The problem with these debates is this: everyone has different needs and requirements and what works for me likely will never, ever work for you.
To say the camera quality is sub-par is something I can do because I know what a great image looks like and what it often requires to produce. And I am comparing the digital images to images on film and looking at things like highlights and shadow detail, sharpness, depth of field, etc. But that is just me.
For those with lesser needs, most modern cameras are workable. The camera in the iPhone is a good one but it would never be my choice.
I always opt for film, but film is not as fast as digital. By fast, I mean from camera to upload or print. No stinky chemicals and few here likely know their way around a darkroom, Smiley. They do not need to these days because their digital cameras do not need a darkroom. One could go for a large format film camera for quality, but after processing, the images must be scanned and that removes film from most people's consideration.
To say this is better than that requires further information; to say the quality of this is better than that also requires definition so we know what quality means to you.