Camera 
Display 
Battery 
Smartphone 
Security 
DSLR & Mirrorless 
Tv Screens 
Automotive 
Medical 
3D Camera 
Industrial Vision 
Computing 
AR / VR 
Drone & Action camera 
Examples of measurements
Flare intensity map depending on light source position
We measure the average and maximum Flare intensities for each angular position (the lower the better).
For each angular position, we provide a Flare intensity map:
Red for strong flare, Green for weaker flare, and blue for no flare.
Those evaluations are performed when the flare source is in and outside of the field-of-view of the camera under test.
Examples of Flare Benchmark in RAW and RGB formats
In this study, four flagship smartphones, from Apple, Google, Xiaomi, and Honor, were tested and compared. Their flare performance was evaluated both in RAW data and in final RGB images to assess optical behavior as well as image-processing effects.
When the light source is within the image field, especially near the center, all four devices show similar qualitative behavior. This typically includes a strong flare around the light source itself and additional ghosting artifacts caused by internal reflections elsewhere in the image.
However, significant quantitative differences are observed between devices. For example, Apple devices tend to show strong and rough flare patterns with intense ghosting, while Xiaomi devices display smoother flare patterns and much dimmer reflections.
As the light source moves toward the edge of the frame, the importance of systematic angle testing becomes clear. Even when a flare appears to disappear, new flare artifacts can emerge, for example, near the center of the image. These effects are minimal on Apple devices, present on Xiaomi and Honor, and particularly strong on Google devices.
Flare RAW Results for the 4 devices
Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max
0° – 13° – 43° – 50° – 70°
Google Pixel 10 Pro XL
0° – 13° – 43° – 50° – 70°
Honor Magic 8 Pro
0° – 13° – 43° – 50° – 70°
Xiaomi 17 Ultra
0° – 13° – 43° – 50° – 70°
Flare RAW metric correlation with RGB real-life scenes
Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max
13° – 40° – 50° – 70°
Google Pixel 10 Pro XL
13° – 40° – 50° – 70°
Honor Magic 8 Pro
13° – 40° – 50° – 70°
Flare is largely determined by sensor, lens, and camera module design, so RAW measurements generally predict RGB behavior. However, advanced image-processing pipelines, especially in flagship smartphones, can sometimes attenuate or remove flare. In this comparison, though, all flare effects observed in RAW images were also present in the final RGB outputs.
Overall, the results show that flare remains a challenge even for high-end devices. Xiaomi handles flare relatively well across angles, Apple and Honor show more uniform flare behavior, and Google devices exhibit strong variations depending on the angle.
To enable replication of this benchmark in customer facilities, DXOMARK provides a complete set of image quality testing solutions, including measurement tools, test charts, mannequins, calibrated light sources, and dedicated Image Quality software. DXOMARK’s expert engineers can also support and train teams to interpret the results and convert them into actionable evaluations, helping improve sensor and camera module benchmarking, ISP tuning, and validation of the complete camera system.