A new end-of-year blind camera showdown from Versus has wrapped up, and it delivered plenty of surprises before naming a clear fan-favorite. The community-powered shootout brought together 12 flagship smartphones competing for the title of best camera phone—at least in the eyes of everyday voters judging photos with no brand names attached.
This year’s lineup read like a who’s-who of premium smartphones: iPhone 17 Pro Max, Galaxy S25 Ultra, Pixel 10 Pro XL, Sony Xperia 1 VII, OnePlus 15, Xiaomi 17 Pro Max, Asus Zenfone 12 Ultra, Oppo Find X9 Pro, Vivo X300 Pro, Motorola Edge 70, Huawei Pura 80 Ultra, and Nothing Phone (3).
How the blind camera test worked
The competition started with the phones split into six head-to-head matchups. Voters compared camera samples and chose which photos looked better, with winners moving on to the next stage. The voting covered two key photography situations that matter most to buyers: daytime shots and low-light photos. One important detail: the test was limited to the main camera only, and the votes came from the Versus community rather than professional photographers.
Early rounds: big wins and a major upset
Right out of the gate, the iPhone 17 Pro Max dominated its first matchup, eliminating the Xiaomi 17 Pro Max with 67% of the vote. The Pixel 10 Pro XL delivered an identical result in its own pairing, taking 67% and pushing the OnePlus 15 out of the running.
But the standout surprise arrived when the Nothing Phone (3) managed to knock out the Huawei Pura 80 Ultra—an upset that showed just how unpredictable blind camera voting can be when brand bias is removed and photos do the talking.
Second round: Pixel advances, Nothing stuns again, Vivo marches on
Momentum shifted in the next stage. The Pixel 10 Pro XL overcame the iPhone 17 Pro Max with 65% of votes, ending Apple’s run earlier than many would expect in a camera-focused contest.
Then came the biggest shock of the round: the Nothing Phone (3) didn’t just beat the Galaxy S25 Ultra—it crushed it, pulling in a massive 86% share of the vote. Meanwhile, the Vivo X300 Pro advanced by eliminating the Asus Zenfone 12 Ultra, setting up a final stage that would decide the overall winner.
Final round results: Vivo X300 Pro takes the crown
The Nothing Phone (3)’s Cinderella story ended in the final round, where it captured only 8% of the vote. That left the Vivo X300 Pro and the Pixel 10 Pro XL as the last two standing—and the finish was extremely close.
Vivo X300 Pro won the blind camera test with 47% of the vote, narrowly edging out the Pixel 10 Pro XL at 45%. The results align with broader impressions from detailed evaluations, which also placed the Vivo X300 Pro at the top as the best camera phone of 2025.
What to take away from the results
If you’re researching the best camera phone to buy, this kind of blind camera test is valuable because it focuses on real-world photo appeal rather than brand reputation or spec-sheet hype. Still, it’s worth keeping the limitations in mind: these were community votes, not lab measurements, and the comparisons only used the main camera. Features like zoom performance, ultrawide quality, video, portrait mode, and editing tools weren’t the focus here.
Even with those caveats, one message is hard to ignore: in a straight photo-vs-photo battle judged blindly, the Vivo X300 Pro impressed the most people—and earned the title.
