I've tested all the best camera phones of 2025: These are my top picks

Every smartphone claims to have the best camera money can buy, but which ones actually make the cut? To help you decide, I’ve sifted my way through dozens of the best and most affordable camera phones, grading them on essential photography metrics like exposure, HDR capabilities, portrait quality, zoom capabilities, and video capture options. Whether you’re shooting friends and family or documenting a trip abroad, these are the smartphones I think you should buy.

Honorable mentions

We can’t mention camera versatility without the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra. It’s not the absolute best like previous generations have been, but whether you’re shooting portraits, landscapes, or something far off in the distance, the Galaxy S25 Ultra has the lenses and quality to capture pictures you won’t be disappointed in.

If you’re looking to make video content with an Android phone, Sony’s latest Xperia 1 VII will be right up your street. With powerful hardware backed by Sony’s Pro Video software, packed with metering, temperature, white balance, audio, and other controls that professionals will love. Oh, and it’s bundled with live streaming options too.

I’ve been a big fan of OPPO’s latest smartphones, going as far as to use the Find X8 Pro as my daily driver for its brilliant photography capabilities. OPPO followed up in no time with the Find X9 Pro, sporting an even faster processor, slicker design, and an even more powerful camera setup (even though it drops from four to three lenses). If you’re outside the US, it’s well worth a look.

It was an incredibly close call between the Pixel 9a and the Phone 3a Pro for our best value pick, but the latter’s shaky US carrier availability is an issue. Still, the 3a Pro offers additional camera flexibility over the 9a, thanks to its dedicated 3x 50MP telephoto camera. Paired with a 50MP primary sensor, it’s a versatile package that performs well in low light at longer distances. Overall, it’s a pretty great camera setup for such an affordable phone.

It’s not quite as affordable as the other value-centric options on our list, but the Galaxy S24 FE has a versatile triple camera setup that really isn’t far from the superb quality of a flagship phone. It’s a bargain that makes you wonder if you really need to spring for the Galaxy S25.

Another brilliant camera package that won’t absolutely break the bank; the Google Pixel 10 Pro‘s camera suite mirrors the XL model, including the 5x periscope lens. It takes great pictures at its optical focal length and performs admirably at 10x and even a tad beyond. Want the overall best but in a smaller form factor? The Pixel 10 Pro is your pick.

What to look for in a good camera phone

As you can probably tell from this best list, there’s a huge range of smartphone camera hardware on the market. Picking the right combination for you really boils down to the type of pictures you’re trying to capture on a regular basis.

If you love landscapes, consider a camera with an excellent ultrawide lens. If you’re more of a people person, a phone with a portrait-friendly focal length is the way to go. However, don’t fret about the megapixel count or lens number; finding the best camera is more about mastering the fundamentals within your set budget than having the absolute latest and greatest of everything.

No matter what your preference, I have some essential camera purchasing tips that I recommend for absolutely everyone:

• Sensor size over megapixels: Megapixels are good for cropping in on detail, but you only need 12MP to print most pictures on a good-sized canvas. Instead, the size of the phone’s image sensor is likely to be a far bigger factor in terms of image quality. Bigger sensors capture more light, which results in better dynamic range and less noise in low light. While a 1-inch sensor might be top of the line, 1/1.4 or above is considered very good.
• Three cameras for versatility: If you’re looking for a phone capable of taking the perfect picture in any scenario, you’ll want more than a single camera. Wide, ultrawide, and telephoto zoom combinations are very popular on high-end models, allowing you to capture broad landscapes or zoom right in on distant details. Some ultra-premium models include periscope cameras as well, allowing for even longer-range zoom.
• Optical zoom over digital zoom: Brands love to tout long-range zoom credentials like 30x or 100x capabilities, but these are always digital zoom and look, frankly, rubbish. Instead, eyeball the phone’s optical zoom capabilities (usually 3x, 5x, or 10x) and double that for a realistic maximum zoom distance with reasonable quality.
• Don’t bother with macro lenses: Keen to capitalize on the multi-camera trend, some affordable phones include additional cameras that aren’t all that useful. The macro lens is a popular option, but it often comes with horrendously reduced specs, such as a tiny aperture and low resolution. Just ask yourself, how regularly are you really going to point your phone super close up at anything?
• A 50-70mm lens for portraits: If you plan to take lots of pictures of friends, family, and pets, you’ll want a phone with a good telephoto camera, with a focal length in the range of 50-70 mm. Why? Well, a lens of that focal length does two important things: it captures realistic face shapes that aren’t too narrow or too wide, and adds natural bokeh that makes your subject stand out from the background.
• Selfie cameras that aren’t too wide: I know we all want to fit our friends and family, but any camera (front or back) boasting a focal length of less than 22 mm or a field of view greater than 120 degrees will look warped and unflattering. Trust me, pick something a little narrower and your photos will look better.

Why you should trust me

I love photography. I’ve been professionally testing smartphone cameras for years, having reviewed my way through the transition from the humble single camera to the triple and quadruple behemoths found on today’s top-of-the-line flagships. I’m attached at the hip to my Fuji mirrorless and constantly striving to find a smartphone camera that can close the quality gap. Equally, I can chat your ear off about the pros and cons of quad-bayer filters and why aperture isn’t everything when it comes to long-range zoom.

So, let’s just say I know what goes into taking a good photo, both the hardware and the software. However, selecting the right phone when you have to compromise on budget and size can be difficult. I make my judgment calls by first sifting through the huge range of options on the market, digging through their specs and features to find combinations that look top-tier across various price points.

Then, I dive into the massive range of snaps from our review time with these models, sorting out the good pictures from the bad across ultrawide, portrait, low light, selfie, and various other shooting scenarios. You’ll probably have spotted numerous camera shootouts I’ve conducted for the site, where I pit phones side by side to see which comes out on top when taking photos of exactly the same subjects.

The final piece of the puzzle is to look at the camera strengths (and weaknesses), the price, and the bigger smartphone picture, and decide which phones will best serve your needs.

Smartphone camera technology continues to push the boundaries of what’s possible in a pocketable form factor. As such, I carefully reevaluate our recommended picks every few months, taking into account what the latest and greatest innovations are and weighing them against the broader market and what’s actually a sensible sweet spot to spend your money on.