Android Authority Calls iPhone Duo’s Under-Display Selfie Camera a Bad Idea in Photo Comparison

Android Authority said under-display cameras have historically produced lower-quality images than even budget Android phones, and it questioned whether Apple is making a mistake by adopting one even if the company says it is ideal for video calls.

For the comparison, Android Authority pitted the REDMAGIC 11 Pro, described as one of the most recent phones with an under-display selfie camera, against the $1,900 Galaxy Z Fold 8 and the £500 (about $667) Redmi Note 17 Pro Max. The REDMAGIC has a 16MP under-screen sensor, while the Galaxy Z Fold 8 has a 10MP snapper and the Redmi Note 17 Pro Max has a 32MP sensor, according to the report.

The report said a key problem with under-display selfie cameras is that far less light reaches the sensor because light must pass between the display’s pixels. Broad daylight is therefore the best-case scenario. Even in ideal lighting, the REDMAGIC 11 Pro’s under-screen camera smeared away details while over-sharpening the scene, the report said. The Galaxy Z Fold 8 offered far superior detail and more natural processing, including in skin, stubble and eyebrows, while the Redmi image was splotchy and a clear step down from Samsung’s phone in detail, though pores were still visible. The report called the Redmi result not great for a £500 phone but still better than the REDMAGIC shot.

In backlit scenes, another historical challenge, the REDMAGIC exposed the author’s face without blowing out the background, but it pushed HDR to “neon levels,” the report said, pointing to “retina-burning trees.” The Galaxy Z Fold 8 also oversaturated the scene, while the Redmi tamed the background. The REDMAGIC washed out skin, while Samsung and Redmi offered more accurate rendition. Samsung was the clear winner with resolvable detail, Redmi was a distant second, and the REDMAGIC made the face look like wax, stripping away texture, according to the report.

The report said the real trouble started indoors. In a dark office corner, both the REDMAGIC 11 Pro and Redmi Note 17 Pro Max lacked fine-texture detail because of aggressive noise reduction. The Redmi image had a colder-than-expected white balance and was a little blurry, but the REDMAGIC was still the clear loser. The REDMAGIC showed heavy purple fringing on the wall and bag strap and used sharpening and AI processing to reconstruct background text that looked like a mess, the report said. The Galaxy Z Fold 8 struck a better balance between noise reduction and texture preservation, did not wipe away stubble, and made text on background game boxes more legible.

In a dusk scene, the poor light transmittance of under-display selfie cameras was on show: the REDMAGIC’s picture was darker, the black shirt was effectively swallowed by the background, and fringing and haloing appeared on the shirt as the phone tried to sharpen. The REDMAGIC did not blow out the sky, the report said. The Galaxy Z Fold 8 captured a brighter, more detailed face, while the REDMAGIC made the face a smeared mess.

Night-time testing with a single backyard light produced the same result. The Galaxy Z Fold 8 was the runaway winner, capturing a brighter, more detailed image with noise kept in check; the background wall and a fish on the author’s shirt were clearly visible. The report said it was not the best selfie in the world, but recipients would not need to turn up phone brightness or pinch in when the photo was sent.

Editor's Summary Android Authority says Apple’s iPhone Duo is its first foldable with an under-display selfie camera, but a five-photo comparison argues the technology still sacrifices image quality. Against the REDMAGIC 11 Pro, Galaxy Z Fold 8 and Redmi Note 17 Pro Max, the under-display REDMAGIC produced smeared detail, fringing and poor low-light results. The report raises questions about Apple’s choice as Samsung has dropped under-display cameras from recent Z Fold models.