That mythos you can read and hear everywhere in the web. So the majority of Smartphone-Manufactures use Sony-Sensors. My observation is Sony did minimal Pixel-Peeping with the Image given by the Sensor. You can see this mainly in HDR-Function. On other Manufactures the HDR-Pictures look unnatural like overdriven colorness and will be sharpen like hell. Its all about Post-Processing.
So i got also good results by correct it on PC/Tablet. The results are on eyesight with other Manufactures in the same Price-Range.
I change from Lumia 1020 to Sony XA2 (My Spare Smartphone with also SFOS4.3), so i wasn´t expect good results. Technical development go further, so the Sony XA2 Image´s were better for me than expected.
But then for low light indoor use there is a Canon 100d awaiting, which even the new Pixel-Smartphones have no chance against it.