Mobile PhoneImage Quality

Since the introduction of the iPhone in 2007, the number of smartphone users has grown exponentially. Today, roughly six billion people own smartphones, taking around 1.81 trillion photos per year (54,000 per second). With so many consumers relying on smartphone cameras in their everyday lives (whether for work or pleasure), the mobile phone camera system has become a primary area of focus for smartphone companies.

Mobile phones are unique in the world of cameras. They use specialized sensors to compensate for special aspects of cell phone cameras, such as longer exposure times and human hand shaking. So, while technologically speaking, these camera systems have gradually plateaued, each new iteration attempts to improve image quality, particularly in low-light, bright-light, zoom, and selfie-facing settings. Testing the image quality of these cameras is crucial. We started testing mobile phone cameras as soon as they came to the mass market in Europe. Back then, image quality wasn't as good as it is now, but it still allowed us to grow our testing solutions as the industry expanded.  

We offer a wide range of test solutions to test for these image quality metrics. We also closely follow international standards (e.g., VCX, ISO) when designing our equipment. Solutions include everything you need to build a mobile phone camera test lab, including test targets, uniform illumination, camera mounting and control, and image evaluation software.

The VCX organization aims to provide objective image quality testing for mobile phone cameras and webcam systems, so consumers can make a more informed decision when purchasing a smartphone or webcam based on a final score.

The VCX PhoneCam standard is focused on evaluating mobile phone camera systems. It establishes a set of performance metrics and lighting conditions for testing these systems in accordance with the standard.

We house one of the world's largest independent and objective camera test labs. For over twenty years, we have provided objective camera tests to companies looking to improve the image quality performance of their digital cameras.

Our test lab always adheres to the testing methods established by international standards (e.g., ISO, IEEE), including the VCX standard when applicable. Our lab is one of the few "trusted" (independent and fully certified by the VCX-Forum) VCX test labs for the PhoneCam standard. Using our test equipment, we have set up our lab in accordance with the specifications outlined in the VCX white paper.