The Asus Zenfone 6 and OnePlus 7 Pro both have 48-megapixel main cameras and an ultra-wide-angle lens for capturing broader scenes. But that doesn't mean they offer similar performance.
When it comes to deciding which phone takes better photos, the answer isn't as simple as it sounds. That's because both phones succeed in different ways and fall short in others.
After testing both phones in a variety of circumstances, I generally found that the Asus Zenfone 6 outperformed the OnePlus 7 Pro when taking selfies and shooting in Portrait Mode. But the OnePlus 7 Pro came out on top when taking photos in dark environments, and when zooming in.
There's a reason why Asus' phone probably bested OnePlus' when shooting in selfie mode: it uses the same 48-megapixel main camera to capture selfies, whereas OnePlus' phone has a 16-megapixel camera for taking front-facing photos. The Zenfone's camera flips up and rotates when the selfie camera is activated, resulting in super sharp images in which even fine details like individual strands of hair are discernible.
OnePlus also has a pop-up camera, but it's much smaller than Asus' and is separate from the main 48-megapixel camera, which is situated in a fixed position on the back of the device.
Still, OnePlus beats Asus when shooting in the dark. Both phones have a night mode, but the image taken on OnePlus' phone was much sharper and clearer than Asus'. And since the OnePlus 7 Pro has a triple-lens camera rather than a dual camera like Asus, it also has a telephoto lens, which means it's significantly better at zooming than Asus' Zenfone 6.
The Asus Zenfone 6 does offer one trick not found on the OnePlus 7 Pro, however. You can adjust the specific camera angle between zero and 180 degrees, making it easy to slightly tweak your shot without having to move the entire frame.
When it comes to shooting standard photos in normal outdoor circumstances, I found that both phones performed similarly. Both were capable of taking photos with vibrant color and crisp details.