One camera, two, or perhaps three? In new smartphone models, this is now standard. What's more, there are good camera smartphones in every price range. But what should be the best camera in a phone? What matters?
The number of cameras and their resolution are not all you should pay attention to. Otherwise, budget smartphones for a few hundred zlotys would be completely sufficient. The quality of photos and videos also counts. This, in turn, translates to, among other things: a bright lens, great software for night shots, effective autofocus, and optical image stabilization (OIS). See our ranking and choose the best smartphone for photos.
Who is a phone with the best camera for?
An artistic photo of food in a restaurant, a selfie on vacation, or maybe a few shots from the gym while sculpting your body? Nowadays, almost every smartphone owner takes it out at least once a day just to take a picture. A smartphone camera is simply useful, period! Some upload photos and videos to Instagram or TikTok, others send them to friends, and still others use their smartphone camera at work. And the better the quality of photos and recordings, the better. Nowadays, a photo smartphone is not just an option for influencers. Do you like taking photos with your smartphone? See our ranking of phones with the best camera.
We say WOW, i.e., iPhone 13 Pro Max and its camera(s)
For many people, from a photographic perspective, this is the the best of option, i.e., the phone with the best camera on the market. Apple perfectly shows that pixels don't play a key role. We have three cameras, each 12 MP – main, wide-angle telephoto, and ultra-wide-angle. A full range for photographing at any moment. The iPhone 13 Pro Max has a stabilized sensor, OIS, a bright main camera lens (f/1.5), and a well-optimized night mode. In addition, there are portraits with beautifully blurred backgrounds. What more could you want? Of course, smooth 4K recordings at 60 frames per second. Here you go. Apple's hardware also provides us with that.
How does the iPhone 13 Pro Max perform? Definitely a plus. The jury awards full points. This is what a smartphone with the best camera should be like. Any alternatives? If you're looking for iOS, you'll have to wait until autumn 2022 – that's when the iPhone 14 will be released. If you prefer Android, then you're welcome to continue reading.
See also: Best photo editing apps for smartphones
Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra, i.e., the best zoom
First impressions of the camera in the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra were jaw-dropping. It takes more natural and contrasting photos, handles night mode and other demanding scenarios perfectly. And this is despite the fact that the telephoto lens set is no different from its predecessor, the S21. Above all, the main 108 MP camera is impressive. In this case, it translates to excellent photo detail that beats the competition.
Not enough? The telephoto lens and its 10x optical zoom are also impressive! Digital zoom allows us up to 100x magnification. Of course, this smartphone also takes ultra-wide-angle photos. We'll also count video recording in 8K resolution (at 24 frames per second) among the advantages. If you're interested in smoother video, you can switch to 4K at 60 frames per second.
The Samsung phone with the best camera is... for the second half of 2022, it's definitely the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra. It can easily replace a camera for photos and videos on trips or in everyday life.
Another Viking will say Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra
One Viking will say Samsung, and another will say that Xiaomi has the best camera in a phone on the market. It must be admitted that the Mi 11 Ultra model is also a real photographic beast. This time, it features a triple camera. However, Xiaomi has opted for a lot of pixels. The main camera has 50 MP, and the main telephoto and ultra-wide-angle cameras have 48 MP each. The first two cameras have built-in OIS. In addition, we can use a solid zoom. Optical is 5x, and digital offers up to 120x magnification.
In addition to the sensational photo quality, there's also plenty of room for video. We can record shots in 8K at 24 frames per second and 4K at 60 frames per second.
In summer 2022, the Xiaomi Mi 12 Ultra is expected to be released. The camera, or rather the quad setup used in it, is branded by Leica. It takes up a significant part of the device's rear. According to published information, the "commander" is a 50 MP unit, a successor to the solution used in the Xiaomi 11 Ultra. Although some reports mention a 200-megapixel sensor. It is supported by a camera with a wide-angle lens, a periscope telephoto lens, autofocus, and an LED flash. It is clear that the Chinese tiger has thrown down the gauntlet in the fight for the smartphone with the best camera...
Huawei P50 Pro outside the podium
This year's offering from Huawei. Many people write off these smartphones due to the lack of Google services or 5G connectivity. However, here we will check if it is a phone with the best camera. When photographing, we can use a combination of sensors from the main camera (50 MP) and the monochromatic camera (40 MP). The finished photo is a combination of images from both sensors. In practice, we get more detail and better night photos. What's more, there's a telephoto lens with 3.5x optical zoom and a wide-angle lens. Recordings are available in 4K at 60 frames per second – today, this is a must have option for a top-tier photo smartphone.
Ultimately, the Huawei P50 Pro, while slightly behind the competition mentioned above (especially after dark), is, within the brand's portfolio, a smartphone with the best camera and one of the best on the market.
Finally, a curiosity. Its predecessor (specifically the Huawei P30 Pro) served as a professional camera during a photoshoot in a promotional campaign. One of the photos ended up on the cover of a fashion magazine in Poland.
With the cameras that smartphones are equipped with today, such an action would be possible without any problem. Besides, photos from "mobiles" are now the norm in newsrooms and information portals. And it's our daily life in presenting our lives on social media. This trend can no longer be reversed.
