The LG V20 and iPhone 7 don’t have a lot in common, but they both have dual-cameras on the back. The V20 has 16MP and 8MP cameras, the iPhone has two 12MP cameras. Just because both devices have dual-cameras doesn’t mean they do the same thing. In fact, Apple and LG have drastically different approaches. Let’s take a look.

iPhone 7 Plus: Zoom, zoom, zoom

The iPhone’s dual-camera set-up is all about getting the close-up. The second camera is a 56mm “telephoto” lens. It’s not really a telephoto lens since it doesn’t stick out and there are no moving parts, but the camera achieves a similar effect by automatically switching to the 56mm lens when you zoom in. You can manually switch to the second camera by tapping the (1x) button. The second camera can zoom all the way to 10x.

Why would you need this? Digital zoom makes photos look very bad. You know this if you’ve ever tried to snap a photo of something far away. Having a second camera with a zoom lens makes the results look a lot better. Take a look at the two photos below (click to enlarge).

The top photo was taken with the zoom lens, the bottom photo was taken with digital zoom. At first glance, they don’t look a lot different, but the top photo is better in a couple of ways. The colors are better and it’s slightly more crisp.

LG V20: Wide open

The V20’s second camera has a 135-degree wide-angle lens. Compare that to the 75-degrees of the main camera and you can see how it gets a lot more in the shot. Like the iPhone, you can easily switch between the cameras with a button. The V20 will also automatically switch to the second camera when you try to zoom out all the way.

Why would you need this? Taking large family photos, wide shots of scenery, and any other time when you can’t fit everything in frame. It’s a lot easier than trying to take a quick panoramic photo, and it comes in handy more than you might think. Check out the examples below.

It’s pretty obvious which one was taken with the wide-angle camera. The difference is very dramatic.

Dual Cameras, Dual Purposes

Apple and LG have taken drastically different approaches to dual-cameras. One is trying to solve the problem of bad digital zoom, the other is trying to solve the problem of fitting everything into a shot. We can’t say one approach is any better than the other. They both solve the problems they set out to fix.

The winner depends on you. Do you find yourself constantly pinching your fingers on the viewfinder to get the perfect shot? Or are you always trying to back up further and further to get everything in the shot? Let us know which dual-camera set-up you think makes more sense.