 11. That 2x lens is fine for portraits, but it’s nothing compared with the superb 5x zoom on the Pixel 7 Pro, which is probably my favorite camera lens found on any of today’s top phones. The Pixel 7 Pro feels like I’m putting a full camera bag of equipment in my pocket; a superb ultra-wide, a great standard zoom and an excellent telephoto. With it, I know I can grab interesting compositions in almost any environment I find myself in and it’s why the OnePlus 11 doesn’t feel like a fully capable photography phone.

OnePlus 11 Flaunts Its Curving Glass and Metal Body

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Technologies

iOS 17 Cheat Sheet: Your Questions on the iPhone Update Answered

Here’s what you need to know about new features and upcoming updates for your iPhone.

Apple’s iOS 17 was released in September, shortly after the company held its Wonderlust event, where the tech giant announced the new iPhone 15 lineup, the Apple Watch Series 9 and the Apple Watch Ultra 2. We put together this cheat sheet to help you learn about and use the new features in iOS 17. It’ll also help you keep track of the subsequent iOS 17 updates.

iOS 17 updates

Using iOS 17

Getting started with iOS 17

Make sure to check back periodically for more iOS 17 tips and how to use new features as Apple releases more updates.

17 Hidden iOS 17 Features You Should Definitely Know About

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Technologies

Get Ready for a Striking Aurora That Could Also Disrupt Radio Communications

Don’t expect the storm to cause a lingering problem, though.

A geomagnetic storm is threatening radio communications Monday night, but that doesn’t mean you should be concerned. In fact, it may be an opportunity to see a colorful aurora in the night sky.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has issued a geomagnetic storm watch after witnessing a coronal mass ejection from the sun on Saturday. The watch, which was issued over the weekend and will expire after Monday, said the onset of the storm passing over Earth on Sunday night represented a «moderate» threat to communications. As the storm continues to pass through, it could deliver a «strong» threat on Monday night that could cause radio communications to be temporarily disrupted during the worst of it.

Even so, NOAA said, «the general public should not be concerned.»

A coronal mass ejection occurs when magnetic field and plasma mass are violently expelled from the sun’s corona, or the outermost portion of the sun’s atmosphere. In the vast majority of cases, the ejection occurs with no real threat to Earth. However, in the event the ejection happens in the planet’s direction, a geomagnetic storm occurs, and the Earth’s magnetic field is temporarily affected.

In most cases, geomagnetic storms cause little to no disruption on Earth, with radio communications and satellites affected most often. In extreme cases, a geomagnetic storm can cause significant and potentially life-threatening power outages — a prospect that, luckily, the planet hasn’t faced.

Switching poles

Every 11 years, the sun’s magnetic poles switch, with the north pole and south pole swapping positions. During those cycles, the sun’s activity ramps up as it gets closer to pole-switching time. The height of its activity is called solar maximum, and scientists believe we either may be entering the solar maximum or may be already in it.

During periods of heightened solar activity, sunspots increase on the sun and there’s an increase in coronal mass ejections, among other phenomena. According to NOAA, solar maximum could extend into October of this year before the sun’s activity calms and it works towards its less-active phase, solar minimum.

Even when geomagnetic storms hit Earth and disrupt communications, the effects are usually short-lived. Those most affected, including power grid operators and pilots and air traffic controllers communicating over long distances, have fail-safe technologies and backup communications to ensure operational continuity.

But geomagnetic storms aren’t only about radios. In most cases, they also present unique opportunities to see auroras in the night sky. When the storms hit, the plasma they carry creates a jaw-dropping aurora, illuminating the night sky with brilliant colors. Those auroras can be especially pronounced during the most intense phases of the storm, making for nice stargazing.

If you’re interested in seeing the aurora, you’ll need to be ready. The NOAA said the «brunt of the storm has passed» and even if it lingers into Tuesday, there won’t be much to see after Monday night.

Technologies

Last Total Solar Eclipse for 20 Years Is Coming: How to See and Photograph It

It’s your last chance until 2044.

Get your eclipse glasses ready, Skygazers: the Great American Eclipse is on its way. On April 8, there’ll be a total eclipse over North America, the last one until 2044.

A total solar eclipse happens when the moon passes between the Earth and the sun, blocking the sun and turning an otherwise sunny day to darkness for a short period of time. Depending on the angle at which you’re viewing the eclipse, you may see the sun completely shrouded by the moon (called totality) or some variation of it. The more off-angle you are and the further you are from the path of the eclipse, the less likely you’ll be to see the totality.

The 2024 total solar eclipse will happen on Monday, April 8. The Great American Eclipse will reach the Mexican Pacific coast at 11:07 a.m. PT (2:07 p.m. ET), and then traverse the US in a northeasterly direction from Texas to Maine, and on into easternmost Canada. If you want a good look at it, but don’t live in the path of totality, you shouldn’t wait much longer to book accommodation and travel to a spot on the path.

Or how about booking a seat in the sky? Delta Airlines made headlines for offering a flight that allows you to see the entire path of totality. Its first eclipse flight, from Austin, Texas, to Detroit sold out quickly. But as of Monday, Delta has added a second flight from Dallas to Detroit, which also covers the path of totality. The airline also has five flights that will offer prime eclipse viewing.

Not everyone can get on one of those elusive eclipse-viewing flights. Here’s a look at other options to nab a chance to see this rare sight and what to know about it.

Total solar eclipse path

The eclipse will cross over the Pacific coast of Mexico and head northeast over mainland Mexico. The eclipse will then make its way over San Antonio at approximately 2:30 p.m. ET on April 8 and move through Texas, over the southeastern part of Oklahoma and northern Arkansas by 2:50 p.m. ET.

By 3 p.m. ET, the eclipse will be over southern Illinois, and just 5 minutes later, will be traveling over Indianapolis. Folks in northwestern Ohio will be treated to the eclipse by 3:15 p.m. ET, and it will then travel over Lake Erie and Buffalo, New York, by 3:20 p.m. ET. Over the next 10 minutes, the eclipse will be seen over northern New York state, then over Vermont. By 3:35 p.m. ET, the eclipse will work its way into Canada and off the Eastern coast of North America.

Best places to watch the Great American Eclipse

When evaluating the best places to watch this year’s total eclipse, you’ll first want to determine where you’ll have the best angle to see the totality. The farther off-angle you are — in other words, the farther north or south of the eclipse’s path — the less of an impact you can expect.

Therefore, if you want to have the best chance of experiencing the eclipse, you’ll want to be in its path. As of this writing, most of the cities in the eclipse’s path have some hotel availability, but recent reports have suggested that rooms are booking up. And as more rooms are booked, prices are going up.

So if you want to be in the eclipse’s path, and need a hotel to do it, move fast. And Delta’s eclipse-viewing flight from Dallas to Detroit has just four seats left at the time of publication.

Eclipse eye safety and photography

As with any solar eclipse, it’s critical you keep eye safety in mind.

During the eclipse, and especially during the periods before and after totality, don’t look directly at the sun without special eye protection. Also, be sure not to look at the sun through a camera (including the camera on your phone), binoculars, a telescope or any other viewing device. This could cause serious eye injury. Sunglasses aren’t enough to protect your eyes from damage.

If you want to view the eclipse, you’ll instead need solar viewing glasses that comply with the ISO 12312-2 safety standard. Anything that doesn’t meet that standard or greater won’t be dark enough to protect your eyes. Want to get them for free? If you’ve got a Warby Parker eyeglasses store nearby, the company is giving away free, ISO-certified solar eclipse glasses at all of its stores from April 1 until the eclipse, while supplies last.

If you don’t have eclipse viewing glasses handy, you can instead use indirect methods for viewing the eclipse, like a pinhole projector.

Read more: A Photographer’s Adventure With the Eclipse

In the event you want to take pictures of the eclipse, attach a certified solar filter to your camera. Doing so will protect your eyes and allow you to take photos while you view the eclipse through your lens.

There’s also a new app to help you both protect your eyes and take better photos of the eclipse on your phone. Solar Snap, designed by a former Hubble Space Telescope astronomer, comes with a Solar Snap camera filter that attaches to the back of an iPhone or Android phone, along with solar eclipse glasses for protecting your eyesight during the event. After you attach the filter to your phone, you can use the free Solar Snap Eclipse app to zoom in on the eclipse, adjust exposure and other camera settings, and ultimately take better shots of the eclipse.

2024 eclipse compared to 2017

The last total solar eclipse occurred in 2017, and many Americans had a great view. Although there are plenty of similarities between the 2017 total solar eclipse and the one coming April 8, there are a handful of differences. Mainly, the 2024 eclipse is going to cover more land and last longer.

The 2017 eclipse started over the northwest US and moved southeast. Additionally, that eclipse’s path was up to 71 miles wide, compared with a maximum width of 122 miles for this year’s eclipse. Perhaps most importantly, the moon completely covered the sun for just 2 minutes, 40 seconds in 2017. This year, maximum totality will last for nearly four-and-a-half minutes.