The best camera phones in 2024: our top 8 photography picks

In the past decade or so, cameras on smartphones have evolved so much that they can pretty much replace a standalone digital camera for most people. The results you can get on a smartphone these days are just so impressive, and being able to be with you at all times means you'll never miss a moment.

But what if you want the best possible camera phone money can buy? A camera that won't let you down no matter what you're taking a picture of? You've come to the right place. Here are the very best camera phones you can buy in 2024.

Xiaomi 14 Ultra

The best camera phone

Why should you buy this: It has the absolute best camera you can get on a smartphone thanks to the Leica partnership.

Who's it for: Those who take mobile photography very seriously.

Why we picked the Xiaomi 14 Ultra:

The main strength of the Xiaomi 14 Ultra is the camera. It uses a Sony LYT-900 1-inch, 50MP main camera that also has a Leica Summilux lens and an adjustable aperture (f/1.63 to f/4.0), as well as a 50MP telephoto camera, 50MP ultrawide camera, and a 50MP periscope zoom camera. That's a lot of cameras!

This phone also uses Xiaomi's new AISP imaging system that features AI to help tune various aspects in your photos. These aspects include the color of each pixel to the lighting and even bokeh effects in your photos.

And then there's the other Leica involvement, besides the lens. It has Leica tones, filters, and even a dedicated street photography mode. You also have 16-bit UltraRAW photo mode for professionals, long-exposure modes, and even MasterCinema video modes for budding filmmakers.

Again, the biggest strength of the Xiaomi 14 Ultra is the camera. You won't get bored of experimenting with this phone for ages when it comes to photo and video. But the rest of the phone is your typical Android phone, which matches up with the other modern day options like Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra and Google Pixel 8 Pro. But the camera on the Xiaomi 14 Ultra far surpasses them in almost every way.

The other problem? The Xiaomi 14 Ultra isn't available in the U.S., so you'll have to import it. And it doesn't come cheap with a starting price of around $1,640. But there's no doubt about it — this is the best smartphone camera out there.

Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra

The best camera phone runner-up

Why should you buy this: This powerful smartphone will last you for years.

Who’s it for: If you seek a phone that produces shareable photos quickly, the Galaxy S24 Ultra is excellent.

Why we picked the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra:

Just like its predecessor, the Galaxy S24 Ultra has a 200MP main camera, 12MP ultrawide camera, and a 10MP telephoto camera for 3x optical zoom. There is also a new 50MP telephoto camera for 5x optical zoom and 10x "optical quality" zoom. Though it is a step down from the S23 Ultra's 10x optical zoom capability, the S24 Ultra is still a mighty fine smartphone camera.

On the inside, the S24 Ultra has Samsung's ProVisual Engine, Super HDR, and some new magical AI tools that will further enhance your photos after taking them.

As found in our review and camera comparison with the S23 Ultra, the S24 Ultra takes fantastic photos. Though the 10x photos will have slightly less detail, the S24 Ultra takes better, more colorful photos that are also more visually accurate than its predecessor.

There's also a new AI-assisted slow-motion mode for video. This lets you tap and hold on a normal speed video recording, and the S24 Ultra will slow it down while using AI to fill in missing frames. Other cool features include UHD resolution recording with access to all zoom levels, 8K at 30fps recording, UHD slow motion video at 120fps.

With the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 for Galaxy chipset, taking photos and video is very fast, and the rest of the phone's performance holds up well too. And the integrated S Pen also means you can use it as a remote shutter. There's a lot to like about the S24 Ultra, but the camera is one of the best reasons to buy it.

iPhone 15 Pro Max

The best iPhone camera

Why should you buy this: The Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max is an amazing smartphone all around, and that includes an excellent camera.

Who’s it for: People who want an iPhone with a great camera.

Why we picked the iPhone 15 Pro Max:

While the iPhone 15 Pro Max cameras don't look any different from its predecessor, there's definitely some fancy new hardware in there. You have a triple-lens camera system with a 48MP main camera, 12MP ultrawide camera, and a 12MP telephoto lens.

However, photos taken with the main camera will default to 24MP resolution, instead of 12MP from before. This means your photos will have more detail than previous iPhones, so everything looks better than ever. There's also a new Auto Portrait mode that kicks in whenever you take a photo with people, dogs, or cats. This is done by the phone automatically capturing depth information, even when shooting a standard photo, so that you can apply the Portrait mode effect after the fact.

The iPhone 15 Pro Max uses Apple's fancy new tetraprism telephoto lens, which is a more complicated way to say periscope camera. This gives the iPhone 15 Pro Max the ability to take 5x optical zoom photos, which is higher than the 3x optical zoom of the iPhone 15 Pro and earlier models.

Apple also uses Smart HDR 5 image processing, so colors aren't as harsh and appear more accurate than before in post-processing. Though the iPhone 15 Pro Max still can't do 10x optical zoom like other competing Android phones, the 5x optical zoom quality is still great. And even if you go beyond that, photos don't look too terrible.

The iPhone 15 Pro Max uses Apple's A17 Pro chip for plenty of power and performance. And with up to 1TB storage, there is plenty of room for your photos, especially if you use Apple's ProRAW format.

iPhone 15

The best affordable iPhone camera

Why should you buy this: It's still an excellent iPhone with a camera to match at a lower price.

Who’s it for: Someone who wants a great iPhone camera but doesn't want to pay almost $1,000.

Why we picked the iPhone 15:

Apple gave the base model iPhone 15 some pretty good upgrades this time around, including bumping up that 12MP camera to 48MP. The ultrawide lens, however, stayed the same at 12MP with a 120-degree field of view. Still, that new main camera is definitely one to talk about.

Like the iPhone 15 Pro models, the iPhone 15 now defaults to a 24MP resolution for images instead of 12MP. This means more detailed shots and overall better photos. You also get the Auto Portrait mode mentioned earlier. Even when shooting a standard photo, depth information is automatically captured when it detects people, dogs, or cats in the image. This lets you apply the Portrait mode effect later in the Photos app.

The iPhone 15 also uses Apple's new Smart HDR 5. The problem I had with the iPhone 14 line was that colors appeared too harsh and blown out sometimes. That is no longer an issue with the iPhone 15, as colors are vibrant, rich, and true-to-life.

Though the iPhone 15 only has a dual-camera system, it can still get 2x optical zoom. It's not as good as its Pro siblings, but it's not too shabby. If you're sharing some zoomed-in shots on social media, the iPhone 15 works just fine.

The iPhone 15 uses Apple's A16 Bionic chip, which offers a lot of great power and performance despite being a year old. Apple also added the Dynamic Island to the iPhone 15, and the new matte-finish, glass back feels great in the hand. You also get more fun colors than the Pro models, and the price is definitely more affordable.

OnePlus 12

The best value camera phone

Why should you buy this: You'll love what OnePlus offers for smartphones. It's a little bit different than what the big companies are doing.

Who’s it for: Anyone looking for a unique experience.

Why we picked the OnePlus 12:

OnePlus offers a lot of value in its smartphones, and this includes the OnePlus 12 — especially if you're looking for a great camera phone. That's because the OnePlus 12 features Hasselblad color tuning as OnePlus continues its partnership with the camera legend.

On the OnePlus 12, you'll find a 50MP main camera, 64MP periscope camera with 3x optical zoom, and a 48MP ultrawide lens with 114-degree field of view. That's already some impressive specs. But again, this camera features Hasselblad enhancements to the camera sensors and processing algorithms. Colors are better tuned for a more vibrant yet realistic image, and white balance is better.

While OnePlus had some issues with lowlight performance in previous phones, the OnePlus 12 handles lowlight images much better this time around. Zoomed-in shots look incredibly nice, though the 120x hybrid zoom is definitely hard to work with. The ultrawide shots with the 48MP lens are some of the best you can get from a smartphone these days.

A Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chip powers the OnePlus 12, and you can get it with up to 16GB RAM. This means plenty of power and efficiency to last you through a day and then some. Another strength of the OnePlus 12 is the super-fast 80W charging speed and even 50W wireless charging. And with the unique design and colors that OnePlus offers, the OnePlus 12 is definitely one of the best phones you can buy in 2024.

Google Pixel 8a

The best budget camera phone

Why should you buy this: It's a fantastic camera on a reasonably priced smartphone.

Who’s it for: Someone who wants a great camera, but doesn't want to pay flagship prices.

Why we picked the Google Pixel 8a:

Not everyone wants or even needs a flagship smartphone just for the camera. That's why the Pixel 8a is such a good option if you're on a budget.

The Pixel 8a is equipped with a dual-camera system with a 64MP main camera with f/1.89 aperture and optical and electronic stabilization. You also get a 13MP ultrawide camera with a 120-degree field of view.

For a $500 phone, the Pixel 8a camera is very good. A signature feature of all Pixel phones is the ability to take good photos, and that holds true even with the Pixel 8a. The colors are bright and pop on the screen, there's plenty of detail in your shots, and it's very consistent overall. Even low-light images come out fairly well.

The Pixel 8a also has Google's AI magic baked in within Google Photos. You have access to Magic Eraser, Magic Editor, Photo Unblur, and even Best Take. And even though there's no optical zoom since there's no telephoto lens, the 2x zoom shortcut is still good enough if you want to snap a photo of something to share on social media.

OnePlus Open

The best folding camera phone

Why should you buy this: If you want the best foldable phone on the market with a powerful camera system, this is the one to get.

Who's it for: Those who want a foldable with great cameras.

Why we picked the OnePlus Open:

The OnePlus Open has a triple-lens camera system that is quite impressive for a foldable. It even continues OnePlus' Hasselblad partnership, just like the OnePlus 12. On the OnePlus Open, you have a 48MP Sony LYTIA-T808 "Pixel Stacked" sensor, a 48MP ultrawide lens, and a 64MP telephoto camera with 3x optical zoom. It also has 6x in-sensor zoom capability, and 120x Ultra Res zoom for when you really need to get close. The cover display selfie camera is 32MP, while the inner display selfie camera is 20MP.

A foldable phone gives you many more possibilities of taking photos. You can get a preview of your selfie on the cover display when using the rear camera to help you get that perfect shot. You could even prop it up and take photos without having to pull out a mobile tripod if the angle works. There are a lot of options.

Since the OnePlus Open also has Hasselblad, you get fine-tuned color profiles and white balance in your photos. The details are impeccable with the high resolution, and the colors are realistic and accurate. Portraits will have a natural bokeh effect, and skin tones are true to life. And with a Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chip with 16GB RAM, the OnePlus Open is quite fast and responsive, so you should be able to capture pretty much any moment.

Aside from the great camera, the OnePlus Open is also fantastic for multitasking with the Open Canvas feature, giving you almost infinite space for multiple windows. The screens are also crisp and sharp with vibrant colors, and the inner display also has an anti-reflective coating to make it much more usable than the competition.

Galaxy Z Flip 5

The best fun camera phone

Why should you buy this: If you're looking to live on the cutting edge of the next-gen flip phone market.

Who’s it for: Anyone looking for the best flip phone on the market.

Why we picked the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5:

When it comes to the camera setup, users of the Galaxy Z Flip 5 will find that the Flip 5 is quite similar. The Flip 5 boasts a 12MP primary camera with an f/1.8 aperture and optical image stabilization and a 12MP ultrawide camera with a 123-degree field of view. Furthermore, there's a 10MP selfie camera located on the main display. In essence, the camera system of the Flip 5 is almost the same as that of the Z Flip from the previous year.

However, there are some critical upgrades to the Z Flip 5 compared to its predecessor. The Snapdragon 8 Gen 2's improved image signal processor produces better color reproduction. The main and ultrawide cameras now have a "clear lens coating" to prevent lens flares, and the selfie camera has a slightly improved aperture of f/2.2, as opposed to f/2.4 on the Z Flip 4. These improvements can significantly affect the quality of the photos and videos captured by the phone.

Thanks to its folding design, the Z Flip 5 has a unique camera feature that allows you to use the main camera as a selfie camera, even when the phone is closed. It is made possible by the cover screen, which provides easy access to snap, review, and edit your photos through the Flex Window. Similar to the Fold 5, you can also prop the Flip 5 half-open and use it as a makeshift tripod, should the need arise.

Overall, the Galaxy Z Flip 5 is an impressive device that builds on the strengths of what came first while making key improvements in certain areas.

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