Our experts reviewed the latest smartphones to find out which devices offered the best cameras. Read on to see our picks in different categories and price ranges. And if you’re looking to master the ins and outs of phone photography, check out our tips for mobile photography. The iPhone 11 Pro already had an impressive camera, but 12 Pro Max offers the best camera system yet. It incorporates a LiDAR sensor for better low-light photos, better performance with AR apps, and better overall pictures. Compared to the already-impressive iPhone 11 series, the 12 Pro Max has more zoom on the telephoto lens, and a larger wide-angle sensor to allow in more light. The three-lens rear camera employs a main f/1.6 wide-angle, an f/2.4 ultra-wide, and an f/2.0 telephoto lens. In our testing, our reviewer, Andrew Hayward, noted that he was able to see more detail in nighttime photos with the 12 Pro Max. Rear Cameras: 12MP Ultra-wide, wide, telephoto system | Front Camera: 12MP TrueDepth camera system | Video Recording: 4K resolution and 60 frames per second The front selfie-cam is 40MP, while our testing showed that the rear camera system of the Galaxy S21 Ultra uses a 12MP primary sensor with dual pixel auto-focus, as well as a 108MP ultra-wide module with an f/1.8 aperture, a 10MP telephoto camera with f/2.4 aperture, and another 10MP telephoto lens with f/4.9 aperture. Plus, with Super Resolution Zoom up to 100x and optical image stabilization, you get a clear image no matter how close-up you want to get. Our reviewer, Andrew, noted that he was able to take hyper-detailed photos with the 108MP main sensor, and the ultra-wide and 3x telephoto lenses delivered exceptional photos, as well. Rear Cameras: 12MP Ultra Wide Camera (F2.2), 108MP Wide-angle Camera (F1.8) 10MP Telephoto Camera (F2.4), 10MP Telephoto Camera (F4.9) | Front Camera: 40MP Selfie Cam | Video Recording: 8k resolution Our reviewer, Andrew, called the Pixel 4a 5g’s camera a “fantastic point-and-shoot camera.” He said the camera is excellent for astrophotography, with the ability to take good nighttime and distance photos. Rear Cameras: 12.2 MP (f/1.7), 16 MP ultra-wide (f/2.2) | Front Camera: 8MP | Video Recording: 4K at 30 FPS You can take advantage of a few cool features that are available on both the Pixel 4a 5G and the Pixel 5, like enhancements to portraits, which let you adjust lighting even after taking a picture. Our reviewer, Andrew, praised the Night Sight feature, and was able to take clear photos in low light. Rear Cameras: 12.2 MP (f/1.7), 16 MP ultra-wide (f/2.2) | Front Camera: 8MP | Video Recording: 4K at 30 FPS The OnePlus 9 Pro has an abundance of camera features, ranging from Nightscape to Smart Scene Recognition and Cat/Dog Face Focus, and it can capture RAW images and 8k video at 30 FPS. Our reviewer, Yoona Wagener, said that her favorite feature is the built-in macro mode, which was incredibly easy to use and required no special settings to activate. Yoona also noted how vibrant outdoor photos came out on the OnePlus 9 Pro, and she appreciated the night mode for lower-light shots. Rear Cameras: 48MP Main camera (f/1.8), 50MP ultra-wide camera (f/2.2), 8MP telephoto camera (f/2.4), and a 2MP monochrome camera | Front Camera: 18MP | Video Recording: 8K at 30 FPS Oftentimes, people see three or four camera systems on smartphones and automatically assume they’re better than their two-camera counterparts, but this isn’t necessarily true. So many factors go into a camera’s quality, from MP to aperture to pixel sizes and software. Even though we liked the Galaxy A71 5G’s camera system, we didn’t like it as much as some of the two-camera phones we encountered. The camera still impressed us enough to make this list though. Rear Cameras: 64.0 MP (F1.8), 12.0 MP (F2.2), 5.0 MP (F2.2), 5.0 MP (F2.4) | Front Camera: 32MP | Video Recording: 4K at 30 FPS The Pixel 4a boasts Autofocus with dual pixel phase detection, a 77-degree field of view, and an f/1.7 aperture on the rear camera, which allows you to take pictures up close and at a distance in a variety of different lighting conditions. Our reviewer, Andrew, found the camera to be an exceptional point-and-shoot camera, producing strong results in various lighting conditions (even low light). Rear Cameras: 12.2MP (f/1.7) | Front Camera: 8MP | Video Recording: 4K at 30 FPS Our reviewer, Andrew, found the 12 mini’s cameras will produce vibrant images in just about any lighting, and he was able to get a detailed picture during day or night. Rear Cameras: 12.2MP (f/1.7) | Front Camera: 8MP | Video Recording: 4K at 30 FPS It’s only a single-camera configuration, so you don’t get separate wide-angle and telephoto sensors, but you do get the benefits of having Apple’s quality and software. The main camera is a 12MP wide camera with f/1.8 aperture, while the front camera is 7MP with f/2.2 aperture. Our reviewer, Andrew, found that the iPhone SE (2020) takes really good selfies, and the camera can handle different shooting scenarios, but you shouldn’t expect it to be on-par with the cameras in the iPhone 12 series. Rear Cameras: 12MP (f/1.8) | Front Camera: 7MP | Video Recording: 4K at 60 FPS Andrew Hayward is a prolific Chicago-based tech writer that has lent his expertise to Polygon, TechRadar and Macworld among others. He is a smartphone expert with a journalism degree from Lewis University. Yoona Wagener has a background in content and technical writing. She has written for BigTime Software, Idealist Careers, and other small tech companies.
What to Look For in the Best Smartphone Cameras
Megapixels
More megapixels means higher fidelity, so higher generally means better. You’ll want this number to be no lower than 12 if you’re looking for a new phone explicitly for a solid camera.
Lenses
The amount of lenses that get slapped onto a camera seems to increase exponentially with each generation, but what kind of lenses matters just as much as how many. Depending on your typical subjects, you may want a phone with ultra-wide angle or telephoto lenses for more options.
Extras
Some fun features you may want to keep an eye out for include high-speed or slow-motion video, as well as HDR. While the absence of these isn’t a deal-breaker, having these little extras can really sweeten the deal when looking for a good camera.
