As smartphone photography continues to evolve, camera phones have become our everyday companions for capturing life's big (and little) moments.
But with endless options and technical jargon, choosing the right camera phone can feel overwhelming.
Whether you're an Instagram pro or simply want clearer memories, here's what you need to know if you’re in the market for a good camera phone or simply want to know about the key features that make a good one.
Does camera quality matter?
This is a rather subjective question, as some people may look for a phone that champions its camera quality as the device's single-greatest feature, while others don’t really mind about how good it is.
Given you’ve clicked on this guide, though, we can assume that you fall more into the former rather than the latter. So the answer to the question then is a bit simpler - absolutely, camera quality does matter. That probably goes without saying.
This is regardless of if you want a good camera because you are an avid photographer and want something that can produce a high-quality image but don’t want to lug around a big camera, or simply want something that can deliver stunning photos and videos to post on your social media.
So maybe a better question to answer then is how much quality should you be looking for.
The camera quality you should look for largely depends on your needs and how you plan to use your images. For casual photos, social media sharing and general everyday use, a smartphone with reliable autofocus, good low-light performance, and at least 12 megapixels will generally suffice.
However, If you're passionate about photography or frequently shoot videos, you’ll want a device that has all the bells and whistles - higher-resolution sensors, optical image stabilization, multiple lenses (wide-angle, telephoto), and advanced software features like night mode or HDR.
Ultimately, choose the camera quality that best matches your lifestyle, creativity, and expectations for image clarity.
Features of a good camera phone
We briefly mentioned some of them above but there are many features that you should be looking out for, especially if you intend on going for a phone with the very best camera possible.
Some of the more basic features that you may already know that you want to look out for are things like megapixel count - usually the higher the better, but there is more to it. Aperture is typically featured rather prominently when looking at the device specs, as is the zoom quality.
Let’s take a look into the key features you should look for:
Megapixels (MP)
Probably the most well-known feature for phone cameras, megapixels refers to the total number of pixels that make up an image. One megapixel equals one million pixels, so a camera with 12MP captures images composed of roughly 12 million tiny dots of color.
Higher megapixel counts mean your photos can hold more detail, allowing you to crop or zoom into your images without losing clarity. However, megapixels alone don't guarantee great image quality, so you’ll want some of the
Optical & Digital Zoom
Optical zoom uses lens movement rather than digital cropping, providing sharper close-ups without sacrificing image quality.
Digital zoom magnifies the image by cropping into the center and enlarging the pixels digitally—essentially stretching the existing photo.
Unlike optical zoom, digital zoom doesn't physically adjust the lens, so the image quality typically decreases, resulting in less sharpness and detail.
While digital zoom can be helpful for quickly getting closer to your subject, it's generally better used sparingly, as excessive use can produce grainy or pixelated photos.
Image Stabilization (OIS/EIS)
Optical or electronic image stabilization reduces blurriness from hand-shake, resulting in clearer, steadier photos and videos, especially useful in low-light or action scenarios.
There is a distinct difference between OIS and EIS. OIS physically moves the camera lens or sensor to counteract small movements or shakes, producing clearer, sharper images and smoother videos.
EIS uses software algorithms to stabilise the image digitally after it's captured. It reduces shake by cropping and shifting video frames to align them, resulting in smoother video footage. So while it could produce a smoother image/video, where it is a digital software algorithm, EIS may slightly reduce image resolution or overall quality compared to OIS.
Multiple Lenses (Wide-angle, Telephoto, Macro)
Multiple lens setups allow you to capture diverse shots—wide landscapes, distant subjects, or ultra-close details—providing greater creative flexibility. Most high-end camera phones will feature a camera setup of three or more lenses which will typically include wide-angle, telephoto and macro.
A Wide-angle lens will usually be the main one. It is capable of capturing expansive scenes and landscapes by fitting more into your shot, making it perfect for group photos or panoramic views.
A Telephoto lens allows you to zoom in on distant subjects without sacrificing image quality, which is ideal for detailed portrait photos.
A Macro lens enables ultra-close photography. It has the ability to zoom in and can capture minute details of the subject of the image at a high image quality.
Aperture (f/x.x)
Aperture refers to the amount of light that enters the camera lens’ sensor. A wider aperture (lower f-number, such as f/1.8 or f/1.6) lets in more light, enhancing performance in low-light situations and providing a beautiful blurred-background effect.
Sensor Size
Larger image sensors capture more detail and perform better in challenging lighting conditions, significantly improving overall photo quality.
High Dynamic Range (HDR)
HDR enhances image quality by balancing shadows and highlights, producing clearer, richer, and more lifelike images.
Autofocus Speed and Accuracy
Quick, accurate autofocus ensures sharp images, especially important for action photography or capturing spontaneous moments.
Night Mode
Specialized night modes significantly improve image clarity, brightness, and color accuracy when shooting in low-light environments.
Advanced Software and AI Enhancements
Recent years have seen the inclusion of AI in smartphones, with many features of the devices utilising AI functions to operate. This applies to camera software.
Good AI camera software optimises and enhances colors, sharpness, and exposure automatically, resulting in consistently better photos and videos with minimal effort. This can also be achieved via modern advanced software that doesn’t use AI, which is usually also found in phones from before 2022.
Common mistakes to avoid
There are common mistakes and pitfalls you’ll want to avoid when choosing your device, most of which mainly come down to focusing on certain things.
As we mentioned, megapixels are probably the most well-known feature. While having a high megapixel count is important, you shouldn’t overemphasise it over all the other features.
It’s all well and good having a high MP lens, but if it also features a lower sensor size and a narrower aperture, you’re going to find you’re getting highly detailed images with shoddy colours and poor lighting.
You want to strike a good balance with all the features listed above, and that also includes advanced software and AI enhancements.
Most providers are including more and more AI features in their devices, so if you like the automation that AI enhancements can bring, you should certainly look for a device that has heavy on artificial intelligence.
That’s not for everyone, though. Professional photographers often like to use their own software and put their own touch on their images, so maybe a lighter use of AI or no AI enhancements at all would be better.
Then you’ve got to consider other features of the phone, particularly storage. Photos and videos can unexpectedly take up a lot of your storage, so if you’re an avid photographer or videographer that uses your phone's camera a lot, you’re going to want to get one that has storage.
You also don’t want to disregard the importance of battery life. Using the phone's camera can drain the battery, so you’ll want a device that is well-rated for its high battery capacity and efficient battery usage, allowing you to capture and sustain the battery's life for longer.
Comparing camera phones: Brands and models
Hopefully with that information, you’re now better prepared to do your own research and find the right camera phone for you.
To help you even further, though, we’ll give you some hints as to which brands you should be focusing on.
Apple
Apple has long been considered the standard for camera phones. In our personal opinion, while they don’t particularly excel in one certain area, they do all the things right which combines to make the best rated camera phone every year when they release their latest range.
Specifically, if you want the best Apple camera phone, you’ll want to look at the iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max. They do fall on the pricier side but for good reason. Whether it's camera taking or video making that you’re interested in, you can’t go wrong with an iPhone.
Samsung
Samsung is best for those that love vibrant colours in their pictures and maybe those who love a good zoom feature.
Photos taken on a Samsung, especially the flagship Galaxy S Ultra ranges, really stand out for its depth of quality. They have been criticised a bit with the new S25 Ultra due to its excessive 200MP wide lens (a pitfall we recommended you’d want to avoid), but it still is a solid device that will wow you with its overall quality.
Google are arguably the leaders right now for AI software in their phones. Their Pixel line is boosted by the company’s own Google AI, which helps across many facets of the devices, most notably with images and videos.
If you’re someone who enjoys AI features in their phone and particularly likes them in their photo taking and image enhancing, the Pixel 9 Pro is the best choice for you (or really any device from the Pixel 9 range, they really impressed us this year by closing the gap between them all).
Sony
A bit of a dark horse choice from us as many don’t actually realise that Sony returned to their Xperia range a few years back. In fact, they didn’t just simply return, they delivered what is probably the best camera phone for the purist photographer.
What we mean by that is Sony’s flagship range, the Xperia 1 range (the latest being the 1 VI) has some incredible camera hardware - no surprise really given that Sony are amongst the best brands for cameras and photography.
It’s safe to say that Sony knows how to engineer a quality lens, and their setups on their leading line is mightily impressive. What we will say is Sony phones tend to perform best when users actively take advantage of their advanced features rather than relying solely on automatic settings, so we’d mainly recommend them to those who are keen on a more hands-on approach to their photography.
Huawei
In the same vein as Sony, Huawei offers impressively good camera phones that typically go under the radar. In the mobile sphere, a lot of focus is given to the mainstream brands such as Apple, Samsung and Google, while brands such as Huawei offer devices with features, such as their cameras, which are years ahead of the competition.
Many experts have been in agreement for some time that Huawei revolutionised the camera phone game a few years back and continue to do so, with their latest flagship, the Huawei P60 Pro, still impressing to this day despite being released in early 2023.
Xiaomi
Another underrated powerhouse that possibly even surpasses the Huawei, Xiaomi leaves nothing to be desired with their cameras. They are simply incredible, although the design isn’t the most appealing.
If you want a perfect example of how good their latest flagship, the Xiaomi 15 Ultra, performs, check out Digital Trends' comparison between that and the Samsung Galaxy 25 Ultra. The outcome may surprise you (spoiler - it’s comprehensively conclusive).
