The 8 Best Smartphone Cameras of 2021

Best Overall: Apple iPhone 11 Pro

4.5

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Apple’s iPhone 11 Pro delivers some pretty impressive specs for serious mobile photographers, and while some may pan the triple-lens camera system as something that’s already been done by other smartphones, Apple has combined it with advanced computational photography features to make it far greater than the sum of its parts. 

The three-lens rear camera employs a main f/1.8 wide-angle, an f/2.4 ultra-wide, and an f/2.0 telephoto lens. In our testing, Lance Ulanoff found that they "take excellent, color-accurate, and detailed images."

The ISO ranges have similarly increased, no doubt to help with Night Mode, which uses a series of exposure-bracketed photos to create extremely impressive shots in extreme low-light. Apple has also upped its video capabilities, now offering smooth 4K/60fps recording with extended dynamic range. The front TrueDepth camera also gets bumped up to 12 megapixels, and now offers 4K/60fps recording as well.

The new "Super Retina XDR" display lets you view your photos and videos as they’re meant to be seen, with a 2,000,000:1 contrast ratio, 1200 nits of brightness, and unsurpassed color accuracy, thanks to the wide P3 color gamut. Meanwhile, Apple’s True Tone display matches color tones to surrounding ambient light. And, to top it all off, the iPhone 11 Pro gets four hours more battery life than its predecessor. An 18-watt fast charger is included in the box.

Best Wide-Angle: Samsung Galaxy S10e

4.7

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Most smartphones today come with (at least) dual-lens camera setups. These generally include a primary sensor and a telephoto lens for achieving optical zoom. While that’s great, an ultra-wide lens is always better, since it lets you capture more detail into every photo. If that’s the kind of versatility you desire in your next smartphone’s camera, Samsung’s Galaxy S10e is exactly what you need.

Our testing showed that the rear camera system of the Galaxy S10e uses two lenses: a 12-megapixel primary sensor with dual aperture (f/1.5 and f/2.4), and a 16-megapixel ultra-wide module with an f/2.2 aperture. With its expansive 123-degree Field Of View (FOV), the ultra-wide lens allows you to capture a whole bunch of detail in every shot. Not just that, the secondary sensor also makes it possible to capture stunning panoramic shots, both horizontally and vertically. The primary lens comes with dual-pixel PDAF (Phase-Detection Autofocus) and is optically-stabilized as well. The camera app on the Galaxy S10e lets you seamlessly switch between the two lenses.

Samsung’s Scene Optimizer image assistant can automatically adjust camera settings according to the subjects/scenes you are shooting. It can recognize 30 different modes/scenes, including Stage, Vehicles, City, Text, and Clothes. Samsung Galaxy S10e can record 4K (2160p) videos at 60fps and 720p super slow-mo videos at 960fps, with HDR support. The smartphone also comes with a 10-megapixel (f/1.9) selfie camera that can record 4K (2160p) videos at 30fps.

Best Software: Samsung Galaxy S10

4.8

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Samsung's Galaxy S-series devices have always been synonymous with a top-tier mobile camera experience (among other things), and the Galaxy S10 is no different. Versatile and feature-packed, the camera system on Samsung's latest flagship is undeniably the best you're going to find on any smartphone today.

At the back, Samsung Galaxy S10 comes with a triple-lens camera setup. It's comprised of a 12-megapixel primary module with dual aperture (f/1.5 and f/2.4), another 12-megapixel (telephoto) sensor with an f/2.4 aperture, and a third 16-megapixel (ultra-wide) unit with an f/2.2 aperture. Our tester, Andrew Hayward, even said, "The ultra-wide-angle lens is a feature we never knew we needed until now."

The primary and telephoto sensors feature super-fast autofocus and OIS (Optical Image Stabilization), allowing the S10 to capture lifelike photos in all kinds of lighting conditions. The Galaxy S10's camera app lets you effortlessly switch between the three lenses (via pinch-to-zoom gestures), and the integrated 'Scene Optimizer' can recognize up to 30 different scenes (e.g. Sunset, Food, and Mountain) for automatic adjustment of camera settings.

As far as videos are concerned, the Galaxy S10 can shoot 4K (2160p) videos at 60fps and 720p super slow-mo videos at an astounding 960fps, complete with HDR10+ support. Even the 10-megapixel (f/1.9) selfie camera can record 4K (2160p) videos at 30fps and comes with everything from live focus to automatic face detection to help you up your selfie game.

Best Low-Light: Google Pixel 3

4.8

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Launched in October 2018, Google’s Pixel 3 comes with the same class-leading mobile photography chops as its predecessors; the third-generation Pixel absolutely shines in low light camera performance. For those who love taking pictures at night, this is the smartphone camera to get.

The primary camera setup on Google Pixel 3 is a single-lens affair. There’s just a 12.2-megapixel sensor with an f/1.8 aperture, helped by dual-pixel PDAF (Phase-Detection Autofocus) and OIS (Optical Image Stabilization). While this hardware may seem a bit humble in comparison to the multi-lens camera setups that other flagship smartphones come with, Google’s advanced image-processing algorithms and automatic HDR enhancements make all the difference here, allowing for stunning photos. However, the real magic happens at night.

Thanks to Google’s revolutionary Night Sight technology, the Pixel 3 lets you capture vibrant and detailed photos even in pitch-dark conditions, and that too without a flash or a tripod. It works by constantly adapting to shooting conditions (e.g. available light, subject movement), adjusting settings such as exposure value(s) accordingly. Night Sight also uses machine learning to balance colors, resulting in natural-looking photos. And for videos, our tests showed that the Pixel 3 can record 4K (2160p) videos at 30fps and 720p videos at 240fps. Interestingly, the smartphone has a dual-lens selfie camera setup, comprised of two 8-megapixel (f/1.8 and f/2.2) lenses.

Runner-Up, Best Overall: Huawei P30 Pro

4.3

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Over the past few years, Huawei’s P series smartphones have come to be renowned for their excellent imaging capabilities. That said, its recently-launched P30 Pro takes mobile photography to a whole new level. If you’re in the market for a powerhouse camera smartphone, look no further.

Huawei P30 Pro features a quad-lens rear camera system, developed in collaboration with Leica. This includes a massive 40-megapixel primary lens with an f/1.6 aperture, a 20-megapixel (ultra-wide) sensor having an f/2.2 aperture, a unique 8-megapixel (telephoto) unit with an f/3.4 aperture, and a fourth ToF (Time of Flight) camera. The primary SuperSpectrum sensor uses a new RYYB (red yellow, yellow blue) color filter (instead of the traditional RGB or red, green blue one), allowing up to 40 percent more light to be captured.

Then there’s the ultra-wide lens, which lets you capture macro mode photos from as close as 2.5cm. However, the true highlight of the P30 Pro’s rear camera setup is its periscopic telephoto lens. With up to 5x optical zoom (and up to 10x hybrid zoom), it brings your subjects closer than ever. The primary and telephoto sensors are optically stabilized and come with Phase-Detection Autofocus (PDAF), a system that improves how often the focus refreshes.

With the ToF camera, you not only get increased focusing speeds but also better Portrait Mode photos. Huawei P30 Pro can shoot 4K (2160p) videos at 30fps, and its camera app comes with more settings than you’ll probably ever need. There’s also a 32-megapixel (f/2.0) selfie camera included in the mix.

Best Budget: Xiaomi Pocophone F1

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Although its product portfolio is quite expansive, Xiaomi is primarily renowned for its smartphones, which offer tremendous value for money. Back in August 2018, the Chinese company unveiled Pocophone F1, the first smartphone under its newly-formed Poco sub-brand. Like all Xiaomi’s smartphones, the Pocophone F1 offers a lot of bang for the buck. Unsurprisingly, it’s also one of the best budget camera smartphones out there.

Xiaomi Pocophone F1 comes with a dual-lens rear camera setup, comprised of a 12-megapixel primary sensor with an f/1.9 aperture, and a five-megapixel secondary depth sensor with an f/2.0 aperture. The primary lens features dual-pixel PDAF (Phase-Detection Autofocus), and standard features like HDR (high dynamic range) are included in the mix as well. During our testing, we found the smartphone’s camera performance to be excellent. Photos shot in daylight (and similar well-lit conditions) came out great, with ample sharpness and resolved detail. Low light photos also turned out to be generally very good, with Auto HDR helping things further.

The camera app comes with multiple modes (e.g. Portrait, Night) that can be selected via simple swipe gestures. It also includes features such as automatic face recognition and AI-based beautification. For videos, the Pocophone F1 can record 4K (2160p) videos at 60fps and 720p super slow-mo videos at 960fps. The smartphone’s selfie camera is a 20-megapixel unit with an f/2.0 aperture. It can record Full-HD (1080p) videos at 30fps and supports HDR as well.

Best Zoom: Motorola Moto Z3 Play (With Hasselblad True Zoom Mod)

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While smartphone cameras are indeed getting better by the day, they still don’t come with true zoom lenses. However, that doesn’t mean you can’t get closer to faraway subjects and capture great-looking photos. Motorola’s Moto Z3 Play can help you do just that, provided you modify it the right way.

Part of Motorola’s modular Z series, the Moto Z3 Play features a dual-lens rear camera system, comprised of a 12-megapixel (f/1.7) sensor and a 5-megapixel secondary depth sensor. You also get dual-pixel PDAF (Phase-Detection Autofocus), and 4K (2160p) video recording at 30fps. Now, on its own, this camera setup is quite modest. However, things change completely when the smartphone is paired with Hasselblad True Zoom mod.

One of the most-powerful Moto Mods out there, Hasselblad True Zoom add-on instantly transforms Motorola Moto Z3 Play into a superzoom digital camera. It comes with 10x optical zoom (along with 4x digital zoom), allowing you to capture sharp and detailed photos even from a distance.

The 12-megapixel zoom lens is helped by a bright Xenon flash, and there’s macro mode support as well. The Pro mode (in the camera app) lets you easily adjust everything from shutter speeds to ISO values. With Hasselblad True Zoom mod, you can even use Motorola Moto Z3 Play to shoot photos in RAW format. Motorola Moto Z3 Play’s eight-megapixel selfie camera can record Full-HD (1080p) videos.