Top 5 BEST Camera Phones in 2025
The best camera phones from Samsung, Apple, OnePlus and more
It’s a new year for the best camera phones, and we can already see the direction this year is heading. Don’t expect big zoom lenses or gigantic sensors; this year is going to be all about AI and computational photography. Don’t start groaning yet, maybe this is the year all that fake photography finally gets good? Our first major camera phone launch of 2025 was a good one: the OnePlus 13. It’s a top-performing phone all around, but its cameras were a standout in my review, especially for their fast action capture capabilities. The OnePlus 13 can hold its own against the best phones on this list, but it isn’t quite the best overall.
I would recommend the iPhone 16 Pro or iPhone 16 Pro Max if you’re looking for the best all-around photography. A more natural, softer focus that resembles film will be obtained, along with subdued colors that allow for post-production enhancements. The Galaxy S24 Ultra is the greatest camera for people who share their images extensively since it typically makes colors pop and sizzle and does a superior job of making meals look wonderful with minimal effort if you snap a lot of food photos.
The Samsung Galaxy S25 series, which should include the Galaxy S25 Ultra, is the next big phone to keep an eye on. We’ll be at Samsung’s Galaxy Unpacked event on January 22 for initial thoughts before a more thorough evaluation. This year is going to be fantastic for camera phones, so keep checking this list!
Table of Contents
BEST FOR PHOTOGRAPHERS
1. Apple iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max
BEST FOR INFLUENCERS
2. Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra
BEST FOR ACTIONS
3. OnePlus 13
BEST AI EDITING
4. Google Pixel 9 Pro and Pro XL
BEST FOR TEENS
5. iPhone 15
1. Apple iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max
Apple’s most audacious attempt to dominate the smartphone photography market is represented by the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max. Apple has included a new button called Camera Control in instead of adding more lenses and sensors. With the future addition of a two-stage shutter for a more consistent focus, it’s a step toward a real camera experience. It only has zoom control and other features at the moment.
The iPhone 16 Pro is unique for this reason alone, but it also takes the best pictures I’ve ever seen from an iPhone. Instead of appearing as computer-processed images or frozen video frames, my photographs were genuine and natural at every zoom level. This iPhone is the greatest camera phone for photo aficionados because it captures ordinary situations so well.
Of course, the video is exciting as well. The video produced by the iPhone 16 Pro is genuinely cinematic. Ultra-high resolution slow motion is spectacular in the new 4K/120fps mode. The outcomes are simply amazing.
Apple has chosen a basic approach that emphasizes outstanding quality, even if I would love to see more specialized shooting options for situations like food or pets. You will want to print and frame the pictures since they are so beautiful. Without a question, this is the best camera phone available and Apple’s best photography phone to date.
2. Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra
Since the Galaxy S24 Ultra is the only phone I’ve found that makes it simple to take DSLR-quality photos of the moon, your iPhone-toting friends may call it shenanigans. For the majority of the year, the Galaxy S24 Ultra has been my go-to camera phone when I know my photos will be posted on my Instagram or Facebook feed.
These aren’t pictures I’d print for the family photo album, but they are striking and vibrant with color. Samsung phones consistently produce the most delicious food photos, so if you enjoy sharing your culinary creations, the Ultra might be a better option than the iPhone even for you.
The Galaxy S24 Ultra has Pro controls for both photos and videos if you want the most control. Astrophotography and even more sophisticated camera settings can be found in the Expert Raw app, which also connects with the camera.
I hope Samsung adopts a more organic aesthetic. Blurred backgrounds don’t seem dreamy; they might be distracting, and some details can seem overly crisp. Nevertheless, the Galaxy S24 Ultra continues to be my reliable partner when I need a camera to record something that everyone must see.
3. OnePlus 13
For years, OnePlus has been attempting to lead this list by collaborating with Hasselblad to entice its camera phones to have a polished portrait appearance. The OnePlus 13 has at last accomplished something genuinely noteworthy, though not for the reason I had anticipated.
Selfies, landscapes, and portraits all look fantastic with the OnePlus 13 cameras. However, the results of the company’s extra efforts to capture quick motion are remarkable.
With the OnePlus 13, you can either utilize the standard burst mode and just hold down the shutter button, or you can tap as quickly as you can to get numerous images using a method that OnePlus claims mixes a short and long exposure at once.
Regardless of how quickly the action moves, the end result is a photo without any blur. Even at night, you can see the water droplets hanging in the air in my surfer photos up above.
In addition, I took a ton of pictures of my child playing football. The OnePlus 13 made him sharp, allowing him to clearly see his jersey number, in contrast to the iPhone and Galaxy, which left him fuzzy or lost in graininess. exactly what I required.
4. Google Pixel 9 Pro and Pro XL
The Pixel 9 Pro and Pixel 9 Pro XL are high-end smartphones with unquestionably the greatest Pixel cameras to date. With better color accuracy, low-light performance, and zoomed-in detail, the Pixel 9 Pro beat my iPhone 15 Pro Max in my tests.
The fact that the Pixel 9 Pro and Pixel 9 Pro XL both come with the same fantastic photography features, such as the 5X telephoto zoom lens, is one of the finest things about the Pixel 9 Pro. The battery and screen size are the only variations. Thus, the Pixel 9 Pro is my choice for a companion AI camera that is portable.
Go to Google Photos on the Pixel 9 Pro after taking your photos to access some incredible editing features.AI is the key to reimagining backgrounds with completely different elements. If you’re bored, you can also just sharpen fuzzy photographs.
The Pixel 9 Pro even improves the selfie camera, which now has an incredible 42MP resolution. This is an excellent all-around camera phone, and Google’s new premium design has been frequently praised by iPhone pals.
5. Apple iPhone 15
Whether you use the main cameras or the selfie camera, the iPhone 15 produces amazing photos and—perhaps more importantly for teenagers—fantastic video. It has all the best iOS sharing features, so you can share photos with friends instantly and make cool contact posters.
The iPhone 15 is a powerful device that can handle any game you throw at it. A notable feature is video shooting, which allows you to record in up to 4K/60 fps. Young influencers will love Cinematic mode, which gives videos a shallow depth-of-field effect and allows you to select the focus subject to track. If you change your mind later, you can even edit and refocus!
The 12MP sensor up front makes an excellent selfie camera, and low-light images turn out well. The best part is that Apple offers five years of OS updates and excellent support. Your ninth-grader will have this phone till they graduate from high school if you get them a case. Additionally, Apple is delaying some of the iPhone 15 Pro’s more aggressive AI features. Teenagers might benefit from that.
To find out which camera phones are the greatest overall and which one should be at the top of this list, I’ve taken thousands of pictures. Every time I purchase a new camera phone, I put it to the test in the real world against all of the best models that have come before it. To find out which one gives me the best pictures, I test them under the identical circumstances.
I test cameras in a variety of lighting conditions, including bright outdoor light and dim inside light. I conduct tests both in studio lighting and in mixed lighting settings. I experiment with the macro shooting for close-up shots, portrait photography, and zoom capabilities.
I test cameras by simultaneously utilizing many camera phones and contrasting the pictures side by side. I evaluate each assessment by contrasting the cameras with those of other phones in the same price range and with those that potential customers might be considering switching from.
I use the same setup when I test video recording. Along with any other featured modes that might be of interest, I also try the unique shooting modes, such as Slow-Mo and Hyperlapse. I also test the provided photo editing tools if they are a highlight.
When purchasing a camera phone, what features should I look for?
Knowing what you want to photograph is the first step in choosing the ideal camera phone. A decent zoom is essential if you want to take action photographs of your children’s games or document wildlife in its natural environment. However, a good all-around camera will work if the majority of the images in your gallery are portraits and group photos with friends. If you want to share a lot of pictures of delicious desserts or if video is more important than images, you should get a camera phone that is good at both.
Which phone’s camera is the best?
The Apple iPhone 16 Pro (and iPhone 16 Pro Max) is the greatest camera phone for the majority of photo types because it generates images that appear to be taken by a genuine photographer without any obvious digital tricks or touch-ups.
If you need specialist photos, such as astrophotography or pictures of delectable cuisine, or landscapes with the greenest grass and clear blue skies, the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra is the best camera phone.
Consider the OnePlus 12, which creates more artistic portraits and photographs with a softer, more neutral appearance, if you’re a lover of Leica.
How does the Xiaomi 14 Ultra compare?
The camera capabilities of the Xiaomi 14 Ultra are amazing, and our UK reviewer Paul Hatton was thrilled. Since the phone isn’t available in the US, we haven’t included it on this list yet. However, we are testing it in our New York offices right now, and if it turns out to be too amazing to pass up, we might change our minds.
Whether or not it’s the best camera phone, I’d warn US customers against importing a phone without a local warranty. If you want to see what we’re missing, it’s been a lot of fun so far, but buyer beware—it might be difficult to fix and impossible to fix under its own warranty.
Should the camera be the deciding factor when selecting a phone? Of course. The camera on your smartphone is most likely the feature you’ll use the most, after the texting capabilities. It’s great to think about the kinds of pictures that are most important to you because you don’t need the most costly and extensive camera options.
We don’t rely on studio testing, therefore we strive to present a selection of the best shots the camera created during our limited assessment period. I would advise you to look at the camera samples in this post and read our reviews. You can be sure that our assessment is current and takes the competition into account by comparing the cameras of all the other phones you may be considering.