Gone are the days where you need to bring a separate gadget for taking photos and another gadget to make calls. Camera phones have become a handy everyday tool.
Technological boundaries are being pushed by phones with exceptional camera features. Through the years, the swift advancement of camera phone upgrades has been clearly evident. Screens of phones get larger, and chipsets are more powerful than ever.
There are plenty of smartphone options on the market today, but determining which one has the best camera needs a thorough comparison. Let’s take a look at the best options below.
Apple iPhone 12 Pro
The Apple iPhone 12 Pro is a cut above the rest as this smartphone offers an incredible triple camera unit. It features an ultra-wide f/2.4 camera, a telephoto f/2 camera, and a wide f/1.6 camera.
Also, its TruDepth front-facing camera showcases a 12MP sensor. The iPhone 12 Pro offers many camera features, including a LiDAR scanner that produces faster focusing options even when in low light situations.
Another welcome addition from the iPhone 12 Pro is its access to Apple's ProRAW file format. Users can start utilizing the computational photography effects of Apple and combine them with RAW files. Arguably, the iPhone 12 Pro is the best smartphone camera currently available.
Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra 5G
The Samsung Galaxy S20 is considered one of the best camera phones in history! The Galaxy family already has a long list of impressive camera phones, but the Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra 5G surpasses them all.
It features a 108MP camera that delivers on its promise. The 100x zoom feature is a smart and impressive addition that works best for telephoto images. It is not a perfect phone, though, due to its inconsistent image processing.
Nonetheless, firmware can fix this issue. The hardware is more capable compared to the Galaxy S20 and S20 Plus. When you look at the overall picture performance, the output is generally astounding, and you can attest to why this is considered the best Android camera phone.
Google Pixel 5
The Google Pixel 5 is a capable smartphone with impressive battery life. This is a fuss-free camera phone that’s very simple to use. Even though it does not have the most technologically-advanced features, the Google Pixel 5 makes up for usability and reliability.
It features a rear dual camera unit with a 12.2MP 27mm f/1.7 camera and a 16MP ultra-wide f/2.2 camera. What makes this Google Pixel 5 better is its Snapdragon 765G chipset that complements the Android 11 OS.
This combination offers a camera phone experience that is free from lags. Another welcome addition is its flagship feature of a refresh rate display of 90Hz.
Apple iPhone 12
The Apple iPhone 12 is still an impressive camera phone despite not having a telephoto camera. It might have less wow-factor compared to the iPhone 12 Pro, but it still offers impressive features.
It showcases a 12MP wide-angle as well as a 12MP ultra-wide-angle. A 5x digital zoom somehow compensates for its lack of a telephoto camera. When it comes to recording, all iPhone 12 models feature HDR video recording in combination with Dolby Vision.
With the iPhone 12, it’s only up to 30fps. The front camera of the Apple iPhone 12 showcases Deep Fusion and Night mode. It also boasts an impressive Night mode Time-lapse feature.
Samsung Galaxy S10 5G
The Samsung Galaxy S10 5G comes from the S-series that has been known to provide top-notch camera quality. It has a quad rear camera that features a telephoto/time of flight/wide/ultrawide combo. All of these four cameras perform incredibly well. Don’t be discouraged by the 12MP main camera sensor because it’s almost up to par with rival camera phones.
The Galaxy S10 hits the spot in terms of image quality and auto mode performance. Samsung also commits to quality 4k video by including a Digital Video Stabilization feature added to its HDR10+ support.
This helps in maximizing an impressive output on any compatible television monitor. All of these features make the Samsung Galaxy S10 among the best camera phones 2020 had to offer.
Sony Xperia 1 II
The Sony Xperia 1 II is a recommended option for video pros or cinema buffs because it can shoot footage up to a 21:9 cinema-style format. It also features a 4K HDR screen.
The Sony Xperia 1 II showcases full manual control along with a flat color profile that works perfectly for post-processing. For those who desire an excellent cinema experience in both the view of a consumer or a content creator, the Sony Xperia 1 II is an impeccable choice.
Xiaomi Mi 10 Pro
The Xiaomi Mi 10 Pro provides one of the best camera setups as it offers an incredible 108MP primary lens. It also comes with a 10x superzoom lens plus a 12MP dedicated portrait lens and a 20MP wide-angle lens.
This camera phone offers four high-quality lenses that can keep you covered in any picture-taking need that may arise. The video options come with 960fps 1080P super-slow-mo and 4K at 60fps as well as 8K at 30fps.
Samsung Galaxy Note 10+
The Samsung Galaxy Note 10+ is the best Pen-input smartphone in the market today. It overtakes its predecessor, the Samsung Galaxy Note 9, in terms of features and performance.
The pen input helps in acting as a remote shutter for taking selfies and other shots. It offers a triple-camera system and showcases incredible video and photo output. The screen is also impressive, which makes it a reliable imaging device.
Aside from the Galaxy S series, the Note series is among Samsung's best creations.
What Phone Has the Best Camera
When it comes to the argument of which smartphone has the best camera, it would be safe to say that it only comes down to two brands: Apple and Samsung. The best phone camera currently available to consumers is the Apple iPhone 12 Pro. When it comes to Android camera phones, the Galaxy Samsung S20 has the best phone camera features.
These two are the gold and silver medalists because they offer top-of-the-line characteristics along with advanced features that work best for photographers and videographers alike.