Whether you’re a professional photographer in need of a handset that can keep up, or you just love to experiment with smartphone photography, there’s a whole host of high-spec devices to choose from. Find some of our best camera phones below, as we break down exactly what to look for in a handset when photography is your priority.
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|---|---|
| Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra |
Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max |
| 6.8-inch display | 6.7-inch display |
| 200MP triple-lens camera | 48MP triple-lens camera |
| 12MP selfie camera | 12MP selfie camera |
| 5000mAh battery | 5000mAh battery |
| 5G Ready | 5G Ready |
| View Deals | View Deals |
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|---|---|
| Google Pixel 8 |
Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra |
| 6.7-inch display | 6.8-inch display |
| 50MP triple-lens camera | 200MP quad-lens camera |
| 10.5MP selfie camera | 12MP selfie camera |
| 5025mAh battery | 5000mAh battery |
| 5G Ready | 5G Ready |
| View Deals | View Deals |
Just as its name suggests, an ultrawide camera is a lens with a large field of view, generally spanning over 90-degrees.
If the smartphone you choose has an ultrawide lens included in its rear camera system, you’ll see immense benefits when you’re taking panoramic nature shots or group photos, and generally find you can fit more into your photographs.
You’ll see the phrase ‘telephoto lens’ in the specs list for most smartphone camera systems – this kind of lens is essentially designed to process distance. The telephoto camera can take photos of things which are far away, without relying on optical zoom.
A periscope lens, meanwhile, uses a prism to shift light by 90 degrees, so it can travel much further than a normal lens, and increases the potential for optical zoom capacity.
A camera system which includes a macro lens is guaranteed to offer crystal clear closeups, with life-size magnification that captures every detail.
Macro lenses can also focus at a much shorter range – often from just a few millimeters away – so they’re frequently the best choice for subjects like flowers, insects and other minute objects.
A ToF sensor (or time of flight sensor) uses infrared lasers – which can’t be seen by the human eye – to gauge the distance between the camera and the subject of your shot, for each point in your image.
This information is then used in conjunction with the depth sensor to create a more three-dimensional photograph, adding depth and texture for a more lifelike finish. It’s also the depth sensor which enables a bokeh effect on most modern camera phones.
With its advanced quad-lens setup, the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G plays host to the best camera Samsung has released yet. Comprised of a 108MP wide lens, 10MP periscope telephoto lens, a second 10MP telephoto lens and a final 12MP ultrawide lens, there’s nothing beyond the scope of this camera system.
There are plenty of affordable smartphones with excellent cameras out there, and the Samsung Galaxy A51 is an excellent choice. This handset sports some great camera tech, with a 48MP wide lens, 12MP ultrawide lens and 5MP macro lens – in short, all the components required to nail closeups, group shots and everything in between.
If you’re a keen photographer with a midrange budget, the Google Pixel 5 is a worthy choice for an affordable camera phone, with one 12.2MP wide lens, and one 16MP ultrawide lens. But Google has also incorporated a wide array of cutting-edge photography software, including astrophotography, which enables you to take photos of the night sky.
The best selfie camera phones come with high-spec front cameras, along with a range of software onboard to really make your selfies standout. With its 12MP f/2.2 sensor, and Structured Light sensor to add depth, iPhone 12 Pro is brilliantly equipped to take stunning shots. Plus, you can enjoy settings like Night mode and Portrait mode on the front camera too.
