Best Camera Phone — Buying Guide for Apple, Samsung, Google

Classic Phone Camera Lens

10. iPhone SE (2020)

Good Camera Phones

9. Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra (2020)

Samsung makes phones that nobody else wants to. That’s a good thing and a bad thing – although their phones are unique, they’re also niche. But with the Galaxy S20 Ultra, Samsung said, “we don’t care, just put all the best raw specs possible in and we’ll see what happens.”

The results were mixed; the Galaxy S20 Ultra hosts an impressive camera system but its massive 108 MP main camera sensor frequently struggles to capture things in focus and there’s almost no reason to ever shoot in UHD 8k.

New Phone Camera Lens

8. OnePlus 8 Pro (2020)

OnePlus phones used to be targeted at consumers as cheaper alternatives to the flagship models of manufacturers like Apple, Samsung, Google, etc. – but now OnePlus is a flagship brand too. The OnePlus Pro 8 features everything you’d expect from a smartphone camera, including a three-camera system with wide, ultrawide, and telephoto lenses. I’d say the telephoto images on the OnePlus Pro 8 are some of the best in the business.

Best Budget Camera Phone

7. Google Pixel 3a (2019)

We’re going back a few generations here with the Google Pixel 3a for one reason and one reason only: price. The Google Pixel 3a was priced aggressively at $399 at the time of its release and today it’s even cheaper. The Pixel 3a marked a revolutionary leap forward for night-mode photography in camera phones and it's still a great camera phone today. 

If you can’t find a Pixel 3a for under $300, just go with the 4a. 

What Phone Has the Best Camera?

6. Samsung Note 20 Ultra (2020)

TECH SPECS

• 2MP Ultra Wide Camera: Pixel size: 1.4μm; FOV: 120; F.No (aperture): F2.2.
• 108MP Wide-angle Camera; PDAF, OIS; Pixel size: 0.8μm; FOV: 79; F.No (aperture): F1.8; 1/1.33" image sensor size.
• 12MP Telephoto Camera; Pixel size: 1.0μm; FOV: 20˚; F.No (aperture): F3.0; Laser AF Sensor; Space Zoom; 5x Optical Zoom; Up to 50x Super Resolution Zoom; OIS (Optical Image Stabilization); Tracking AF.

Full tech specs available on Samsung’s product page.

Ah yes, we’ve arrived back at another Samsung flagship camera phone – this time as confused as ever by the convoluted nature of its name. The Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra is a different phone than the Samsung Galaxy 20 Ultra. In fact, it’s a very different phone; call me crazy but I think maybe they should market these products a little bit more clearly.

Name aside, the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra is a great smartphone camera. It features a detailed zoom system that’s capable of capturing images up to 50x zoom.

What is the Best Camera Phone from Sony?

5. Sony Xperia 5 II (2020)

Here’s the thing about the Sony Xperia 5 II: it has an amazing camera system but that’s about it. The whole idea of a camera phone is that it’s utilitarian strength lies in the camera and the phone. The Xperia 5 II is a great camera but not a great phone.

But if you’re looking for a camera phone to serve as your primary camera tool, then maybe the Xperia 5 II is the camera phone for you. For those looking for a supplemental camera, perhaps look elsewhere.

The Best Phone With Best Camera from Samsung

4. Samsung Galaxy S20 (2020)

Many tech reviewers have suggested that the cheaper Samsung Galaxy S20 has a better camera system than the Galaxy S20 Ultra – and honestly I can see it. We touched on the fact that the S20 Ultra struggles with focusing earlier – and it seems like that issue is much less prevalent with the S20 base model. If you’re looking to buy one or the other, the S20 is probably the better option.

What is the Best Camera Phone from Google?

3. Google Pixel 5 (2020)

TECH SPECS

• Rear camera: 12.2 MP dual-pixel, 1.4 μm pixel width, Autofocus with dual pixel phase detection, Optical + electronic image stabilization, ƒ/1.7 aperture, 77° field of view
• 16 MP ultrawide, 1.0 μm pixel width, ƒ/2.2 aperture, 107° field of view.

Full tech specs available on Google's product page.

For the last few years, Google has stood at the mountain top of the Android world as the best camera phone. But how does Google’s latest flagship, the Pixel 5, stack up against the competition? Well, it continues to impress — especially in low-light, but its lead is narrowing over its Android competition.

Best Cell Phone Cameras

2. iPhone 12 Mini & iPhone 12 (2020)

Okay you might be thinking that we’re cheating here by putting the iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Mini together but I can assure you we’re not. Apple lists the 12 and 12 Mini as having identical specs and every tech reviewer I’ve seen has found no differences between the two cameras.

The 12 and 12 Mini are great phone cameras for photography and videography. For 95% of people looking for an iOS camera phone, the iPhone 12 (or 12 Mini) is the best option. The only things missing when compared to the Pro models are a telephoto camera and a LIDAR scanner – but if that’s not an issue for you then definitely go for the standard models.

The Best Smartphone Camera

1. iPhone 12 Pro Max (2020)

TECH SPECS

• Pro 12MP camera system: Ultra Wide, Wide, and Telephoto cameras
• Ultra Wide: ƒ/2.4 aperture and 120° field of view; Wide: ƒ/1.6 aperture; Telephoto: ƒ/2.0 aperture (iPhone 12 Pro); ƒ/2.2 aperture (iPhone 12 Pro Max)

• HDR video recording with Dolby Vision up to 60 fps
  
  

Full tech specs available on Apple’s product page.

The iPhone 12 Pro Max is hands down, bar none the best camera phone on the market. The 12 Pro Max features a three camera system: wide, ultra wide, and telephoto. It’s worth noting that the ultra wide camera is the exact same as it is on the base iPhone 12 Pro – but the wide camera has a larger sensor and sensor-shift image stabilization, and the telephoto has a larger sensor and wider aperture.