The best camera phone in 2024: what's the best smartphone for photography? (2024)

Having a great camera phone is essential for taking amazing photos wherever you are whenever you’d like. After all, not everyone can carry around a big DSLR at all times. Here at Digital Camera World, we love a good camera phone because they’re simply convenient and as the technology continues to progress the best camera phones have powerful image sensors, incredible features, and the ability to process and edit the images with the touch of a button.

With all that technology out there though, it can be hard to make a decision on what phone is best for you. That’s where we come in. We’ve tested all of these camera phones first hand so you can be sure that we know which ones truly take the best photos. And since we are photographers, we really do know how to tell a good photo from a bad one.

If you want to get right into it, our favorite overall pick for both photo and video is the Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max with stunning quality and ease of use. If you’re an avid Android enthusiast, then then the more affordable Google Pixel 8 Pro is the way to go as we love its AI photography and editing smarts.

No matter whether you're looking for a high-end camera phone that will help you capture great social media content, or you're simply looking for an everyday handset that will capture beautiful family snaps, here are the best camera phones currently available...

Gareth Bevan

Gareth is the Reviews Editor at Digital Camera World, and the person in charge of approving all the latest camera-related tech. With several years of experience as a photographer and videographer, shooting for some household names, he has learned a thing or two about cameras and the photography industry. Outside of photography, expect to find him cycling around London, or deep in a Netflix binge.

The Quick List

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The best camera phone in 2024

The best phone for photo and video

The iPhone 15 Pro Max is a serious, pocketable powerhouse. Yes, it's thick, but its relatively compact footprint and ample camera and power mix make it an enticing option, especially for photographers.

While it's a shame there's no pro mode for manual photography, the 15 Pro's 48MP RAW photos capture excellent results. The automatic mode's photo processing is also one of the best if not the best, I've seen on a phone. Additionally, the iPhone Pro Max now offers up a new 5x telephoto camera, reaching further can ever before in higher quality, and offering even more beautiful natural blur on portraits.

The iPhone 15 range has also added a tremendous amount of functionality and convenience by finally adopting the USB-C port, making it even more compatible with monitors and camera accessories.

So while the new iPhone 15 Pro is very expensive, it's a mighty phone with a brilliant camera, that's powerful and lasts a full day. If you're an Apple fan who likes more compact phones, the smaller iPhone 15 Pro is a no-brainer, but you will be bumped down to a still very impressive 3x optical camera. But if you like big phones and the best photography experience, the Pro Max is our top choice.

Read our full iPhone 15 Pro Max review

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The best phone for photography

The Pixel 8 Pro is simply thebest camera you can buy at its price for photography, it's that simple. It wipes the floor with the similarly priced iPhone 15 Pro and beats the much pricier iPhone 15 Pro Max in a few key areas too when shooting stills.

The Pixel 8 Pro adds a new RAW capture letting you take full advantage of the 50MP sensor, as well as a new pro controls mode giving you manual control over the look of your images. The camera mix is still mind-bogglingly good as far as point-and-shoot photography goes, with a new higher-megapixel wide-angle lens, and one of the best telephotos on the market. However, although video has also taken a big step up from the Pixel 7 Pro it still can't quite compete with the iPhone 15 Pro Max.

With a sleek design, a mighty screen, and excellent future-proofing by way of continued software support for up to 7 years, you do get a lot for your money here. So even though the phone had a couple of small hiccups in our time with it – as a package, you'll be hard-pressed to get a better value flagship phone than the Pixel 8 Pro.

Read our full Google Pixel 8 Pro review

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The best phone for high resolution photos

The Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra offers a delightful experience, positioning itself as one of the most well-rounded and feature-complete Android phones currently available. For existing S23 Ultra owners, the incremental updates may not justify the price increase, but for those upgrading from an older model, satisfaction is virtually guaranteed.

While I was personally holding out a desire for more significant changes in the camera system over the S23, such as a large main sensor like Chinese rivals. Samsung has opted for an approach reminiscent of Apple – refining a familiar and popular design, inching closer to perfection.

Despite wanting more for hardware innovation, the software results from the camera are a step above last year's model. The S24 Ultra consistently delivers impressive photos and videos, boasts rapid performance, features a top-notch display, and exudes a premium feel. Where the S24 is really interesting for photographers is the inclusion of fun and practical AI tools that make correcting photos that much easier.

The Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra is a formidable phone – and a great way to kick off 2024's new cycle.

Read our full Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra review

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The best camera phone for affordability

The Pixel 8a is quite an impressive camera phone despite not having the most powerful camera hardware. Thanks to Google's smart processing, it can capture good point-and-shoot pictures in a variety of lighting conditions. Its 4K video performance is also notable when the lighting is on its side, and the day-to-day user experience is quite snappy.

The phone is packed with smart features, and the extent to which you utilize them will depend on your comfort with integrating AI into your daily life. If you're considering the Pixel 8a, you'll find that it offers exceptional value for money and stands as one of the best camera phones of 2024.

Those open to alternatives may also explore deals on the Pixel 8, which offers a different build with glass and metal, as opposed to the 8a's plastic back. Overall, the Pixel 8a is a reliably solid all-around phone with an excellent camera and remarkably intelligent AI features straight out of the box.

Read our full Google Pixel 8a review

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The best camera phone for novice shooters

Images on the iPhone 15’s Super Retina XDR display look great, but you may need to view them on a larger display if you want to discover and remove noise artifacts or retouch a portrait more effectively. In this instance, you might consider paying extra for the iPhone 15 Plus, which boasts a true optical 3x camera, rather than the iPhone 15's pixel-binning trickery.

The iPhone 15’s video especially shines and produces amazingly smooth handheld footage which alleviates the need to stabilize it in a non-linear editing app, but serious filmmakers may also want the option to shoot in HDR Dolby Vision, which will lead them in the direction of the iPhone 15 Pro or Pro Max.

Read our full Apple iPhone 15 review

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The best foldable phone

Samsung's raised its prices for 2023 compared to the previous Fold 4 and matched the Pixel Fold's asking price directly. But Galaxy Z Fold 4 owners who dropped the best part of $2000 on the Galaxy Z Fold 3 or Z Fold 4 shouldn't look at the Z Fold 5 and feel like they're missing any killer features, but that doesn't stop the new phone from being a powerhouse.

But while theZ Fold 5 is very similar to the Z Fold 4, it's still one of the most fully-featured folding phones out there, with its S Pen support and foldable-optimized interface helping it shine, while it carries forward the competent camera system of its predecessor.

If you are already invested in the Samsung ecosystem then this phone also fits perfectly in with your other Samsung devices.

Read our full Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 hands-on review

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The best flip phone

Samsung's strange side-notch on the Z Flip 5 might not look as good as Motorola's RAZR 40 Ultra cover screen, but if it makes room for better camera hardware, we're here for it. The fact the Z Flip 5 upgrades the cover-screen functionality to run third-party apps, levels up the line's power, and zaps the hinge gap of old Samsung clamshells all means this is the most exciting Z Flip since the first debuted in 2021.

Keen photographers who want natural color reproduction and maximum bang for their buck would be better off with a traditional phone than any foldable – the Z Flip 5 doesn't change that fact. But if you specifically want a flip phone, the Flip 5 is a good shout, and without much competition, it’s one of the best available in the West for photography, and its IPX8 water resistance, sturdy build, and large cover screen round off the experience nicely.

Read our full Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 review

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The best phone for cinematographers

Sony’s 2024 flagship impresses with its seamless user experience and solid build quality. However, the hefty price tag stands out as a significant drawback. While the Xperia 1 VI excels in macro photography, it falls short of being the ultimate camera phone due to its subpar lowlight performance from the telephoto and ultra-wide lenses, as well as the absence of pro video features.

Photographers who appreciate minimal photo processing and desire a top-notch screen and speaker setup will also find Sony’s offering appealing. Additionally, the phone caters to gamers and multimedia enthusiasts, while Alpha camera owners seeking an external monitor and recorder might find the price acceptable.

For most other users, a more affordable Xperia 1 VI would make it an attractive all-around choice, and the Xperia 1 VI remains a niche option. Sony needs to either outperform competitors in specifications and features or adjust the pricing to broaden its appeal.

Read our full Sony Xperia 1 VI review

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The best underdog camera phone

The OnePlus 12 is a standout phone in 2024, It strikes a great balance with high-end features, impressive performance, and a powerful camera system. If you are in the US then there isn't much that can compete at this price point, however, if you're in the UK or Europe, its recommended price puts it up against competitors like the Pixel 8 Pro and Honor Magic 5 Pro, which give it a run for its money, and it will come down to which phone design and flavor of Android skin you prefer.

Still, if you're after a flagship phone with excellent performance, a versatile camera setup, and a premium design, the OnePlus 12 delivers. Its Hasselblad-tuned camera system and new Master Mode update make it a capable imaging tool for those who want to dig into manual photography on their phone. But standard photo and video won't disappoint with strong colors, great clarity, solid dynamic range and excellent stabilization. OnePlus keeps its skin in the game as a challenger to the best flagships.

Read our full OnePlus 12 review

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How to choose the best camera phone

First things first, you need to pick if you prefer an Android or an Apple phone.

This will depend on how much you currently rely on Apple services like iMessage, iCloud, or even Apple's Notes app. If you can't give them up, then you are best sticking with the iPhone, and which one you get depends on if you want a big or a medium-sized phone, how advanced you need the cameras to be, and how much you are willing to spend. We rate all of Apple's cameras very highly, going from the iPhone 15 Pro Max at the top end to the more affordable iPhone 15 model.

If you don't use Apple services (or can live without them), then you might want to take a look at an Android phone. Your choices are very broad here, and include new devices like folding phones. The two best Android phones for photography at the moment are the Google Pixel 8 Pro and Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra. Google includes more of its own services as standard like Google Photos and the amazing Google Pixel camera. Samsung also has its own set of Samsung apps that fulfill the same purposes in their own style. So pick the phone and apps whose design appeals most to you.

How we test camera phones

As a photography website, we pay special attention to the photo and video quality of camera phones. We rate resolution, noise, and color rendition in the context of what rival phone cameras can do, and where there are any special features, such as ‘night modes’ or ‘portrait modes’, we check that these perform as the makers describe. We also take a look at what features the phone might include for viewing and editing photos and video.

Camera phones are all-around digital assistants too, of course, so we also check out how smart the operating system is at handling general day-to-day usage. Finally, we look at phone usability, and practicality – such as design, screen, ports, and battery life.

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