It takes a lot more than sensors with sky-high pixel counts to make a class-leading camera phone. The right image processing algorithms can lift one flagship above the competition – which is why most brands keep their software smarts under lock and key. So when OnePlus offered to show me around one of its camera tuning facilities, it was as rare opportunity to see what goes into the firm’s secret snapper sauce.

Something is clearly working, as OnePlus has come on leaps and bounds in the photography department in a relatively short period. In three years we’ve gone from the OnePlus 10 Pro – an also-ran in low light – to the OnePlus 13, an ace all-rounder in all conditions. The firm’s photography lab Guangdong, China, almost certainly played a part in that.