The first camera phone to feature a 1.0-type sensor was the Panasonic Lumix CM1 in 2014. Seven years passed before another phone featured such a sensor. These early examples used sensors with a 3:2 aspect ratio that were originally designed for standalone digital cameras. In 2022, Sony introduced the 1.0-type IMX989 sensor (co-developed by Xiaomi) with the 4:3 aspect ratio that matched existing smartphones. Every phone in the list since 2022 features the IMX989 or its successor, the LYT-900.
Obviously there's no one camera phone that s perfect for all users. In our minds, the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra comes pretty close, but what about all those Apple lovers? That's why we've picked these 10 options, with different users in mind.
You've got to think about the overall strengths of each camera, what the device focuses on (!). Some have long-ranging zoom cameras, either optical, digital or a combination of both. Others might focus on sensor size or dedicated macro lenses. Available modes might help too, as most brands create their own camera modes. Samsung has Single Take and Food, both of which help you take great-looking pictures with little work, while OnePlus and Oppo have some gorgeous Hasselblad-created filters.
Finally, the shooting experience could influence your buying choice. Some phones offer an easy point-and-shoot experience, so that at the tap of a button you can take social-media-ready posts, while others have a more involved process that makes it easy to fiddle with different settings. Your choice here will depend on your comfort level with cameras, and we've definitely noted anything pertinent in our reviews above.
Of course, you need to consider the rest of the phone experience in your choice too. You're choosing a camera phone, not just a camera, so you also want to consider general processing power, screen quality, batter life and the size of phone you want.
You can look at a spec sheet all you want (and believe me, we do), but really nothing betters getting a camera phone in your hands and having a play. And doing that for long enough to get a good feel for the handset, and to find out what the photography experience is like with it.
That's what we've done with the majority of camera phones above. And where we haven't had a chance to review the model ourselves, we've consulted friends in the business, and sister tech sites that have had time with the handset, and picked their brains. Our thinking is, you may buy one of the models above based on our recommendation, so we need to be 100% sure that we've done a good job of providing the actual best camera phones out there.
That said, some of the phones on our list are more likely to see discounts than others. Samsung often offers deals on its phones, especially during events like Black Friday, while Apple doesn't. Your best bet to save on an iPhone is through trade in or through a deal with a phone carrier. Google's Pixel 6 Pro is also seeing some great deals at the moment because of the release of the Pixel 7 Pro.
However, clever computational tricks mean that camera phones are catching up. For instance, the 200MP camera on the Samsung Galaxy S23 isn't really for capturing 200MP images (though it can), it's designed to use a technique called pixel binning that combines several pixel into one, creating a digital simulation of the larger pixels on a camera's sensor. This improves image clarity, and makes shooting modes like Night Photography much more potent.
Of course, some people will always prefer the form factor of a real digital camera, and we haven't even touched upon the advantage (and expense) of being able to swap lenses. Suffice to say, cameras and camera phones each have their place, and neither one is really empirically 'better' these days.
If you love your photography, but don't want to carry a weighty DSLR around with you all day, the best camera phones offer high-end image technology with supreme portability. But which one should you go for? We're here to breakdown the pros and cons of all the top camera phones currently on market.
Basil is a trained graphic designer and photography expert who geeks out over anything to do with digital imaging and sketching. Now a tech journalist and content director at a creative comms agency, he covers tech through a real-world lens, contributing to titles including Creative Bloq, Digital Camera World, Metro, T3, TechRadar and WIRED.\n","contributorText":"With contributions from","contributors":["name":"Beren Neale","role":"Ecom Editor","link":"href":"https:\/\/www.creativebloq.com\/author\/beren-neale"]}), " -0-10/js/authorBio.js"); } else console.error('%c FTE ','background: #9306F9; color: #ffffff','no lazy slice hydration function available'); Basil KronfliSocial Links NavigationBasil is a trained graphic designer and photography expert who geeks out over anything to do with digital imaging and sketching. Now a tech journalist and content director at a creative comms agency, he covers tech through a real-world lens, contributing to titles including Creative Bloq, Digital Camera World, Metro, T3, TechRadar and WIRED.
The triple-lens rear camera system of the Apple iPhone 15, a premium gadget with an emphasis on photography, boasts better sensors and computational photography capabilities. With its 12 MP wide, ultra-wide, and telephoto lens combination, it promises great versatility and image quality.
The triple-lens configuration of the Samsung Galaxy S23 5G's powerful camera system includes a 50 MP wide, 12 MP ultra-wide, and 10 MP telephoto lens. Additionally, the device has a 12 MP front camera for sharp selfies.
The quad-camera system in the iPhone 15 Pro produces amazing images, especially in difficult lighting situations, which makes it a great option for consumers who expect the greatest smartphone photography.
With a quad-camera configuration consisting of a 48 quad-pixel main sensor, the OnePlus Open is a limited edition smartphone. Advanced features including AI scene optimisation, Nightscape mode, and 8K video recording are also available.
An innovative quad-camera system comprising a 200 MP wide, 12 MP ultra-wide, 50 MP periscope 10 MP telephoto, and 3D depth-sensing sensor is featured on the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra 5G. The device has a 40 MP front camera for sharp selfies.
Google's flagship smartphone, the Pixel 8 Pro 5G, is centred around photography performance. Advanced computational photography features included on the smartphone include 4K video recording, astrophotography mode, and enhanced low-light performance
The leading Android phone, the ASUS Zenfone 11 Ultra, is renowned for its outstanding camera setup and potent performance. With a triple-camera configuration that includes a 32 MP telephoto, 13 MP ultra-wide, and 50 MP wide lens, it can take excellent pictures.
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