which is the best smartphone for photography?
The best camera phones take photos and video that can rival traditional cameras – these are the top smartphone shooters
We're at a point now where the best camera phones often deliver better results than the "proper camera" that's in your kit bag! These pocket-sized powerhouses afford us the ability to take fantastic images and video in almost any shooting situation – and they don't require us to fiddle around with lenses or settings.
On a technical level, too, the best camera phones pack more pixels than all but the most expensive medium format cameras, and boast 8K video capabilities that traditional cameras haven't yet caught up with. Just look at the Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra, which comes out guns-blazing with a 108MP image sensor, 8K video and a 100x digital zoom.
In fact, 108MP is becoming the new norm for flagship phones, with the likes of the Motorola Edge+ following suit. Even so, phones can't quite beat the best DSLRs or best mirrorless cameras for all-out image quality, it's getting close – with the raw horsepower of the Honor 9X Pro and the super-fast 20fps burst shooting of the Sony Xperia 1 II set to change the game.
There's also the size factor. Even the best compact cameras still create a bulge in your pocket, folding phones like the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip and Motorola Razr take compactness to new levels – though the Huawei Mate Xs might be the best all-round foldable phone for photographers. Throw in the 5G revolution, led by the likes of the Realme X50 Pro 5G, and photographers' entire workflow for taking, editing and uploading images is evolving.
Things are moving incredibly quickly in the smartphone sphere, so this list is in a constant state of flux. The next big thing is 5G, with the likes of the Realme X50 Pro 5G leading the charge, so check out the best 5G phone for photography if you're lucky enough to live somewhere with the infrastructure. For the rest of us, here are the best camera phones right now…
Release date: September 2019 | Rear cameras: 12MP 13mm f/2.4, 12MP 26mm f/1.8, 12MP 52mm f/2 | Front camera: 12MP, f/2.2 TrueDepth camera | OIS: Yes | Weight: 188 g | Dimensions: 144 x 71.4 x 8.1 mm | Storage: 64/256/512GB
Triple-camera array
Consistent image quality
Brilliant 'slofies'
Portrait effects
No 5G yet
The iPhone 11 Pro's triple-camera array is hardly cutting edge by today's standards, and it doesn't have all the bells and whistles of its all-singing and all-dancing rivals. But, as with all iPhones, it just plain works – and it works brilliantly, in any situation. The colors, tones and exposures are consistent across all three cameras, but it's Apples restrained approach to image processing that really sets the iPhone 11 Pro apart from the competition. Where flagship phones from the likes of Huawei and Samsung tend to produce shots with aggressive HDR, sharpening, and noise reduction, the iPhone's images look more true-to-life and never show signs of being over-processed. The new ultra-wide camera is just brilliant for travel photography, landmarks and spectacular interiors, and while it can't quite match the edge to edge image quality of the other lenses, it still produces sharp, distortion-free ultra-wide images that widen your horizons in every possible way. We like the regular iPhone 11 Pro best – the iPhone 11 Pro Max has the same cameras but it's just a bit big, while the regular iPhone 11 is cheaper but doesn't have the 52mm telephoto lens.
Release date: March 2020 | Rear cameras: 108MP (primary f/1.8, 26mm, OIS), 12MP (ultra wide angle f/2.2, 13mm), 48MP (telephoto f/3.5, 103mm), ToF depth-sensing camera | Front camera: 40MP (f/2.2, 26mm) | OIS: Yes | Weight: 222 g | Dimensions: 166.9 x 76 x 8.8mm | Storage: 128 / 256 / 512 GB
108MP primary camera
Up to 100x zoom
8K video
5G future-proofing
100x zoom of limited use
8K video comes with caveats
Battery life is an issue
The Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra 5G is not just the most capable camera phone in the Galaxy family, it is arguably the most impressive camera phone ever. Its 108MP camera proves to be more than a numbers play. And while the 100x zoom may not deliver at the extreme end, it's more than capable of giving you great-looking telephoto images. This, however, is a phone with foibles – namely the inconsistent image processing and battery life – but these will surely be fixed with firmware. The 8K is more limited you might hope, the 120Hz mode is best avoided for most, and the cost is restrictively high for many. However, the hardware is a league above that of the Galaxy S20 and S20 Plus. And judged on its picture performance, when everything clicks, it is almost certainly the best Android camera phone ever – and the best 5G camera phone, to boot.
Release date: April 2020 | Rear cameras: 50MP (primary f/1.9, OIS), 40MP (18mm ultra wide angle, f/1.8), 12MP (125mm telephoto, f/3.4, OIS) ToF depth-sensing camera | Front camera: 32MP | OIS: Yes | Weight: 209 g | Dimensions: 158.2 x 72.6 x 8.95 mm | Storage: 256 GB
50MP Leica camera module
A great low light performer
Fab for 4K video (front and back)
Lack of Google may be a deal breaker
50x zoom is pretty poor
The Huawei P40 Pro is a beauty – just look at it! Huawei’s hardware has always been top quality, and its latest flagship is no different. The camera is everything you would expect from a Huawei handset, delivering stacks of soft-focus depth to pictures, balanced against plenty of detail. Like other phones with a ridiculous zoom, it's better on paper than in practice – you probably won't use the 50x digital zoom more than a few times, though the 5x optical zoom is genuinely useful. The 50MP High-Res images don't pop as much as software-assisted lower-res shots, but all cameras produce very impressive results. The video is among the best we've ever used on a phone, and will be a boon for content creators. Ultimately, the lack of Google leaves this handset with a severe handicap for most people, but if you're happy to pay the premium then the P40 Pro's camera is about as good as it gets.
The P40 Pro replaces the 2018 flagship, the Huawei P30 Pro. This is still an excellent camera phone, though, and can be found new or on contract for significantly less than the P30 Pro if you shop around.
The best camera phones take photos and video that can rival traditional cameras – these are the top smartphone shooters
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| Image by Horacio Lozada from Pixabay |
We're at a point now where the best camera phones often deliver better results than the "proper camera" that's in your kit bag! These pocket-sized powerhouses afford us the ability to take fantastic images and video in almost any shooting situation – and they don't require us to fiddle around with lenses or settings.
On a technical level, too, the best camera phones pack more pixels than all but the most expensive medium format cameras, and boast 8K video capabilities that traditional cameras haven't yet caught up with. Just look at the Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra, which comes out guns-blazing with a 108MP image sensor, 8K video and a 100x digital zoom.
In fact, 108MP is becoming the new norm for flagship phones, with the likes of the Motorola Edge+ following suit. Even so, phones can't quite beat the best DSLRs or best mirrorless cameras for all-out image quality, it's getting close – with the raw horsepower of the Honor 9X Pro and the super-fast 20fps burst shooting of the Sony Xperia 1 II set to change the game.
There's also the size factor. Even the best compact cameras still create a bulge in your pocket, folding phones like the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip and Motorola Razr take compactness to new levels – though the Huawei Mate Xs might be the best all-round foldable phone for photographers. Throw in the 5G revolution, led by the likes of the Realme X50 Pro 5G, and photographers' entire workflow for taking, editing and uploading images is evolving.
Things are moving incredibly quickly in the smartphone sphere, so this list is in a constant state of flux. The next big thing is 5G, with the likes of the Realme X50 Pro 5G leading the charge, so check out the best 5G phone for photography if you're lucky enough to live somewhere with the infrastructure. For the rest of us, here are the best camera phones right now…
Best camera phone:
1. Apple iPhone 11 Pro
It's not just the triple-camera array, it's the image quality and usability.
Release date: September 2019 | Rear cameras: 12MP 13mm f/2.4, 12MP 26mm f/1.8, 12MP 52mm f/2 | Front camera: 12MP, f/2.2 TrueDepth camera | OIS: Yes | Weight: 188 g | Dimensions: 144 x 71.4 x 8.1 mm | Storage: 64/256/512GB
Triple-camera array
Consistent image quality
Brilliant 'slofies'
Portrait effects
No 5G yet
The iPhone 11 Pro's triple-camera array is hardly cutting edge by today's standards, and it doesn't have all the bells and whistles of its all-singing and all-dancing rivals. But, as with all iPhones, it just plain works – and it works brilliantly, in any situation. The colors, tones and exposures are consistent across all three cameras, but it's Apples restrained approach to image processing that really sets the iPhone 11 Pro apart from the competition. Where flagship phones from the likes of Huawei and Samsung tend to produce shots with aggressive HDR, sharpening, and noise reduction, the iPhone's images look more true-to-life and never show signs of being over-processed. The new ultra-wide camera is just brilliant for travel photography, landmarks and spectacular interiors, and while it can't quite match the edge to edge image quality of the other lenses, it still produces sharp, distortion-free ultra-wide images that widen your horizons in every possible way. We like the regular iPhone 11 Pro best – the iPhone 11 Pro Max has the same cameras but it's just a bit big, while the regular iPhone 11 is cheaper but doesn't have the 52mm telephoto lens.
2. Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra 5G
A tech spec behemoth with 108MP, 100x zoom and 8K video
Release date: March 2020 | Rear cameras: 108MP (primary f/1.8, 26mm, OIS), 12MP (ultra wide angle f/2.2, 13mm), 48MP (telephoto f/3.5, 103mm), ToF depth-sensing camera | Front camera: 40MP (f/2.2, 26mm) | OIS: Yes | Weight: 222 g | Dimensions: 166.9 x 76 x 8.8mm | Storage: 128 / 256 / 512 GB
108MP primary camera
Up to 100x zoom
8K video
5G future-proofing
100x zoom of limited use
8K video comes with caveats
Battery life is an issue
The Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra 5G is not just the most capable camera phone in the Galaxy family, it is arguably the most impressive camera phone ever. Its 108MP camera proves to be more than a numbers play. And while the 100x zoom may not deliver at the extreme end, it's more than capable of giving you great-looking telephoto images. This, however, is a phone with foibles – namely the inconsistent image processing and battery life – but these will surely be fixed with firmware. The 8K is more limited you might hope, the 120Hz mode is best avoided for most, and the cost is restrictively high for many. However, the hardware is a league above that of the Galaxy S20 and S20 Plus. And judged on its picture performance, when everything clicks, it is almost certainly the best Android camera phone ever – and the best 5G camera phone, to boot.
3. Huawei P40 Pro
5G, 50MP imaging and 50x zoom – but Google issues hold it back
Release date: April 2020 | Rear cameras: 50MP (primary f/1.9, OIS), 40MP (18mm ultra wide angle, f/1.8), 12MP (125mm telephoto, f/3.4, OIS) ToF depth-sensing camera | Front camera: 32MP | OIS: Yes | Weight: 209 g | Dimensions: 158.2 x 72.6 x 8.95 mm | Storage: 256 GB
50MP Leica camera module
A great low light performer
Fab for 4K video (front and back)
Lack of Google may be a deal breaker
50x zoom is pretty poor
The Huawei P40 Pro is a beauty – just look at it! Huawei’s hardware has always been top quality, and its latest flagship is no different. The camera is everything you would expect from a Huawei handset, delivering stacks of soft-focus depth to pictures, balanced against plenty of detail. Like other phones with a ridiculous zoom, it's better on paper than in practice – you probably won't use the 50x digital zoom more than a few times, though the 5x optical zoom is genuinely useful. The 50MP High-Res images don't pop as much as software-assisted lower-res shots, but all cameras produce very impressive results. The video is among the best we've ever used on a phone, and will be a boon for content creators. Ultimately, the lack of Google leaves this handset with a severe handicap for most people, but if you're happy to pay the premium then the P40 Pro's camera is about as good as it gets.
The P40 Pro replaces the 2018 flagship, the Huawei P30 Pro. This is still an excellent camera phone, though, and can be found new or on contract for significantly less than the P30 Pro if you shop around.
4. Xiaomi Mi Note 10
The camera phone with the record breaking pixel count.
Release date: December 2019 | Rear cameras: Wide: 108MP (f/1.7) Telephoto: 12MP (f/2.0) + 5MP (f/2.0) Ultra-wide: 20MP (f/2.2) Macro: 2MP (f/2.4) | Front camera: 32MP | Weight: 208g | Dimensions: 157.8 x 74.2 x 9.7 mm | Battery size: 5260mAh | Storage: 128GB
Plenty of detail from main camera
Loaded up with shooting modes
Wide choice of focal lengths
Midrange power
Only main camera is true flagship quality
No expandable storage
Xiaomi's penta-camera Mi Note 10 is a phone with a 108MP sensor, Made by Samsung and expected to feature in the Galaxy S20 Ultra, it's is a world-first, toppling resolution records and packing more pixels than virtually any DSLR or mirrorless cameras – let alone any smartphone. Just like the 48MP cameras in our list, the Mi Note 10 uses quad-pixel technology, or ‘pixel binning’ to grab standard shots. This technique combines four pixels into one, so a 48MP sensor would create a 12MP image, and the 108MP sensor on the Mi Note 10 produces a 27MP image. When the light is right, however, you can ramp up the resolution and capture full 108MP images for jaw droppingly detailed shots – nothing else comes close to the Mi Note 10 in this respect. The main camera nails it, and in good light, beats out the competition in many respects, albeit with a characteristically cool shot. The reason this megapixel-tastic phone isn’t higher on our list is because the additional cameras can be inconsistent. While we love the fact it packs an optical 2x zoom, 5x zoom and an ultra-wide angle, as well as a dedicated macro camera, if quality if your focus, shoot with the main 108MP module most of the time.
Release date: October 2019 | Rear cameras: 12.2MP (28mm-equiv. wide angle lens, f/1.7, PDAF, OIS), 16MP (45mm equiv. telephoto, f/2.4, PDAF, OIS) | Front camera: 8 MP, f/2, 22mm (wide), ToF 3D Camera | Weight: 193 g | Dimensions: 160.4 x 75.1 x 8.2 mm | Storage: 64/128 GB
Excellent primary rear camera
Impressive astrophotography mode
Premium build
Expensive for only two rear cameras
Low storage options, and not expandable
Occasional UI gremlins
The Pixel 3 was starting to look dated with its single rear-facing camera, but now Google has got with the times and added a telephoto camera for around 2x of optical 'zoom'. However, it’s the Pixel 4’s new Astro mode that’s its biggest selling point. This holds the shutter open for in excess of four minutes to grab incomparable detail from night skies, providing that the phone is held perfectly still. In normal automatic mode, the Pixel 4 XL captures punchy images with plenty of detail. Compared to the iPhone 11 Pro, the Pixel exposes scenes a little darker, thereby creating a more realistic image most of the time. When the lights go down, the phone generates more image noise than many rivals, but this is a product of Google’s more restrained noise reduction processing.
The Google Pixel 4 XL is the better of the two Pixel 4 phones, especially if you’re a power user or heavy picture-taker, thanks to its sharper screen and bigger, longer-lasting battery. Even so, the two-camera setup is still a lacklustre effort compared to the multi-camera arrays offered by the majority of its flagship rivals. You'll need to be an image quality purist to choose the Pixel 4 over an iPhone 11 Pro or Galaxy S10 5G.
Plenty of detail from main camera
Loaded up with shooting modes
Wide choice of focal lengths
Midrange power
Only main camera is true flagship quality
No expandable storage
Xiaomi's penta-camera Mi Note 10 is a phone with a 108MP sensor, Made by Samsung and expected to feature in the Galaxy S20 Ultra, it's is a world-first, toppling resolution records and packing more pixels than virtually any DSLR or mirrorless cameras – let alone any smartphone. Just like the 48MP cameras in our list, the Mi Note 10 uses quad-pixel technology, or ‘pixel binning’ to grab standard shots. This technique combines four pixels into one, so a 48MP sensor would create a 12MP image, and the 108MP sensor on the Mi Note 10 produces a 27MP image. When the light is right, however, you can ramp up the resolution and capture full 108MP images for jaw droppingly detailed shots – nothing else comes close to the Mi Note 10 in this respect. The main camera nails it, and in good light, beats out the competition in many respects, albeit with a characteristically cool shot. The reason this megapixel-tastic phone isn’t higher on our list is because the additional cameras can be inconsistent. While we love the fact it packs an optical 2x zoom, 5x zoom and an ultra-wide angle, as well as a dedicated macro camera, if quality if your focus, shoot with the main 108MP module most of the time.
5. Google Pixel 4 XL
A good Android camera phone, but expensive given the limited camera hardware
Release date: October 2019 | Rear cameras: 12.2MP (28mm-equiv. wide angle lens, f/1.7, PDAF, OIS), 16MP (45mm equiv. telephoto, f/2.4, PDAF, OIS) | Front camera: 8 MP, f/2, 22mm (wide), ToF 3D Camera | Weight: 193 g | Dimensions: 160.4 x 75.1 x 8.2 mm | Storage: 64/128 GB
Excellent primary rear camera
Impressive astrophotography mode
Premium build
Expensive for only two rear cameras
Low storage options, and not expandable
Occasional UI gremlins
The Pixel 3 was starting to look dated with its single rear-facing camera, but now Google has got with the times and added a telephoto camera for around 2x of optical 'zoom'. However, it’s the Pixel 4’s new Astro mode that’s its biggest selling point. This holds the shutter open for in excess of four minutes to grab incomparable detail from night skies, providing that the phone is held perfectly still. In normal automatic mode, the Pixel 4 XL captures punchy images with plenty of detail. Compared to the iPhone 11 Pro, the Pixel exposes scenes a little darker, thereby creating a more realistic image most of the time. When the lights go down, the phone generates more image noise than many rivals, but this is a product of Google’s more restrained noise reduction processing.
The Google Pixel 4 XL is the better of the two Pixel 4 phones, especially if you’re a power user or heavy picture-taker, thanks to its sharper screen and bigger, longer-lasting battery. Even so, the two-camera setup is still a lacklustre effort compared to the multi-camera arrays offered by the majority of its flagship rivals. You'll need to be an image quality purist to choose the Pixel 4 over an iPhone 11 Pro or Galaxy S10 5G.

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