Which phone has best camera quality?

The battle for best camera phone usually boils down to an Apple vs. Google showdown, though that's on hold for a moment. While all four of Apple's new iPhones are out and fully tested, Google is in the process of revamping its smartphone lineup. With a new Tensor G2 chipset, the Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro figure to offer an array of new camera capabilities which we look forward to testing.

Until we do, though, the iPhone 14 models stand alone, with bigger sensors and larger pictures paying dividends for Apple and its continued camera phone dominance.

Of course, you're not limited to the iPhone or the Pixel if you want a phone that takes great pictures. Samsung also upgraded the cameras used for its Galaxy S22 lineup for an interesting logjam at the top of our best camera phones list. 

The extensive camera testing we conduct on phones helps us find devices that capture memorable images and once-in-a-lifetime shots you'd miss with less-capable handsets. We're looking for camera phones that meld intricate optics and sensors with software algorithms that rely upon math and science to extract the best possible light, color and detail out of every scenario. It's not just about the number of lenses on the back, either — some phone makers make the most of artificial intelligence to improve post processing on your photos.

After hundreds of hours of testing and many head-to-head photo comparisons, these are the best camera phones you can buy right now.

What are the best camera phones?

The current king of smartphone cameras is the iPhone 14 Pro Max. This beast rocks a 48MP quad-pixel sensor with 2x telephoto zoom, plus a 12MP 3x telephoto and a 12MP ultrawide sensor. It's hard to go wrong here, whatever the lighting conditions. And if you want the same camera prowess in a smaller body, there's the iPhone 14 Pro. While not as impressive as the Pro models, the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus still deliver quality photos.

If you want to look beyond Apple's phones, plenty of the best Android phones feature impressive cameras of their own. With testing still to be done on the latest Pixel phones, Samsung's flagships — particularly the Galaxy S22 Ultra — rank high among the best camera phones, especially when it comes to low-light photos and zooming in on subjects.

If you want a lower-cost camera phone, the Pixel 6a is absolutely the best choice. The iPhone SE (2022) doesn't support a Night mode. Both take great photos in daylight, but the Pixel comes out ahead when that light starts to dim.

Our best camera phones rankings include a gallery of shots we've taken with each phone. Just click on the arrows in the pictures below to see a sample of what these camera phones are capable of.

The best camera phones you can buy today

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The best camera phone you can buy

Specifications

Display size: 6.7-inch OLED (2796 x 1290)

CPU: A16 Bionic

RAM: 6GB

Storage / Expandable: 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, 1TB / No

Rear cameras: 48MP (f/1.8) main with 2x optical zoom, 12MP (f/2.2) ultrawide, 12MP (f/2.8) telephoto with 3x optical zoom

Front camera: 12MP (f/1.9)

Weight: 8.5 ounces

Battery life (Hrs:Mins): 14:42

Reasons to buy

+

Best-in-class cameras

Reasons to avoid

-

Still just 20W charging

The iPhone 14 Pro Max is everything you could ever want in a smartphone, including the best-in-class performance and cameras. The new 48MP main sensor is extremely powerful, offering crystal clear images with beautiful colors and lighting. The ultrawide lens also saw a bump in size, so it lets in more light. The telephoto sticks to 3x, which we think is a bit low given the competition.

The main sensor also sports 2x optical zoom on its own, letting you get that quad-pixel quality on a zoomed image. There’s Apple’s new Photonic Engine, which improves on the phone maker’s computational photography for mid- and low-light scenes. All told, you won’t find better all around cameras on a smartphone.

Read our full iPhone 14 Pro Max review.

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Best camera phone on a budget

Specifications

Display: 6.1-inch OLED (2400 x 1080; 60Hz)

CPU: Tensor

RAM: 6GB

Storage / Expandable: 128GB / No

Rear cameras: 12.2MP main (ƒ/1.7), 12MP ultrawide (ƒ/2.2)

Front camera: 8MP (ƒ/2.0)

Weight: 6.3 ounces

Battery life (Hrs:Mins): 6:29

Reasons to buy

+

Excellent cameras for the price

Reasons to avoid

-

Poor battery life

Even though the Pixel 6a costs hundreds of dollars less than the Pixel 6 Pro, it’s still a formidable alternative, particularly if you’re looking to get a great camera phone on the cheap. The Pixel 6a doesn’t have a telephoto lens, but it does benefit from computational photography, producing very good images that blow away most of what you see from comparably priced phones.

The Pixel 6a has something in common with the flagship Pixel 6 models — they all run on the same Tensor processor, so this budget device is capable of the same machine learning-powered features found on pricier Google phones. That includes Magic Eraser, the photo-editing tool that lets you erase extraneous people and objects from images with a tap. A revamp of the Pixel 6a lets you tone down distracting objects as well.

Battery life could certainly be better on this phone, but for a low-cost camera phone, there’s no better option than the Pixel 6a.

Read our full Google Pixel 6a review.

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Same cameras as the iPhone 14 Pro Max, just more compact

Specifications

Display size: 6.1-inch OLED (2556 x 1179)

CPU: A16 Bionic

RAM: 6GB

Storage / Expandable: 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, 1TB / No

Rear cameras: 48MP (f/1.8) main with 2x optical zoom, 12MP (f/2.2) ultrawide, 12MP (f/2.8) telephoto with 3x optical zoom

Front camera: 12MP (f/1.9)

Weight: 7.3 ounces

Battery life (Hrs:Mins): 10:13

Reasons to buy

+

Gorgeous and bright 120Hz display

Reasons to avoid

-

Still just 20W charging

If you’re put off by the iPhone 14 Pro, but want the same camera prowess, then look no further than the iPhone 14 Pro. With its more compact 6.1-inch display, this phone is one powerful beast. And with the new 48MP main sensor, the iPhone 14 Pro can take some beautiful photos.

The ultrawide camera also got an upgrade to allow in more light for better-lit pictures. The telephoto lens sticks to 3x — and we wish it was at least 4x to match the competition — but the main camera has its own 2x optical zoom, too. All told, the iPhone 14 Pro is the best compact camera phone.

Read our full iPhone 14 Pro review.

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Samsung’s best camera phone

Specifications

Display: 6.8-inch AMOLED (3088 x 1440; 1-120Hz)

CPU: Snapdragon 8 Gen 1

RAM: 8GB, 12GB

Storage / Expandable: 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, 1TB / No

Rear camera: 108MP wide (f/1.8), 12MP ultra-wide (f/2.2), 10MP telephoto (f/4.9) with 10x optical zoom, 10MP telephoto (f/2.4) with 3x optical zoom

Front camera: 40MP (ƒ/2.2)

Weight: 8.1 ounces

Battery life (Hrs:Mins): 10:18

Reasons to buy

+

Excellent dual telephoto lenses

Reasons to avoid

-

Battery life takes a step back

Samsung didn’t make major changes to the camera setup on the Galaxy S22 Ultra, but the enhancements over the S21 Ultra are very welcome. For starters, the 108MP main camera has a larger sensor, letting in more light. A Super Clear Glass over that lens eliminates flare when you’re shooting in twilight and at night. The end result is better low-light photos and some sharp images when using the Galaxy S22 Ultra’s Night mode.

Other camera improvements to the Galaxy S22 Ultra focus on the software side of things. You now get adaptive pixel technology for combining 9 pixels into one (another low-light photo improvement), enhanced AI high-res processing and 4x faster multi-frame processing. Portrait mode benefits from AI Stereo Depth Maps to better separate your subject from the background of the shot. And a video Auto Framing feature recognizes up to 10 people and keeps them in focus when you’re shooting. These software features are already getting a boost from Samsung, which began a camera update rollout in June 2022. Among the key improvements are a performance upgrade to portrait mode and a bug fix for Single Take.

Ultimately, the top Apple and Google camera phones remain ahead of Samsung’s best efforts, but only barely. This is the camera phone to get for Samsung fans.

Read our full Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra review.

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The iPhone for everyone also has awesome cameras

Specifications

Display size: 6.1-inch OLED (2532 x 1170)

CPU: A15 Bionic

RAM: 6GB

Storage / Expandable: 128GB, 256GB, 512GB / No

Rear cameras: 12MP (f/1.5) main, 12MP (f/2.4) ultrawide

Front camera: 12MP (f/1.9)

Weight: 6 ounces

Battery life (Hrs:Mins): 7:41

Reasons to buy

+

Impressive dual cameras

Reasons to avoid

-

Slow charging

While it might lack the new 48MP sensor present on the Pro models, the iPhone 14 is still a great camera phone. It packs a faster aperture for better lighting, plus an upgraded ultrawide sensor. In short, the photos that the iPhone 14 puts out are a step above last year.

Details and dynamic range give the iPhone 14 a leg up over many of its similarly-priced competitors, such as the Galaxy S22. (Samsung’s phone has the advantage in zoom, however.) But for $799, the iPhone 14 offers a great camera experience.

Read our full iPhone 14 review.

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A big-screen camera phone from Apple

Specifications

Display size: 6.7-inch OLED (2778 x 1284)

CPU: A15 Bionic

RAM: 6GB

Storage / Expandable: 128GB, 256GB, 512GB / No

Rear cameras: 12MP (f/1.5) main, 12MP (f/2.4) ultrawide

Front camera: 12MP (f/1.9)

Weight: 7.2 ounces

Battery life (Hrs:Mins): 11:57

Reasons to buy

+

Excellent cameras

Reasons to avoid

-

No telephoto lens

Anything the iPhone 14 can do with its dual camera, the iPhone 14 Plus can handle as well, only with a bigger display for showing off your photos. Otherwise, the Plus uses the same camera system as its smaller sibling, including the bigger sensor on the main camera to let in more light. As a result, big phone fans should feel confident they're getting a great camera phone with the iPhone 14 Plus.

The larger size means more than just a bigger screen. Apple also equips the iPhone 14 Plus with a larger battery that lasted just shy of 12 hours on our custom test. That's an outstanding time that outperforms the average smartphone by 2 hours, so you can be assured of a lot of extra time out in the field taking some stellar photos.

Read our full iPhone 14 Plus review.

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A killer value

Specifications

Display: 6.7-inch AMOLED (3216 x 1440)

CPU: Snapdragon 8 Gen 1

RAM: 8GB, 12GB

Storage / Expandable: 128GB, 256GB / No

Rear cameras: 48MP (f/1.8) main, 50MP (f/2.2) ultrawide, 8MP (f/2.4) 3.3x telephoto

Front camera: 32MP (f/2.2)

Weight: 7 ounces

Battery life (Hrs:Mins): 11:52 (120Hz), 12:39 (60Hz)

Reasons to buy

+

Excellent battery life

Reasons to avoid

-

Telephoto is just 8MP

OnePlus has come a long way since the days of its afterthought cameras. We’re in the dawn of a new age for the Chinese phone maker with the second generation Hasselblad mobile photography system. The OnePlus 10 Pro is the best camera phone we’ve ever seen from the company.

It’s not quite on the same level as the iPhone 13 Pro Max or Pixel 6 Pro, but it’s very respectable. OnePlus still has a yellow tinge problem in most of the photos, something that’s especially noticeable outdoors. Inside, however, it makes for a warm, cozy feel. The 48MP main camera does all of the heavy lifting, but don’t count out the 50MP ultrawide sensor. It can shoot in a 100-degree field of view with minimal edge distortion, or zoom out to 150 degrees.

Where we think the OnePlus 10 Pro struggles as a camera phone is in its telephoto shots. They’re just not up to par with the other greats on this list, and we think the lower resolution might have something to do with that. At least the 32MP front camera takes nice selfies. Even Nightscape has seen improvements, producing much better low-light photos.

Read our full OnePlus 10 Pro review.

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The best cameras on a foldable phone

Specifications

Display: 7.6-inch AMOLED (2176 x 1812), interior; 6.2-inch AMOLED (2136 x 904), exterior

CPU: Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1

RAM: 12GB

Storage / Expandable: 256GB, 512GB, 1TB / No

Rear cameras: 50MP wide (f/1.8), 12MP ultrawide (f/2.2), 10MP telephoto (f/2.4) with 3x optical zoom

Front camera: 10MP cover (f/2.2), 4MP under-display (f/1.8)

Weight: 9.3 ounces

Battery life (Hrs:Mins): 8:19 (adaptive), 9:28 (60Hz)

Reasons to buy

+

Much improved main camera

Reasons to avoid

-

Under-display selfie cam is still lackluster

You don't typically buy foldable phones expecting great cameras, even the best foldable phones. But Samsung took great pains to fix a weak spot in its otherwise stellar foldable lineup by upgrading the main camera on the Galaxy Z Fold 4.

Thanks to the 50MP wide shooter, the Galaxy Z Fold 4 can hold its own against other devices on our best camera phones list. It even exceeded the iPhone 13 Pro Max on some individual shots in our testing. We were particularly impressed with the colors in photos captured by the Galaxy Z Fold 4.

We'd advise against taking photos with the 4MP under-display camera, which still produces fuzzier shots compared to the superior 10MP camera on the phone's cover display. We also like the multitasking features on the Galaxy Z Fold 4, which let you do things like drag photos from the camera roll directly into Google Drive.

Read our full Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 review.

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Apple's best low-cost camera phone

Specifications

Display: 4.7-inch LCD (1344 x 750)

CPU: A15 Bionic

RAM: 4GB

Storage / Expandable: 64GB, 128GB, 256GB / No

Rear camera: 12MP (f/1.8)

Front camera: 7MP (f/2.2)

Weight: 5 ounces

Battery life (Hrs:Mins): 9:05

Reasons to buy

+

Very good photo quality

Reasons to avoid

-

No Night mode for camera

Apple may have stuck with a single-camera design for the iPhone SE (2022), but the lowest-cost iPhone still does plenty with that lone lens. Part of the credit goes to the A15 Bionic inside the SE — the same chipset that the iPhone 13 lineup uses. Because of the A15, the iPhone SE 2022 supports features such as Smart HDR 4 (which can handle tricky lighting situations) and Deep Fusion (for calling it details and textures in photos). The iPhone SE 2022 may only cost $429, but the pictures you've captured will look like they're coming from a much more expensive device.

There's a noticeable shortcoming with the iPhone SE 2022's camera capabilities. Unlike the other best camera phones, there's no Night mode support. And as far as we can tell, there's no reason for leaving out that feature, other than Apple want to distinguish its cheapest phone from its pricier flagships. The result is that the iPhone SE can't match the other phones on this list for taking photos in low- and no-light settings.

That shouldn't necessarily prevent you from turning to the iPhone SE 2022, especially if you like Apple phones but don't care for high price tags. This iPhone still takes excellent all-around photos, even if its nighttime performance leaves a little to be desired.

Read our full iPhone SE (2022) review.

How to pick the best camera phone for you

There are many factors to consider if camera quality factors heavily into your smartphone purchasing decision. A good way to start is by asking yourself what kinds of photos you see yourself taking. Not all multi-lens cameras are created equal — some have ultrawide lenses for stunning landscapes, others have telephotos for zoomed-in shallow-depth-of-field portraits, and others still have both. The newest flagships from the likes of Samsung and Huawei even have periscope-style lenses that can achieve up to 10x lossless zoom, rivaling the power of DSLRs.

Something else to consider: Megapixels don’t matter as much as aperture. Cameras with a wider aperture (lower ƒ-stop numbers translate to wider lenses) let in more light, which greatly helps produce better shots in the dark. The high-megapixel sensors found in the latest devices are nice, but it's a common misconception that pixel count directly translates to better-looking photos. 

Do you need a portrait mode that allows for bokeh backgrounds? That’s where the subject of the photo is in sharp focus, while an artistic blur blankets the rest of the scene. Although it started as a feature exclusive to multi-camera phones, the single-lens iPhone SE is capable of capturing bokeh-effect portraits. Some devices even let you adjust the strength of the blur before and after you take a shot.

Front camera specs are important, too. In a world where we’re taking more selfies than ever, you shouldn’t overlook a phone’s front camera. Many front cameras, like the ones on the iPhone 13 and Pixel 6, can actually perform the same portrait mode effects that rear cameras pull off. Some phones feature two front cameras, with the second lens pulling in more background details, though that feature has gone out of fashion recently.

Finally, don’t forget about video. Your cameras shoot more than just still images. Consider what resolution the camera captures video at along with the frame rate. A word to the wise, though: Be wary that ratcheting up the resolution will result in clips that take up much more space on your smartphone's internal storage.

How we test camera phones

When we evaluate the best camera phones, we pick phones of comparable prices and capabilities and put them through a range of head-to-head comparisons. We pick common shooting situations — landscapes, indoor and outdoor shots, portraits and selfies in daylight and at night. We also test out each camera lens, including ultrawide angle and telephoto lenses if the phone features those. 

In addition to testing the rear lenses of each phone, we also test the front camera, snapping selfies in both standard and portrait mode. We then compare the results to similar camera phones.

Photos used in our comparisons are taken with the default settings on each camera. Even if a phone offers manual controls, we don't test those, as we want to replicate the experience the typical smartphone user would have using the camera app on a device.

In each of our smartphone reviews, we also factor in any special features, such as dual lenses and what they enable, Portrait Modes, and other special modes, before we come to a conclusion.

Camera testing is the most relevant evaluation for picking the best camera phones, but our smartphone reviews include other testing, such as performance testing, battery testing and display testing. You can see the full results of those tests when we rate the best phones overall.

Jordan is the Phones Editor for Tom's Guide, covering all things phone-related. He's written about phones for over six years and plans to continue for a long while to come. He loves nothing more than relaxing in his home with a book, game, or his latest personal writing project. Jordan likes finding new things to dive into, from books and games to new mechanical keyboard switches and fun keycap sets. Outside of work, you can find him poring over open-source software and his studies.