With so many smartphones on the market, manufacturers are quick to add top features to their products—including some seriously impressive cell phone cameras. You may not want to lug your DSLR everywhere you go, but you never know when you’ll capture the crown jewel for your online photography portfolio! This is why you should always have the best camera phone on hand. With so many options out there, you may be wondering, which phone has the best camera? In this guide, we’ll look at the top camera phones on the market so you can find the best one for your needs. Let’s check ‘em out!
1. Google Pixel 3 – The Best Smartphone Camera
Google has refined its approach to camera phones under the Pixel moniker, creating one of the best smartphone cameras on the market. With its solo sensor and powerful main rear camera, the images taken with the Google Pixel 3 are as close to professional as you can get with a camera phone. Specs like 12.2Mp, f/1.8 aperture, and phase detection autofocus makes the Pixel 3 a good camera phone for landscape photography, portraits, and even wedding photography. As one of the best Android camera phones available, die-hard Android users will be more than satisfied with the quality of the Pixel 3.
This Google smartphone comes with Google’s integrated systems, including Gmail and Google Photos. So, if you’re already an avid user of Google platforms, the Google Pixel 3 makes it easy for you to access your photos online and share them. But, if you are not a big Google user, you will need to pledge your allegiance to all things Google to reap the benefits of the Pixel 3.
2. Huawei P20 Pro – The Second Best Smartphone Camera
Running a close second to the Pixel 3 in the best camera phone overall category, the Huawei P20 Pro is a great buy. Looking for the highest megapixel camera phone on the market? This smartphone is it, with a triple camera that combines 40MP, 20MP, and 8MP shooters to produce excellent photos. Features like noise reduction, high image processing, and super zoom makes the P20 Pro one of the best cell phone cameras you can buy. Best of all, it retails for less than a Google Pixel 3.
Perhaps the only downside to the Huawei P20 Pro is that the larger screen is prone to fingerprints and dust, so keep your screen wipes handy! It also has a slightly larger battery than other smartphones, but it’s a minor issue once you factor in the smartphone’s sleek overall design.
3. iPhone XS Max – The Best Apple Camera Phone
If you’re a loyal Apple user and shopping for the best camera phone designed by Apple, look no further than the iPhone XS Max. Though it is the most expensive iPhone currently on the market, the XS Max has the specs to back up it’s price. With 12MP rear sensors (complete with optical image stabilization) and a 7MP TrueDepth front camera (amazing for selfies!), it’s no surprise the XS Max sits on many top 10 camera phone lists. Its 2 lens design gives you a 6-element lens with an f/1.8 aperture, and as before the 2x tele-camera with an f/2.4 apaeature.
The XS Max also shoots well in low light, and has Smart HDR so your shots are sharp and in focus every time. Not to mention a cool new feature available in this iPhone that allows you to change the depth-of-field after shooting.
Maybe the only caveat to the iPhone XS Max is that just like the Google Pixel 3, it marries you to Apple and only syncs with Apple platforms like iPhoto. It can also be on the pricey side, though with the XS Max, you get what you pay for: one of the best smartphone cameras money can buy.
That said, if you’re on a tight budget, the Apple iPhone 8 Plus is a cheaper alternative to the XS Max. It has a lot of the same specs of the XS and won’t break the bank, making it one of the best budget camera phones made by Apple.
4. Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus – The Best Samsung Camera Phone
Samsung users will rejoice when they get this camera phone in their hands. Even if you aren’t a loyal Samsung user, you may be a convert when you see the high camera quality on the Galaxy S9. The large screen and dual 12MP rear cameras with an f/1.5 aperture mean you can take quality shots in the lowest of light. Samsung has also made it easy for you to adjust the aperture according to your needs, so shooting in bright sun and hard light is a breeze. This camera phone also features noise reduction and super-slow motion, so you can get creative with selfies and make Insta-worthy slow-mo videos if that’s your thing.
Perhaps the only con to the Galaxy S9 is that its battery life is merely okay; you may end up having to charge it more often than you might like. The Samsung software on the phone can also lag at times, especially if you are snapping and storing a lot of images. But these issues are relatively small issues when it comes to the upside of owning the best Samsung camera phone on the market.
5. Samsung Galaxy S8 – The Best Selfie Camera Phone
If you plan to use your camera phone to primarily take selfies for Instagram, you probably aren’t looking for the most expensive phone available. The Galaxy S8 is an oldie but goodie when it comes to taking quality selfies, especially when you shoot in its awesome selfie mode. With an 8MP front camera, good screen quality, and sleek design, it’s hard not to take great selfies with this smartphone.
The S8 also retails for quite a bit less than the S9, making it one of the best budget camera phones for a discerning shopper. It’s also ideal if you’re an aspiring Instagram model or Instagram influencer looking to up your selfie game.
Perhaps the only sticking point with this camera phone is it only uses iris scanning to lock and unlock the phone, not a fingerprint scanner. So, you’ll have to be comfortable having your eye scanned to access your phone. The S8 also doesn’t have quite the same level of quality overall than the S9 does. But, it can do the trick if you’re on a budget and are in the market for a good camera phone.
6. Wileyfox Swift 2 Plus – The Best Budget Camera Phone
Though Wileyfox may not be the most recognizable name in the industry, it has steadily become one of the top camera phones for the budget-conscious buyer. Coming from a British phone manufacturer with an eye for sleek design, the Wileyfox Swift 2 Plus is a robust, affordable camera phone. It has a 16MP camera and 3L8 sensor—shipped from Samsung, so you know it’s quality—this camera phone produces full, clean images with rich colours and detail. It also has an autofocus option, making it easy for you to produce quality shots every time.
That said, the price point of the Wileyfox means you may not get great shots at low light or tons of photo features like noise reduction and superzoom. Still, with its solid specs and affordable price, it is, perhaps, the best budget camera phone on the market.
7. Moto G6 – The Second-Best Budget Camera Phone
This model boasts the tagline “a budget phone shouldn’t be this good.” Yet, it really is, with a dual rear camera with 12MP and 5MP and an 8MP front camera: all for under $500. This camera phone also features an easy-to-use auto mode for nice shots on the go and a portrait mode for portrait photography.
With its budget-friendly price, this camera phone won’t be as powerful as more expensive options. But, it will do the trick if you’re in the market for a budget camera phone you can use while traveling or out with friends, taking casual snaps. The Moto G6 is a good buy if you’re only looking to spend a few hundred dollars on a camera phone that won’t let you down.
8. Honor View 20
With a release date of January 2019, this smartphone camera from Honor is their latest, and greatest attempt at a budget smartphone with a quality camera. It has an awesome 48MP rear camera, which is a rarity in the camera phone world, and image stabilization technology, so you can snap away at moving subjects. Perhaps its most interesting feature is a 25MP punch hole selfie camera, where the sensor appears on the screen rather than in the lens so you don’t have to press a notch when you’re ready to snap a selfie.
That said, the Honor View 20 is still fairly new, and it may not yet have the same staying power as the Google Pixel 3 or the Apple XS. But it is a fun option if you’re looking for something new and cool to play with in the world of cell phone cameras.
Don’t Forget to Show Off Those Camera Phone Snaps!
Once you’ve picked the best smartphone camera for your needs, and budget, don’t let your cool shots just sit on your phone and waste away! Make sure to upload them to your online portfolio website so you can share your beautiful images with the world.
Don’t have an online photography portfolio yet? Just use a website builder to put one together; it only takes a few minutes. Make sure to pick an online portfolio that offers fresh, modern templates, and Instagram integration, so your awesome Insta shots will automatically appear on your website, too. A good website builder will make it easy for you to adjust features on your site with just a few clicks, no coding required, so you can upload beautiful images from your camera phone to your portfolio with ease.
So, now that you know what phone has the best camera, you have everything you need to take gorgeous images on the go—your online portfolio will be full in no time. Now get snapping!
Want more photography reads?
Our Guide To The Best Point-And-Shoot Cameras
How to Create Stock Photography That Sells
Newborn Photography: A Beginner’s Guide
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