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Modern smartphones have almost completely eliminated the market for mirrorless cameras, with many of today’s flagships matching even the most demanding professional photography projects. The best camera isn’t just an old adage, it’s the camera you always have. Most of the best smartphones now count their camera system as their most important selling point.

The benefits of most of today’s smartphone cameras extend beyond the lens. They feature powerful chips with advanced AI-driven image signal processing and computational photography in software, allowing even the most modest camera sensors to produce excellent results. This is where most cameras can’t compete, so it’s no surprise that smartphones now dominate the photography space.

While it’s hard to go wrong with the camera on any flagship smartphone, if your main focus is getting the best camera phone, you’ve come to the right place, and this is the best of the best.

Best camera phone: Xiaomi Mi 15 Ultra

Like it’s predecessor, the Mi 15 Ultra leans more heavily into the camera system than any other smartphone we’ve seen, and this year’s model even looks to be the part that completes the overall camera phone vibe.

This phone has amazing camera specifications, starting with a 50-megapixel Sony Lyt-900 one-inch sensor with an f/1.63 aperture on the main unit, which includes electronic image stabilization and a 23mm focal length. It is also equipped with a 50MP Samsung JN5 wide-angle camera with an ultra-wide 115° field of view and f/2.2 aperture, paired with two telephoto lenses: a 200MP periscope and a 50MP floating telephoto, both of which are equipped with Leica Vario Summilux lenses, which significantly improves image quality and optimizes low-light shooting performance.

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The capable camera system is backed by the usual array of computational and AI photography features, powered by Xiaomi’s AISP imaging system, and the analog image signal processor found on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite. This chip also makes this phone a formidable camera phone in many other ways, putting it on par with the latest Samsung and Huawei phones.

On the software side, Xiaomi offers its own take on the photography styles you’ll find on the latest phones from Apple and Samsung, as well as the ability to adjust the color of each pixel to the color of the lighting, and even create bokeh effects in photos.

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Xiaomi’s cooperation with Leica goes far beyond lenses. Xiaomi Mi 15 Ultra supports Leica tones, filters, and exclusive street photography modes. It provides professional users with 16-bit UltraRAW photography mode, long exposure mode, and MasterCinema video mode for emerging filmmakers.

The biggest reason to buy the Mi 15 Ultra is the standout feature on the back: the lens set. While it’s undoubtedly an interesting lens system that provides a rich dimension for photographic exploration, it lacks a manual variable aperture compared to its predecessor, and photos may be over-processed. Future software updates are expected to address some of these deficiencies, and the addition of the “Photography Kit” may further improve its performance.

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However, take a step back from the excellent camera system, and what you get is a typical Android phone with the same specs as comparable flagships like the Galaxy S25 Ultra and other top-tier flagship phones.

Best all-round camera phone: Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra

Samsung’s Galaxy S25 Ultra continues the company’s tradition of offering powerful phones with impressive camera specs. While it’s no longer the top choice for pure photography, it’s a solid choice for anyone looking for a well-rounded phone that can do more than just take great photos.

To be clear, the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra still has a very good camera system. You get the same 200MP main camera and dual telephoto as last year’s model, but these are joined by a new 50MP sensor, which is a significant improvement over the previous 8MP. Samsung has improved its over-processing and oversaturation issues in recent years. So if you’re concerned about the older model, the S25 Ultra is definitely worth a try. It renders photos that are more balanced and have finer details.

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The latest model also continues Samsung’s decision to ditch the traditional 10MP telephoto camera from last year, the S24 Ultra, in favor of a 5x optical lens and a 10x hybrid zoom that relies on the sensor’s work. The added 10x zoom is of limited practical value, but the phone does a great job in the purely optical range, with the two telephoto lenses offering solid 3x and 5x zoom options.

Samsung also continues to lean heavily into AI tools, with the suite on the AIS25 Ultra offering not only the powerful computing power of Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy chip-backed photography, but also a host of handy user tools for post-editing and photo enhancement.

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It also features the new One UI 7 software interface, Samsung’s Classic S Pen, and enough power to handle any task you can throw at it.

Best iPhone camera phone for pro users: Apple iPhone 16 Pro

Unlike previous years, the iPhone 16 Pro offers the same features as the iPhone 16 Pro Max, but in a smaller body. Like the iPhone 15 Pro, however, the upgraded 48MP super camera and new camera control tricks make for a better all-round camera experience.

The main camera of the iPhone 16 Pro uses a 48MP fusion sensor and shoots at a 24MP resolution by default, which significantly improves the photo details compared to the previous generation iPhone. It is equipped with the same 5x telephoto lens as the iPhone 15 Pro Max, which is a significant improvement over the 3x telephoto of the iPhone 15 Pro. In addition, the 48MP ultra-wide-angle camera further optimizes macro photography performance.

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The iPhone 16 Pro also comes with Apple’s new photography styles. They work by allowing you to individually change the tone and color of your photos to achieve the perfect look.

Exclusive to the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max are Apple ProRaw shooting and Night Mode portraits, while for those who record video, there’s 4K Dolby Vision Video recording at 120fps, Prores and Log Video recording, and a four-mic setting. The gap between the non-Pro and Pro iPhones has narrowed compared to previous years. Unless you need a telephoto lens or a more advanced overclocking sensor, the iPhone 16 or iPhone 16 Plus may be a better choice.

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The iPhone 16 Pro is powered by the new A18 Pro chipset, which is based on TSMC’s 3NM process. It was designed with Apple in mind, allowing for significant improvements in AI performance compared to previous chipsets.

Best iPhone camera for everyday users: Apple iPhone 16

The non-Pro iPhones have always had many compromises, especially in the camera, but this time around, those compromises are fewer than ever. This is the best non-Pro iPhone lens setup ever, and this upgrade means this could be the best iPhone for most people.

Apple has provided some major upgrades in the camera for the base model iPhone 16, including a new 48MP Fusion Camera and an upgraded Ultra-wide Camera with the same 12MP resolution. The Ultra-Wide Camera has added autofocus capabilities, enabling macro photography for the first time on a non-Pro iPhone. The new 48MP Fusion Camera shoots at 24MP resolution and offers a new 2x telephoto option by cropping the center of the sensor, bringing faster aperture performance than the previous iPhone-specific 2x telephoto.

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The camera upgrade also means that the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus can take photos and videos used with Apple Vision Pro. The base model iPhone 16 also has a camera control button that includes the same features as the iPhone 16 Pro, so it can also use Apple’s Vision Intelligence AI features. Both the base iPhone 16 and Pro models support audio mixing, which allows you to adjust different effects for the recorded sound in the video.

The iPhone 16 is powered by an A18 processor, marking the first time in three years that Apple’s base-model iPhone uses the same generation chipset as its Pro siblings. The six-core CPU includes two high-performance cores and four efficiency cores, optimized for on-device machine learning, and is up to two times faster. CPU performance is increased by 30%, while the desktop-class five-core GPU is 40% faster than the iPhone 15.

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The non-Pro iPhones offer a nearly identical camera experience to their Pro siblings. If you don’t need a telephoto lens or improved super-camera, the iPhone 16 offers the same great iPhone camera experience at a significantly lower price.

Best value camera phone: OnePlus 13

OnePlus smartphones have long offered great value, and while the OnePlus 13 has seen a slight price drop, that’s more than made up for the improvements this year.

OnePlus has always offered impressive camera systems on its flagship phones, thanks to its long-standing partnership with renowned professional camera maker Hasselblad. The OnePlus 11 and OnePlus 12 took great photos, and the OnePlus 13 takes that photo prowess to new heights.

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Some of that comes from the Snapdragon 8 Elite and its AI-powered image signal processor, but the hardware is no slouch. The OnePlus 13 has three 50MP cameras, offering a classic combination of wide, ultra-wide, and 3x telephoto.

Combined with Hasselblad’s professional color tuning, the result is the most vivid, detailed, and balanced photos we’ve ever seen, surpassing its high-end competitors. This phone takes photos so well that they can be shared directly without any additional editing.

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The OnePlus 13 also offers a unique aesthetic, with a gorgeous new Midnight Ocean shade that features a new micro-textured vegan leather finish and feels premium.

It uses Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite processor. Although OnePlus’s OxygenOS is not loved by everyone, the latest OxygenOS 15 introduces excellent UI elements and AI tools while fixing some problems in previous versions.

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OnePlus 13 continues the brand’s consistent ultra-fast charging experience, supporting 80W wired and 50W wireless charging (requires corresponding accessories). However, with its battery performance that can easily achieve two days of battery life, fast charging does not seem to be necessary.

Best foldable camera phone: OPPO Find N5

The OPPO Find N5 has a triple-lens camera system, and for a foldable, it’s pretty impressive. It even continues OPPO’s Hasselblad partnership. On the OPPO Find N5, you have a 50MP wide-angle camera, a 50MP telephoto camera, and an 8MP telephoto camera with 3X optical zoom. It also has a 120X digital zoom feature, should you really need to zoom in close. The cover display selfie camera is 8MP, while the inner display selfie camera is 8MP.

A foldable phone gives you more possibilities for taking photos. You can get a preview of your selfie on the cover display while using the rear camera to help you get the perfect shot. You can even prop it up and take photos.

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Since OPPO also collaborated with Hasselblad, you get fine-tuned color profiles and white balance on photos. Details are impeccable with high resolution, and colors are realistic and accurate.

Portraits will have a natural bokeh effect, with skin tones true to life. Powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite processor, the OPPO Find N5 is incredibly fast and responsive, so you can shoot in almost any time.

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In addition to its excellent camera, the OPPO Find N5 excels in multitasking, with its open canvas feature providing nearly unlimited multi-window space. The screen is sharp and bright, with vivid colors, and the internal display is also equipped with an anti-reflective coating, which is more practical than the competition.

Best fun camera phone: Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6

In terms of camera setup, owners of the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 will find the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6 a considerable upgrade. The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6 has a new 50MP main camera with f/1.8 aperture and optical image stabilization, as well as a 12MP over-camera with a 123-degree field of view. In addition, there is a 10MP selfie camera on the main display.

The new main camera delivers more detailed and rich photos, and the ultra-wide-angle camera is equipped with an upgraded sensor to improve performance across the board. The improved image signal processor of Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 optimizes color reproduction. Both the main camera and the ultra-wide-angle camera use a “clear lens coating” to effectively reduce lens glare. These upgrades significantly improve the quality of photos and videos taken by the phone.

Thanks to the folding design, the camera function of Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6 is unique. Even when the phone is folded, the main camera can be used as a selfie camera. The cover screen supports quick shooting, preview and editing of photos through the Flex window. In addition, you can prop up the phone half-open and use it as a makeshift tripod when necessary.

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Overall, the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6 is an impressive phone that builds on the strengths of being first while making key improvements in some places. It won’t win awards for its camera, but it’s the most fun to shoot with, and the new main camera helps ensure you can take good photos in all lighting conditions.

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