Best Camera For Smartphone

It's not as simple as you may think to choose the finest camera phone; we can't just tell people, “That one,” when it comes to the newest Samsung Galaxy or iPhone. That's because, while many smartphones are capable of taking photographs, each model has its own set of benefits. Read our in-depth guide and learn everything about this topic, we are quite sure that once you’re done with reading this guide you can choose the phone with the best camera for your needs.

Ben Grindlow

Ben Grindlow is the founder of ProXPN, a company that provides reviews about VPN products and services. Ben's interest in cybersecurity and privacy led him to start ProXPN, which has become one of the most well-respected VPN providers in the world. Ben is passionate about his work, and he is constantly exploring new ways to improve ProXPN's in-depth guides.

Last updated: 10:10AM 7/5/2022

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Table of Contents

Camera phones do not have the same camera features and specifications. Some camera phones have ultra-wide camera angle lenses to capture beautiful images. There are camera phones that use black-and-white cameras to capture detailed black and white images.

Some of the best camera phones have periscope-style lenses that allow you to zoom up to 10 times (optical zoom) the normal image size.

When deciding on the best camera phones to buy, you need to consider many factors, with the camera quality the most important. Knowing the type of pictures you want to create with the camera phone will help you narrow your options.

This article will show you how to pick the best phone cameras and five of today's best deals. Let's get started.

Apple iPhone 13 Pro 128GB Graphite

  • Operating system: iOS 15
  • Screen size: 6.1 inch
  • Resolution: 2532 x 1170 pixels
  • Screen type: Retina
  • Storage capacity: 128 GB
  • Camera options: Image stabilization | Flash | Macro lens | Night mode | Optical zoom | Portrait mode | Ultra Wide Angle
  • Working memory (RAM): 6GB
  • Battery capacity: 3095 mAh

Samsung Galaxy A13

  • Operating system: Android 12
  • Screen size: 6.6 inch
  • Resolution: 1600 x 720 pixels
  • Screen type: TFT
  • Storage capacity: 128 GB
  • Camera options: Flash | Optical zoom | Portrait mode
  • Working memory (RAM): 6GB
  • Battery capacity: 5000 mAh

Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max 128GB Blue

  • Operating system: iOS 15
  • Screen size: 6.7 inch
  • Resolution: 2778 x 1284 pixels
  • Screen type: Retina
  • Storage capacity: 128 GB
  • Camera options: Image stabilization | Flash | Macro lens | Night mode | Optical zoom | Portrait mode | Ultra Wide Angle
  • Working memory (RAM): 6GB
  • Battery capacity: 4352 mAh

The Best Smartphone Camera Buying Guide: How to Make the Best Buy?

Before you buy a camera phone, there are certain factors you have to look out for, with the most essential being a camera phone that delivers good image quality. Since the whole essence of getting a camera phone is to take pictures, it is best to consider the image quality of your choice within your budget range.

The Image Sensor

An essential part of a camera phone is its image sensor. This vital part is largely responsible for the photo quality. There is no camera phone specification that you should pay more attention to is the image sensor.

Size

The image sensor of your came phone has several characteristics, with the size the most crucial as it concerns delivering exquisite image quality. The advantage of using camera phones with a large sensor is that they can collect better light than smaller ones.

The more data and light that the sensor can capture, the better the image quality. With more data available, the large sensor can produce more accurate photo results and reduce errors to the minimum, such as image noise.

When you take a picture in low light (low light photography), a large sensor helps you generate noise-free images. The size of the sensor corresponds to the number below the fraction (the smaller the denominator in the fraction, the larger the sensor. For example, 1/2.3 has a larger sensor than 1/4.4 inch.

Megapixels and Pixel Size

Large sensors mean that you have a bigger space to store multiple pixels. A megapixel is equal to million pixels. Higher megapixels do not mean that the photo quality will be better than smaller megapixels. Only in ideal conditions will the advantage of a higher pixel photoshop more details than a smaller one.

When choosing the best camera phone, you must consider the pixel size (measured in microns). The pixel size is another factor that determines your image quality. For example, a phone camera with a fairly large pixel, like 1.4-micron pixels, will help the sensor collect more light and produce higher image quality.

When taking dynamic low light photos, you need a larger pixel size than 1.4-micron pixels. 3-4microns is a good starting point for dynamic low-light shooting. This pixel size is common in camera phones with extra-large sensors.

Print Photos

If you take a picture with your camera phone, you are doing so to store them on your gallery, share them on social media, use them as wallpapers on your computer screen, or even project them on your TV.

You may want to print the pictures you captured with your camera phone. To ensure that the picture quality comes out fine in print, you need to know how many pixels you need.

The size of the pixels is essential; the pixels you want to print should be small enough for you not to see them anymore. A good rule of thumb is to use 300 pixels per inch. If you want to print out a picture using the 8 x 10 inch (20.3 x 25.4 cm) dimension, you need 2400 x 3000 pixels, equal to 7.2 million pixels or a 7.2-megapixel camera.

For a print picture with the 16 x 20 inch (40.6 x 50.8 cm) print dimension, you need 4800 x 6000 pixels, equal to 28.8 million pixels or 28.8 megapixels. If you use camera phones to capture large portraits, choose camera phones with more megapixels.

Autofocus

Autofocus (AF) helps your camera phone focus on images better. The technology on smartphones like the Samsung Galaxy S21 and Samsung Galaxy S22 ultra-wide camera phones work on a trial and error scenario. The telephoto lens of your camera phone moves to-and-fro until it gets a position of maximum focus on the object you want to capture.

Camera phones use an algorithm that measures the image's contrast under focus to determine if an image is sharp. The Autofocus system uses contrast detection and phase difference measurement as reliable algorithms to capture sharp images.

Lenses and Zoom

The lens of your camera phone allows light to get to the sensor. Remember how the size of the sensor helps you get better picture quality? The same works for lenses. The bigger the lens size, the lighter the camera phone can capture. The telephoto lens and ultra-wide lens help you capture more light.

Suppose you get a premium smartphone like the Samsung Galaxy S21, Samsung Galaxy S22, and Samsung Galaxy s22 ultra. In that case, you get lenses with a better aperture than what is obtainable with small digital cameras.

Today's best deals smartphones are getting less compact per new models released due to the increasing camera capabilities. Compact smartphones are not designed to accommodate optical zoom. Instead, they use a digital zoom camera which is almost worthless compared to what is obtainable with the optical zone.

With compact smartphones, you will get better-looking photos by closing the gap on your subject rather than using digital zoom.

You have the option of using click-on lenses. The best camera phones use multiple cameras with different focal lengths instead of a single fixed lens. If you look at the back of the Samsung Galaxy S22 ultra and other premium phones, they have three or four cameras there. These cameras are not there for decoration purposes; they have good focal lengths.

Different Lens Types

  • Ultra Wide Angle Lens: This lens type can cover a view angle of over 90 degrees. The impressive range helps you capture more of your surroundings than you get with other camera phones.
  • Wide Angle/Standard: This lens type is your default camera setting. It has a view angle of 64° and 84° degrees, expressed as a 35-24mm lens.
  • Periscope and Telephoto Lens: This lens type is great for delivering zoomed shots. A telephoto camera can give you 2x to 3x optical zoom, while the periscope camera gives you 4x to 10x optical zoom. Compared to the telephoto camera, the periscope is a more recent invention that uses a prism to perform zooming-in functions. A periscope and telephoto lens are helpful if you want to take a picture of something far from you.
  • Black and White Camera/Sensor: There are top camera phones that have special black and white cameras or sensors for capturing high-quality pictures in black and white. Most phones with this lens type use it to support other lenses to get better contrast ratios.
  • Depth Camera: This lens type aims to create background blur in your pictures. A camera phone can produce this background blur effect called bokeh without having a depth camera through software.
  • Macro Lens: This lens type captures small details or subjects at a very close range. Macro lenses use focusing distance to ensure the phone camera focuses on the subject in close proximity.

Focal Length

What determines the focal length of a lens? You can only determine it when the lens is in focus at infinity. Having the lens in focus at infinity determines the angle of the view. It also determines the large scene for capture and the magnification (largeness of individual elements).

Longer focal length results in higher magnification and a smaller angle of view. To understand what this means, consider this overview. Twelve millimeters or 120 degrees are significant wide-angle numbers. Your camera phone's main camera uses 24 millimeters. Your regular eye view is about 50 millimeters and is an excellent choice for portraits.

Ensure large spaces are not present between the focal lengths in your camera phone. If there is a large space present, your phone will zoom digitally, leading to quality loss.

To take quality photos at your desired magnification level, your camera phone has to support the magnification level and have a camera module with a corresponding focal length.

Image Stabilization

The role of image stabilization on the best camera phones like the Samsung Galaxy S22 ultra is to reduce the effect of jitter on your images. In the absence of image stabilization, the android camera phone captures every movement, negatively affecting the photo quality.

Image stabilization improves mobile photography (your photo quality and the quality of your video recordings on your best android camera phone).

Several image stabilization technologies are available; the most common ones on every best camera phone are digital image stabilization and digital image stabilization.

Optical Image Stabilization

Optical image stabilization improves phone quality by moving the image sensor or the lens module to avoid slight camera shakes and blurry images—the sensors in the camera lens spot camera movements.

Optical image stabilization is great for shooting videos or images in low light. It performs wonders for camera improvements by compensating for small camera movements like vibrations. However, it does not have much effect on wild and large movements. Optical stabilization is a better image stabilization solution than digital stabilization.

Digital Image Stabilization

Digital image stabilization detects camera movement with sensors. Once the sensors spot a movement, they do not record or take the picture until the image is completely still.

You can sharpen the picture with digital image stabilization using software in your camera app. You can also sharpen it with dedicated digital camera world software programs on your system.

Flash

The bulk of smartphones, such as the Samsung Galaxy S21, comes with an in-built LED flash. However, do not pay rapt attention to it as it is often harsh when taking pictures up close and not so effective when taking pictures across a far distance.

The best camera phones, such as the Google Pixel 6, Google Pixel 6 Pro, and Samsung Galaxy S21, use dual-tone LED flesh for better lighting effects. Pick the best camera phone with a selfie LED flash on the front if you love taking cute selfies.

Front Camera

You have to pay attention to the front camera when choosing the best camera phones. Check out its specifications, so you know the strength and capability of the front camera.

In a period where people love taking selfies, overlooking the specifications of the front camera is a risky move. Several front cameras perform the same bokeh (portrait move) effects as you get with its rear camera.

Some of the best camera phones use dual front cameras, with one set of lenses attracting more background details than the other.

Operation Options

The best camera phones, such as the Samsung Galaxy S21 ultra, Google Pixel 6, and Google Pixel6 Pro, offer you good control options and the freedom to capture your images. The best phone camera has built-in options.

Having multiple operation options makes the camera hardware user-friendly. A great camera phone like Google Pixel 6 Pro offers an automatic point, click option and manual mode. Operation options vary by different camera modes and from phone to phone. They allow you to shoot in Raw and adjust the ISO and the white balance of the shot.

ISO

ISO refers to the sensitivity level of your camera to the light in the scene. When the ISO number is low, the less sensitive your main camera is to light, and when the ISO number is high, the more sensitive your main camera is to light.

You get several filters and options for creating panoramas, timelapse, slo-mo, square crops, and video for low ISO and high ISO modes.

Video

Capturing still images is not everything take encompasses camera shooting; video recording is also a part. Note the resolution you use to record video and the frame rate. Increasing the video resolution will deliver a better video quality, but as a trade-off, it will take up more of your phone's internal storage space.

Budget phones have a maximum video resolution of 1080p, in some cases 720p, while the best camera phones have a maximum video resolution of 4k. When you use 4k video resolution, the video quality will be higher. The latest smartphones offer 4k video at 60 fps to generate clearer shots.

If you use image stabilization when recording your videos, it improves the video quality significantly. Use continuous autofocus while recording your videos to improve the video quality further.

If you opt to record videos in 4k resolution, you need to have a large internal storage capacity of 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, and others. If you use memory cards or record FullHD videos that do not take up so much memory space, you can avoid the space issue.

Slow Motion

Slow-motion video is a popular and creative effect you see all over the internet. The camera setup for recording a slow-motion video is to record it at a high frame rate and play it in slow motion.

If you want to record slow-motion video on your best camera phone, it is better to use the rear camera than the front one for higher video quality. A higher frame rate means a lower video resolution and lower footage quality.

Screen Size

The bigger your smartphone's screen size, the more difficult it is to grip it effectively. However, big-screen phones help us connect emotionally to and cognitively understand the image or video shown on the screen.

With a larger screen, you can see more text and objects. The best phone cameras tend to have large screens that give you a detailed view of the picture or video you want to capture.

Screen Type

The best phone screens globally are OLED screens. Display experts and consumers agree with this fact. The best OLED screens for phones are the super AMOLED screens by Samsung. Apart from Samsung, other OLED manufacturers produce quality OLED screens.

IPS LCD and OLED displays with a higher pixel density than Apple display screens are called Retina. Retina displays make the text and images appear sharp.

Irrespective of the screen type that comes with your smartphone ensure you protect your phone from any damage. Buying a screen protector is a cheap and cost-saving to protect your phone screen. You can easily sell your smartphone faster with no scratch on the screen.

Battery Life

Before purchasing the best camera phone for your need, ensure you check the battery life. When you do video recording, use the camera, and stream videos, your battery tends to run down quickly.

To avoid your battery running down and the battery life in bad shape, get a battery that can last you for at least 24 hours or more. The recommended battery size is a minimum of 4000 mAh.

If the best camera phone of your choice does not have a strong battery life, you can purchase a portable bank to prevent it from running down.

Features to Consider When Choosing the Best Android Camera Phone

Water-Resistant

When choosing the best camera phone from a photography point of view, you have to consider if it is water and dust-resistant. Using a water-resistant phone helps you take pictures and videos in wet conditions (in the rain or underwater).

Newer smartphones can withstand water. Check the IP certification of the best camera phone you want to purchase to know if it is dust and water-resistant.

Expandable Memory

When choosing the best camera phone for you, you must consider the available memory stage. You also have to consider if you can expand the memory.

Many smartphones have huge internal memory. If the smartphone you choose does not have expandable memory options through a memory card, you do not have to worry if your phone has a large internal memory that can handle your storage needs.

Unlike iPhones, Android phones often come with a MicroSD slot. Many dual-SIM phones use the second SIM slot as also a MicroSD slot.

Check for the availability of free cloud backup storage to prevent data loss if your smartphone gets stolen or damaged. You can store many pictures and videos in the cloud to free up more space in your phone memory.

Google, Apple, and Microsoft offer free and paid cloud storage plans for users.

Photography Apps

Thousands of photography apps are available for iOS and Android users in their respective stores. However, more photography apps are available in the Google Play Store than in the Apple App Store because of the ease of creation and simpler process for making the apps available in the store.

You can use camera apps to perform any photo-related activity, such as editing photos and creating funny GIFs. Some of the best photo editing apps include Adobe Photoshop Fix and Snapseed.

The 5 Best Camera Smartphones Among Each Other

1. Apple iPhone 13 Pro 128GB Graphite

  • Operating system: iOS 15
  • Screen size: 6.1 inch
  • Resolution: 2532 x 1170 pixels
  • Screen type: Retina
  • Storage capacity: 128 GB
  • Number of megapixels: 12 megapixels
  • Number of megapixels front camera: 12 megapixels
  • Camera options: Image stabilization | Flash | Macro lens | Night mode | Optical zoom | Portrait mode | Ultra Wide Angle
  • Number of rear cameras: 3
  • Number of front cameras: 1
  • Processor cores: Hexa core (6)
  • Memory (RAM): 6GB
  • Battery capacity: 3095 mAh
  • Connection type: Apple Lightning
  • IP certification: IP68 (completely dustproof and completely waterproof)

2. Samsung Galaxy A13

  • Operating system: Android 12
  • Screen size: 6.6 inch
  • Resolution: 1600 x 720 pixels
  • Screen type: TFT
  • Storage capacity: 128 GB
  • Number of megapixels: 50 megapixels
  • Number of megapixels front camera: 8 megapixels
  • Camera options: Flash | Optical zoom | Portrait mode
  • Number of rear cameras: 4
  • Number of front cameras: 1
  • Processor cores: Hexa core (6)
  • Memory (RAM): 6GB
  • Battery capacity: 5000 mAh
  • Connection type: USBC
  • IP certification: IP00 (No protection)

3. Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max 128GB Blue

  • Operating system: iOS 15
  • Screen size: 6.7 inch
  • Resolution: 2778 x 1284 pixels
  • Screen type: Retina
  • Storage capacity: 128 GB
  • Number of megapixels: 12 megapixels
  • Number of megapixels front camera: 12 megapixels
  • Camera options: Image stabilization | Flash | Macro lens | Night mode | Optical zoom | Portrait mode | Ultra Wide Angle
  • Number of rear cameras: 3
  • Number of front cameras: 1
  • Processor cores: Hexa core (6)
  • Memory (RAM): 6GB
  • Battery capacity: 4352 mAh
  • Connection type: Apple Lightning
  • IP certification: IP68 (completely dustproof and completely waterproof)

4. Apple iPhone 13 Pro 256GB Graphite

  • Operating system: iOS 15
  • Screen size: 6.1 inch
  • Resolution: 2532 x 1170 pixels
  • Screen type: RetinaStorage capacity: 256 GB
  • Number of megapixels: 12 megapixels
  • Number of megapixels front camera: 12 megapixels
  • Camera options: Image stabilization | Flash | Macro lens | Night mode | Optical zoom | Portrait mode | Ultra Wide Angle
  • Number of rear cameras: 3
  • Number of front cameras: 1
  • Processor cores: Hexa core (6)
  • Memory (RAM): 6GB
  • Battery capacity: 3095 mAh
  • Connection type: Apple Lightning
  • IP Certification: IP68 (completely dustproof and completely waterproof)

5. Samsung Galaxy A53 256GB Black 5G

  • Operating system: Android 12
  • Screen size: 6.5 inch
  • Resolution: 1080 x 2400 pixels
  • Screen type: HD Super Amoled
  • Storage capacity: 256 GB
  • Number of megapixels: 64 megapixels
  • Number of megapixels front camera: 32 megapixels
  • Camera options: Flash | Optical zoom | Ultra Wide Angle
  • Number of rear cameras: 4
  • Number of front cameras: 1
  • Processor cores: Octa-core (8)
  • Memory (RAM): 8GB
  • Battery capacity: 5000 mAh
  • Connection type: USB-C
  • IP certification: IP67 (completely dustproof and submersible)

Frequently Asked Questions about Camera Phones

Why are iPhone Photos Better than Samsung?

iPhone photos give you a more balanced lightning and color palette than Samsung photos. If two photos are taken with a similar composition, and one looks better than the other, it is due to the contrast and colors used.

However, what makes a better photo is subjective; some will prefer the photos of a Samsung phone over one from an iPhone.

Is a Camera Smartphone Useful?

Camera smartphones are a useful option to have. They make sharing and processing photos easier than using a real camera. Internal image manipulation on phones is top-notch, whether you are using the native camera application or other third-party apps. One major drawback of editing photos after taking them is that the photo quality drops.

Can a Smartphone Replace an SLR Camera?

A smartphone cannot replace an SRL camera. While many premium smartphone cameras take can take good photos, professional photographers know their limitations. You won't see them use it at high-paying events like weddings and sporting events.

Professional photographers use an SLR camera because of the greater creative control it gives you overexposure. The SLR camera gives you total control over your aperture, ISO settings, and shutter speed to create beautiful bokeh backgrounds.

Which Camera Smartphone Should I Buy?

The camera smartphone you should buy depends on your budget and the quality of images you want to create. Consider a refurbished smartphone if your budget cannot buy you a new one and you need to create high-quality images with great effects.

Here are the best camera phones you can buy.

Apple iPhone 13 Pro 128GB Graphite

  • Screen Size: 6.1 inch
  • Resolution Size: 2532 x 1170 pixels
  • Storage Capacity: 128 GB
  • Number of Megapixels: 12 megapixels
  • Number of Megapixels (Front Camera): 12 megapixels
  • Number of cameras: 3

Samsung Galaxy A13

  • Screen Size: 6.6 inch
  • Resolution Size: 1600 x 720 pixels
  • Storage Capacity: 128 GB
  • Number of Megapixels: 50 megapixels
  • Number of Megapixels (Front Camera): 12 megapixels
  • Number of cameras: 3

Samsung Galaxy A53 256GB Black 5G

  • Screen Size: 6.5 inch
  • Resolution Size: 1080 x 2400 pixels
  • Storage Capacity: 256 GB
  • Number of Megapixels: 64 megapixels
  • Number of Megapixels (Front Camera): 32 megapixels
  • Number of cameras: 4

Apple iPhone 13 Pro 128GB Graphite

  • Screen size: 6.1 inch
  • Resolution: 2532 x 1170 pixels
  • Storage capacity: 128 GB
  • Number of megapixels: 12 megapixels
  • Number of megapixels front camera: 12 megapixels
  • Number of rear cameras: 3

Samsung Galaxy A13

  • Screen size: 6.6 inch
  • Resolution: 1600 x 720 pixels
  • Storage capacity: 128 GB
  • Number of megapixels: 50 megapixels
  • Number of megapixels front camera: 8 megapixels
  • Number of rear cameras: 4

Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max 128GB Blue

  • Screen size: 6.7 inch
  • Resolution: 2778 x 1284 pixels
  • Storage capacity: 128 GB
  • Number of megapixels: 12 megapixels
  • Number of megapixels front camera: 12 megapixels
  • Number of rear cameras: 3

Apple iPhone 13 Pro 256GB Graphite

  • Screen size: 6.1 inch
  • Resolution: 2532 x 1170 pixels
  • Storage capacity: 256 GB
  • Number of megapixels: 12 megapixels
  • Number of megapixels front camera: 12 megapixels
  • Number of rear cameras: 3

Samsung Galaxy A53 256GB Black 5G

  • Screen size: 6.5 inch
  • Resolution: 1080 x 2400 pixels
  • Storage capacity: 256 GB
  • Number of megapixels: 64 megapixels
  • Number of megapixels front camera: 32 megapixels
  • Number of rear cameras: 4

Conclusion

Smartphones make it easier than ever for everyone to own and use a camera. Compared to the traditional digital camera, smartphone users can easily take photos with the tap of a finger instead of going through several complicated steps first.

Post-processing images are easy and fast thanks to the presence of good native camera applications and other best apps. You can easily share your photos with others from your smartphone compared to digital cameras, where you first have to organize and process them before sharing.

Frequently asked questions

A decent phone camera will not only have a big sensor, but it will also feature pixels with relatively large numbers. This is especially significant in camera phone sensors due to the fact that everything is so tiny. If the pixels are too little, photos will be marred by apparent digital noise.

The answer is simple: the ideal resolution for smartphone cameras is 12MP. There are a number of reasons for this, including storage capacity, computing time, and low-light photograph quality. Video resolution and display devices also influence how big a camera sensor should be.

The most important characteristics for picture quality are: Sensor quality (low noise, high dynamic range, and other factors – all of which improve with a larger sensor) Lens quality (sharpness, lack of chromatic aberration, bokeh quality, etc) Camera firmware in particular ability to utilize RAW format or generate JPEG files with high definition.

ISO is a measure of how sensitive your camera is to light when used with film or a digital sensor. A lesser ISO value indicates less sensitivity to light, whereas a higher ISO value implies more sensitivity.

The Lens. The single most important component of any camera is its lens, which captures light from outside scenes and directs it into the camera's sensor, where it interacts with all of the aforementioned internal camera components.

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