Best camera phones 2021
If you're looking for the best smartphone for photography, then you've come to the right place. Cameras in smartphones have come a long way over the last few years, with several features that have greatly improved the quality of images produced by smartphones, including optical image stabilization (OIS), larger sensors, bright lenses, and even optical zoom making them even better for photography. The photographic capabilities of smartphones have become such a massive selling feature, that many premium smartphones now support shooting "raw" images, so you can take complete control over image processing.
1. Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G
The Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G offers not only a 3x telephoto lens but also a 10x telephoto lens. As long as you don't use the additional digital zoom, then results can be very good. It has a great 12mp ultra-wide camera and an excellent 12/108mp main wide-angle camera. Images can look a little over-saturated on the phone's screen, but look good when viewed on a computer, and have a slight lean towards warm (rather than cool) color reproduction, which will be preferred by many. We were impressed by the results, and apart from the Night mode which can have some issues, we'd say that the S21 Ultra produces some of the best-looking photos we've seen on a smartphone. The added 10x telephoto zoom is the added icing on the cake.One thing to be aware of is the price, which is high, and you'll most likely need to buy the more expensive version with 256/512GB storage if you want to record 8K/4K video, as there is no MicroSD slot, so no cheap way to expand your memory when you end up filling up the phone. If you do use the smartphone for video, then the Director's view, as well as the ability to record 4K 60fps video with any of the cameras, makes the S21 Ultra a great choice.
The camera features at a glance: Quad camera setup on the rear, with 13mm ultra-wide-angle camera, going all the way to a 240mm equivalent 10x telephoto camera. Cameras include a main 108mp wide-angle, PDAF, OIS, f/1.8, 12mp ultra-wide-angle, f/2.2, 10mp telephoto (3x), f/2.4, 10mp telephoto (10x), f/4.9, and a 40mp selfie camera, with PDAF, f/2.2. The camera offers 8K 24fps video that you can take 33mp stills from, and 4K 60fps video can be recorded from every camera, including the selfie camera.
2. OnePlus 9 ProThe OnePlus 9 Pro offers a good range of cameras, with an ultra-wide angle, a wide-angle, and a 3.3x telephoto camera. All three cameras have been optimized with the assistance of Hasselblad. The phone is fast and responsive, and has a great-looking screen, as well as excellent handling, with a physical switch to set the noise profile. It's also great value for money, as a premium smartphone, but with a price much lower than many of the other flagships on the market.
Camera features at a glance: 48mp f/1.8 wide-angle with OIS, 50mp f/2.2 ultra-wide-angle, 8mp f/2.4 telephoto (3.3x telephoto, OIS), 2mp monochrome camera. 16mp f/2.4 selfie camera. 8K video at 30fps, 4K video at 120fps. 6.7inch AMOLED screen, dual stereo speakers, in-display fingerprint sensor, 4500mAh battery, high-speed battery charging.
3. Apple iPhone 12 Pro / 12 Pro Max
Both the iPhone 12 Pro and the iPhone 12 Pro Max are excellent propositions that produce fantastic and very similar quality images. However, we recommend sticking with the smaller 12 Pro and saving yourself a bit of cash, unless you particularly want a very large screen.
The camera features at a glance: Both the iPhone 12 Pro models feature a triple-lens setup, giving you a wide-angle, ultra-wide-angle, and a telephoto lens. The iPhone 12 Pro has a 2x zoom lens, giving you a 52mm f/2.0 equivalent. Meanwhile, the iPhone 12 Pro Max has a 2.5x zoom, which is 65mm f/2.2 equivalent. 12MP f/2.2 front camera. 6.1 or 6.7-inch screen, 4K video, Apple ProRAW, Night Mode, Portrait Mode.
4. Samsung Galaxy Note 10+The Samsung Galaxy Note 10+ packs a host of impressive specs and produces images with great color and dynamic range. It also features a live focus video, so you can change the amount of blur in the background as you film. If you want the ultimate flagship smartphone the Galaxy Note 10+ is the phone for you.
Overall, the Note 10+ has a stunning all-screen display, great image quality, fun camera features, and fantastic video functionality.
The camera features at a glance: Rear - quad-camera setup, featuring a 16 megapixel f/2.2 ultra-wide, 12-megapixel wide 2PD AF f/1.5-f/2.4 OIS, 12-megapixel telephoto f/2.1 OIS, and a VGA 3D depth camera. Front: 10-megapixel 2PD AF f/2.2 selfie camera which has a night mode. 6.8inch screen, 4K FullHD video, Image stabilization, 4300mAh battery.
5. Sony Xperia 1 IIIThe Sony Xperia 1 III is a flagship smartphone with premium features and a price to match. Its quirky shape also means it won't be for everyone but those who have used Sony Xperia smartphones previously or for the customer looking for something a bit different, the Sony Xperia 1 III could be the smartphone for them. We like the camera improvements, the display is great and the battery life will keep you capturing photos all day. Sony bill it as the 'next level of Xperia' and we have to say, we most certainly agree.
The camera features at a glance: 12 MP, f/1.7, 24mm wide lens, 12 MP, f/2.2, 16mm ultra-wide lens, and an adaptive telephoto camera that features 2 lenses - an f/2.3 70mm telephoto lens and an f/2.8 105mm lens giving you access to 2.9-4.4x optical zoom. 8mp f/2.0 selfie camera. 4K HDR video recording. 3.5mm headphone socket!
6. Vivo X51 5G
The Vivo X51 5G is a smartphone that instantly grabbed our attention. It has an impressive line-up of cameras, a 'gimbal', and what's on offer in terms of lens choice can not be snubbed. You rarely find a smartphone where all of the built-in cameras are useful but on the Vivo X51 5G they are. Low light performance is good and as we've mentioned, the choice of zoom options makes it a more usable smartphone.The 'gimbal' technology is impressive, producing steady video footage at 1080p with ease when Super Anti-Shake Mode is selected. It's also nice to see some new technology appearing in smartphones which have all become a bit samey of late.
Overall, we like what the X51 has to offer and we think you will, too.
Camera features at a glance: Rear - 48MP f/1.6 wide-angle with double-ball suspension mount OIS, PDAF, 13MP f/2.46 50mm portrait camera, PDAF, 2x optical zoom, 8MP f/2.2 120-degree super-wide-angle and 2.5cm macro, 8MP f/3.4 telephoto camera, PDAF, OIS, 5x optical zoom. 5X optical zoom and up to 60X Hyper zoom, Front Camera - 32MP f/2.45 26mm wide-angle, Super Night Mode, Astro Mode, Pro Sports Mode, Portrait (Art Portrait, AI Makeup, Filters, etc.), AR Stickers, Slow Motion, Live Photo, Time-Lapse, Video, Supermoon Mode, DOC, Panorama, Pro Mode, 4K video.
7. Samsung Galaxy S10/S10+
The Samsung Galaxy S10, S10 Plus, and S10 5G offer premium features, excellent results, and a great smartphone experience. Also, considering the recent woes faced by other smartphone companies, if you're looking for a premium multi-camera smartphone, then getting the Samsung Galaxy S10 / S10 Plus is a great choice.
Overall, the Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus delivers a great triple camera setup, with a better than expected selfie camera as well.
The camera features at a glance: 16mp Ultra-Wide, 123 degrees, 12mp Main, with f/1.5 or f/2.4 aperture, with OIS, 12mp 2x Telephoto (S10, and S10+), with OIS, Selfie: 10mp f/1.9 with Dual Pixel AF, Additional 8mp RGB depth camera for the front on the S10+, 6.4inch screen, 4K UHD video recording, 4100mAh battery.
The Samsung Galaxy S10e sounds like it's the "entry-level" S10 from Samsung, but it's anything but entry-level, with an excellent screen, great design, high build quality, and the same processor as the S10 and S10 Plus. It's also got the same great shooting experience, just minus the telephoto lens. If you can live without a telephoto lens on a smartphone camera, and would much prefer an ultra-wide-angle lens, then the S10e is an excellent option, and it also saves you money compared to the bigger S10 smartphones.
The camera features at a glance: 16mp Ultra-Wide, 123 degrees, 12mp Main, with f/1.5 or f/2.4 aperture, with OIS, Selfie: 10mp f/1.9 with Dual Pixel AF, S10 / S10 Plus: 12mp 2x Telephoto, with OIS, S10 Plus: Additional 8mp RGB depth camera for the front, 5.8inch screen, 3000mAh battery, 4K UHD video recording.
The Huawei P30 Pro is an impressive smartphone that massively improves on the Huawei P20 Pro. There's a triple camera set-up supported by a TOF sensor, 5x optical zoom, 10x hybrid zoom, and a 4200mAh battery powering the whole thing. There's a decent amount of storage, good AI features, an improved portrait mode and the P30 Pro takes better selfies than the P20 Pro did. Combine this with its smart design, great display, and improved night mode, you've got a smartphone worth paying attention to.
As we said in our review, we can see the direction Huawei smartphones are going in which is an exciting one for photographers, and with so much progression in just a few years, it will be very interesting to see what they bring to the smartphone world next.
Camera features at a glance: 40MP, f/1.6, 27mm, 20MP, f/2.2, 16mm & 8MP, f/3.4, 125mm. Plus, TOF 3D camera, 32MP f/2.0 dewdrop front-facing camera, 4K, Full HD & HD video, 6.47-inch (1080x2340) with in-screen fingerprint sensor, ISO 50 to 409,600, 4200mAh battery, water/dust resistance rating.
Less Money To Spend? Have a look at the Huawei P30 as if you don't want to part with an extra £200, the P30 would be a good choice - 'Recommended'.
10. Samsung Galaxy Note 9
With the same cameras as the Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus, the Samsung Galaxy Note 9 is bound to impress, however, Samsung has updated the software to include auto scene recognition which will automatically apply optimum settings to deliver better photos. There's a large 6.4inch screen which makes composing and viewing photos a great experience. There's manual shooting letting you select f/1.5 or f/2.4 apertures with the wide-angle lens. There's also raw support, Auto HDR, and an 8mp f/1.7 selfie camera with autofocus ensuring selfies are correctly focused. As you'd expect with a premium smartphone, it's waterproof with an IP68 rating. It has plenty of RAM and storage, and comes with a Bluetooth stylus that can be used as a remote shutter release! ISO speeds from ISO50 to ISO1250 can be used, and there's a large 4000mAh battery for great battery life.
The camera features at a glance: 12mp, f/1.5-2.4 lens, 26mm equivalent wide-angle, and telephoto f/2.4 lens, Optical Image Stabilisation (OIS for both cameras), 4K 60fps video, 8mp selfie camera with AF, MicroSD slot, raw.