Smartphones have plenty of uses and a lot of people want the best camera phone. There are a lot of options right now with a great price tag and a lot of functions. Now imaging technology is better and combined with the displays and their connectivity, you can have a professional camera. However, keep it up with the technology might be tricky.
Right now most camera phones on the market are almost professional cameras on their own. Nowadays almost every smartphone has powerful imaging sensors, better than a lot of pro cameras. At the same time, they have computational photography features that are faster than milliseconds. We made this guide so you won’t be confused when you hear all this.
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Our Best picks
There are a lot of options but we will only show you the best ones. Most of the ones on the list are from 2020 or 2021 so they won’t be outdated soon. In other words, you will enjoy the best camera phone for a long time.
Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra
Even though the camera isn’t the best feature, it delivers anyways. Everything about this phone is high-end, so you won’t have to worry about the overall quality of it. The camera in this case has a 108MP f/1.8 main snapper, a 12MP f/2.2 ultra-wide one, and two telephoto cameras. The last ones, both have 10MP, but one has an f2.4 aperture and allows for 3x optical zoom. On the other hand, the last one has an f/4.9 aperture that allows an impressive zoom.
With all of this being said, you could search deeper into the meanings of everything we mentioned. However, this means that the camera is powerful and pretty impressive even if it doesn’t accomplish what we expected from it. Right now this is one of the best camera phones has ever had, but there are a few more that could be better.
Samsung also includes new features and functions to these cameras. One of the functions that have us very existed is the new Director’s View. This mode allows you to shoot a video with both the front and the rear cameras at the same time. If you are a photographer or you are into filming, this smartphone could be your dream gear.
iPhone 12 Pro Max
By far this one has the best camera phone you can get in a phone, as expected from Apple. This means a lot if we consider the excellent choice we included on the list. The Pro Max 12 stands out in comparison to other iPhone 12 models. The sensor is larger, which means it lets in more light. It also includes a sensor-shift image stabilization system. In other words, this is perfect if you need to film a steady shoot.
The main camera is joined by an ultra-wide lens with a 120-degree field of view and a 65mm telephoto camera. This lens is impressive, yes, but it also can do a 2.4x optical zoom and a 12x digital zoom. On the other hand, the computational photography software of the phone is out of this world. With all of this, you can take professional images in no time.
Overall, all of the software includes an improved Deep Fusion system that will give you incredible details. This, combined with the Smart HDR 3, will result in a well-balanced photo, even in challenging lighting conditions. Also, there is a LiDAR sensor built-in, so you can take selfies even in night mode without losing any quality. In case you want to edit more efficiently, you can take photos in ProRAW mode.
Huawei Mate 40 Pro
Overall we can’t recommend you this phone if you want to use it as a smartphone. However, this camera phone is incredible if you only want to take photos. You might know by now that the Mate 40 Pro has limited apps because it doesn’t have access to the Google Play Store. That’s a very important flaw because you won’t be able to download a huge range of apps.
On the other hand, the camera is one of the best on the market. It has a 50MP f/1.9 main camera, a 12MP f/3.4 periscope one with 5x optical zoom, and a 20MP f/1.8 ultra-wide one. Even though it can’t match some of its rivals, you can do impressive photos with the ones it includes. You can even experiment with a lot of types of photos and it will deliver.
You won’t have to worry if you want to do landscapes, portraits, or zoomed photos, you can do everything. The Mate Pro copes without trouble with every kind of photo. Another benefit is that you can also work around low-light conditions. In other words, you can do everything, no matter either the conditions or the time you want to do it.
OnePlus 9 Pro
Generally every OnePlus so far is behind almost any smartphone by a few key characteristics. Maybe this has changed now with the OnePlus 9 Pro because is one of the best camera phones you can get. Thanks to their partnership with Hasselblad, this smartphone gets one of the best cameras you could have for its price tag.
Every photo you take with this phone will result in an impressive image with better colours. The post-processing software of the phone improved a lot in comparison with the versions before. However, some features can behave weirdly, which means you could have mixed results. Anyways, the hardware and the software can compete with the best options on this list.
Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra
As the second Samsung on our list, you might think they have the same capabilities, but this isn’t true. The Note 20 Ultra has a high-spec camera, but the main feature is the telephoto camera. With its 12MP f/3.0 snapper with 5x optical zoom and 50x digital zoom, is a very functional, versatile camera.
If we compare the S20 Ultra to the Note 20 Ultra you get a better snapper because it has a wider aperture. Its telephoto camera is also very easy and fun to use and you can shoot 8k videos. Another benefit is that you could try every mode in one shoot with the Single Take mode. This allows you to take a bunch of photos using the various lenses and modes.
Google Pixel 5
The Google Pixel 5 is on the list because is the best camera phone you could get that also is an amazing phone. The price tag is lower than almost any option we already mentioned and it has a lot of useful functions. However, Mountain View swapped the pixel 4’s lens for an ultrawide, trying to please the critics and the users. They did please most of the community, but they didn’t hit the jackpot with this phone.
All of the magic happens when we look at the software. The whole software that processes images in the Pixel 5 crushes its competitors, generating almost life-like images. The details are stunning, even in mid and low-light they can shoot mesmerizing scenarios, and the display makes them justice.
Another surprise that Google delivered was the night mode, being able to kick the iPhone 11 pro and be better. Right now it can’t compete with the iPhone 12 pro, but we were very satisfied to see that the software was that good. Google plans to keep improving its software and hardware capabilities so you can expect a lot from the Pixel 6.
Huawei P40 Pro+
Most of the time, Huawei always delivers very good phones and this one has a camera phone to die for. It’s very low on its price tag in comparison with some of the other phones we picked. You could think this isn’t something good, but the camera is amazing and the battery is long-lasting. Both of those features allow you to work comfortably.
We recommend that you are aware of the limited application’s accessibility and its potential problems. Google won’t work with these phones anymore, so you can’t access the Google Play Store. This means that you can’t get the most popular apps; however, if you don’t mind this, you should buy this phone. The software has some limitations too, but you can work around it.
Huawei worked with a Leica imaging system that is paired with a 50MP sensor. Not only this is something incredible because Leica is a very well-known brand, but the sensor also works with an RYYB pixel formation. Whit all of this on the table, we can say that its camera can handle any scenery like a champion, always delivering high quality.
Even though what we mentioned is very impressive, the main camera’s lens is very good, with an f/1.9 aperture. On the bright side, the camera has a huge sensor and OIS, which works amazingly with the electronic image stabilization the software includes. You can see in the dark with the phone, even if you work on the automatic settings.
