Suitable Android Phones

[John Mitchell]

Since Alamy has yet to provide us with their "work in progress" list of suitable and unsuitable android phones, I'm wondering if we can start our own. Have you successfully (or unsuccessfully) submitted images with an android smartphone? If so, please give the brand and model.

 

Thanks / Merci beaucoup

 

 

Edited November 27 by John Mitchell

[VbFolly]

I tried to upload a photo from my Samsung Galaxy A13 taken with the main 50MP camera, but sadly got the Unsuitable camera message. 

A bit surprising as the phone model is quite new - it came out in 2022 I think.

[John Mitchell]

4 minutes ago, VbFolly said:

I tried to upload a photo from my Samsung Galaxy A13 taken with the main 50MP camera, but sadly got the Unsuitable camera message. 

A bit surprising as the phone model is quite new - it came out in 2022 I think.

 

Thanks. That's very helpful. I wonder if the newer A15 and A16 fare any better.

 

Here's the list so far:

 

1. Samsung Galaxy A13 (unsuitable)

 

 

Edited November 27 by John Mitchell

[gvallee]

Samsung Galaxy S20 FE 5G :  unsuitable

 

[Harry Harrison]

I’m a little confused about this thread, does it specifically refer to the Smartphone route? I say this because it’s clear now that smartphone images can be uploaded through the normal route though the criteria for the age of the phone seem to be different. Post 2020 and major brand for the normal route, not individually curated, instead just normal spot checking QC. Then for the smartphone route it is post 2017 phones, individually curated but “creative” content more important than technical quality. In both cases there seems to be a blind spot regarding Android phones both in terms of information provided and ultimate upload success.

[John Mitchell]

2 minutes ago, Harry Harrison said:

I’m a little confused about this thread, does it specifically refer to the Smartphone route? I say this because it’s clear now that smartphone images can be uploaded through the normal route though the criteria for the age of the phone seem to be different. Post 2020 and major brand for the normal route, not individually curated, instead just normal spot checking QC. Then for the smartphone route it is post 2017 phones, individually curated but “creative” content more important than technical quality. In both cases there seems to be a blind spot regarding Android phones both in terms of information provided and ultimate upload success.

 

Now I'm really confused. 😕

[John Mitchell]

The list is growing:

 

1. Samsung Galaxy A13 (unsuitable)

2. Samsung Galaxy S20 FE 5G :  unsuitable

[gvallee]

17 minutes ago, Harry Harrison said:

I’m a little confused about this thread, does it specifically refer to the Smartphone route? I say this because it’s clear now that smartphone images can be uploaded through the normal route though the criteria for the age of the phone seem to be different. Post 2020 and major brand for the normal route, not individually curated, instead just normal spot checking QC. Then for the smartphone route it is post 2017 phones, individually curated but “creative” content more important than technical quality. In both cases there seems to be a blind spot regarding Android phones both in terms of information provided and ultimate upload success.

 

My Samsung Galaxy S20 FE 5G was deemed unsuitable via the smartphone route.

It was accepted via the normal route.

 

[Harry Harrison]

22 minutes ago, John Mitchell said:

Now I'm really confused. 😕

I think they only updated the advice for general uploads to include smartphones quite recently, so when people report their success with particular recent Iphones in other threads I'm not sure of the upload route, the images are just straight good stock images, not the funky, down with the kidz type. Although they haven't said (they haven't said much of course) I can only assume that the Smartphones route requires EXIF whereas the normal route never has apart from the first 3 images.

Edited November 27 by Harry Harrison

[Gervais Montacute]

Be aware that Samsung is in a financial meltdown. I don't know anything about their phones but what's happening could affect their production/products. iPhones from Apple? I would never buy a new one, or a new anything from Apple.

Edited November 27 by Gervais Montacute

[Harry Harrison]

1 minute ago, gvallee said:

My Samsung Galaxy S20 FE 5G was deemed unsuitable via the smartphone route.

It was accepted via the normal route.

Thanks, I suppose this will be because only the Smartphone route insists on EXIF, which is somewhat ironic since supposedly it is only this route where all images are individually inspected. Ironic isn't perhaps quite the right word.

[VbFolly]

My Samsung Galaxy A13 was unsuitable by the Smartphone route. I hadn't realised the normal upload route can be used now.

[Harry Harrison]

6 minutes ago, VbFolly said:

My Samsung Galaxy A13 was unsuitable by the Smartphone route. I hadn't realised the normal upload route can be used now.

In another thread someone noticed an update to this page in the section regarding unsuitable cameras, so "popular branded smartphones that were released in 2020 or later":

 

https://www.alamy.com/help/contributor-quality-control/

 

Of course since you don't have to include EXIF how can they tell, and anyway even if there was EXIF they would need to alight on the smartphone image when spot-checking a particular batch.

 

 

Edited November 27 by Harry Harrison

[VbFolly]

1 minute ago, Harry Harrison said:

In another thread someone noticed an update to this page in the section regarding unsuitable cameras, so "popular branded smartphones that were released in 2020 or later":

 

https://www.alamy.com/help/contributor-quality-control/

 

Of course since you don't have to include EXIF how can they tell, and anyway even if there was EXIF they would need to alight on the smartphone image when spot-checking a particular batch.

 

 

Thanks, Harry. I'll give it a try.

[Alexander Hogg]

Just saw this 

We'll accept most photos taken on any main-brand smartphone that was released in 2020 or later. We’ll also accept images taken on DSLRs (or equivalent). However, almost all compact cameras, fixed lens cameras, SLR-Bridge like cameras and smartphones released pre-2020 cannot produce images that meet our guidelines.

[wiskerke]

35 minutes ago, John Mitchell said:

The list is growing:

 

2. Samsung Galaxy S20 FE 5G :  unsuitable

Is that the 2020 one with the 108 megapixel camera?

Weird.

 

wim

[sooth]

35 minutes ago, gvallee said:

 

My Samsung Galaxy S20 FE 5G was deemed unsuitable via the smartphone route.

It was accepted via the normal route.

 

is that the SM-G781 model? I submitted three images from the Galaxy S20 5G SM-G981 last month when the smartphone route opened and they all passed.

 

I was looking for differences between the two. 

https://www.samsung.com/us/business/support/owners/product/galaxy-s20-fe-5g-us-cellular/

Camera resolution (Front) 32.0 MP

Camera resolution (Rear) 12.0 MP + 12.0 MP + 8.0 MP

 

https://www.samsung.com/us/business/support/owners/product/galaxy-s20-5g-us-cellular/

Camera resolution (Front) 10.0 MP

Camera resolution (Rear) 12.0 MP + 12.0 MP + 64.0 MP

 

one review comparing the S20 FE images vs the regular S20

https://www.gsmarena.com/samsung_galaxy_s20_fe_5g-review-2178p5.php

Edited November 27 by sooth

[gvallee]

49 minutes ago, sooth said:

is that the SM-G781 model? I submitted three images from the Galaxy S20 5G SM-G981 last month when the smartphone route opened and they all passed.

 

 

No, mine is a Samsung Galaxy S20 FE 5G G781BDS.

 

My phone is a dual SIM card phone imported from Hong-Kong and suitable for Australia.

 

I haven't looked into it at all because I very rarely use it due to my hearing problems.

I only use it for pics for my personal blog when I'm not in the mood for serious photography.

 

 

 

Edited November 27 by gvallee

[John Mitchell]

So it sounds as if anyone using an android phone released 2020 or later is currently best advised to stick with the regular upload route (as opposed to to the Smartphone route) and hope for the best. Probably not worth the possible grief in the long run...

[gvallee]

If there are specification variations within models like my phone (mine is specifically Fan Edition version), I am beginning to see why it's a nightmare for Alamy to come up with a definite list.

 

[John Mitchell]

14 minutes ago, gvallee said:

If there are specification variations within models like my phone (mine is specifically Fan Edition version), I am beginning to see why it's a nightmare for Alamy to come up with a definite list.

 

 

Yes, it all seems very complicated. Perhaps it would be best (and easier) for Alamy to simply tell android phone owners to use the regular upload route rather than "Smartphone" one, reserving the latter for suitable iPhone fans.

 

P.S. I have nothing against iPhones except the high price.  

[BidC]

2 hours ago, John Mitchell said:

 

Now I'm really confused. 😕

 

Deleted .. though only just now realising one simply can't 'delete' a whole message ... 

 

Am less confused now I have arrived here ....

Edited November 27 by BidC

[Harry Harrison]

I think that it's known that rejection through the Smartphone route (assuming that an image is allowed through to inspection) will not affect the QC Rank. I'm not sure that there has been a similar statement regarding uploading Smartphone images through the normal route.

[MDM]

46 minutes ago, Harry Harrison said:

I think that it's known that rejection through the Smartphone route (assuming that an image is allowed through to inspection) will not affect the QC Rank. I'm not sure that there has been a similar statement regarding uploading Smartphone images through the normal route.

How is it known that rejection by the smartphone route does not affect QC rank or result in time out from uploading Harry? This is a very grey area to me. If I submit an image by the smartphone route that fails on content (not sure they have such a failure category in any case) how do I know it doesn’t affect my record. Has Alamy actually stated this to be the case?  

 

There is no doubt that a failure by the normal route would be treated in the normal way, moreover given that they probably don’t check the provenance of the image anyway by that route. The single image I uploaded to date was easily up to QC standard. It was submitted on its own with EXIF included but there is no way of knowing if that wss looked at. It was almost indistinguishable from a similar shot on my 45 MP Nikon with excellent lens. It was a 48MP ProRAW image processed in Lightroom. Otherwise I would not have submitted it. Other cameras/lenses on the iPhone16 Pro are nowhere near the same quality when examined properly. I expect most other smartphone modes will not be capable of that sort of quality regardless of phone type. 

Edited November 28 by MDM

[Harry Harrison]

10 minutes ago, MDM said:

Other cameras/lenses on the iPhone16 Pro are nowhere near the same quality when examined properly. I expect most other smartphone modes will not be capable of that sort of quality regardless of phone type. 

Yes, good to hear that first hand, I think that people have reasons to be cautious when uploading smartphone images via the normal route, and I'm positive that those contributing on here will be. It's just that Alamy's new guidelines in the FAQs that images from "popular branded smartphones that were released in 2020 or later" will be acceptable rather glibly sidesteps the fact that some combinations of sensors and focal lengths on those phones won't meet the technical standards that we are all aware of on here. It's always been true that you can produce poor results from an 'acceptable' camera but at least that only had one sensor to worry about.

 

Yes, I don't know for sure that QC rejections from the Smartphone route won't affect QC ranking, I thought they might have stated it somewhere but I don't have receipts. Anecdotedly though others report failures that way and it doesn't currently seem to have affected their QC Rank.