Most of us use our phones for snapping pics as much as we do for making phone calls or texting.
Cell phone cameras used to be defined by grainy quality and weird aspect ratios, but those days are in the past. Modern smartphone cameras are advanced, with the best products having multiple different lenses to offer you options for how you want to take your photos.
All the biggest manufacturers, from Apple and Android to Samsung and Google, have very strong camera systems in their phones. But with all these options to choose from, what are the best camera phones available? Let’s explain how you can find the phone with the best camera for your needs in 2022 and beyond.
What Smartphone Camera Features Should You Look for?
- Aperture
- Megapixel quality
- Multiple lenses
- Manual lighting controls
- Video capabilities
To determine the best camera phone for what you like, you should prioritize certain smartphone camera features.
Cameras are complex devices, and cramming them into a smartphone is no easy task. One factor that can determine the quality of a camera system is the megapixel resolution capability it has.
A common misconception is that more megapixels mean better photos. This idea does make sense, as the number of megapixels translates directly to the level of detail in a picture. The higher the megapixel count, the higher the resolution.
Large pixels mean better light quality in your photos, and smaller means you will have a harder time taking photos in very dark or bright places. The balance between pixel size and MP count is important when it comes to having an impressive camera system.
On top of all this, some smartphones add other quirks and gimmicks. Many of them have special photo modes, like portrait mode, cinematic mode, action mode, and night mode, for taking photos in different settings. Others use machine learning to enhance your photography and editing. Being aware of these different options within each camera setup will help you choose the right phone for you.
Aperture
The aperture is essentially the hole through which a camera takes photos. It determines how much light can pass through to the camera sensor.
Generally, wider apertures are better if you want to reduce the blurring inherent in action shots or if you aren’t the best at keeping your camera stable.
Megapixel Quality
The more megapixels a camera can produce, the more quality the resulting image will have. A megapixel stands for 1 million pixels. Higher megapixel cameras can produce richer, larger images.
Multiple Lenses
Some of the best smartphone cameras have several different lenses. Certain lenses are designed, for example, for wide shots, while others are better for zoomed-in shots.
Manual Lighting Controls
You may also wish to look for a smartphone with cameras that feature manual lighting controls. These allow you to fine-tune the resulting shot and take excellent pictures even if ambient light levels are low or high.
Many Apple iPhones have settings to let you take low-light pictures, plus work with photo editing apps to get the most out of your pics.
Video Capabilities
Lastly, consider whether a given camera phone also allows you to take video footage alongside taking still photos. The more flexibility your camera phone has, the more adventures you can take it on!
Best Phone Cameras
There are many great camera phone options out there, but some stand a head above others. Whether you focus on photos for social media, video recording, or generally capturing memories, here are some of the best camera systems on the smartphone market:
1. Apple iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max
Apple’s base iPhone 14 may have been disappointed with its lack of upgrades over the previous generation. However, the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max are different beasts and are some of the best iPhones available.
In a first for the flagship phone series, the high-end, upgraded 14 models have a 48MP sensor acting as its primary wide lens, making for an excellent camera.
In order to balance pixel size with the megapixel count, the primary sensor will group pixels in clusters of four to increase their size and essentially act as a 12MP lens, which improves lighting quality. If the resolution is your primary goal, you can go into RAW mode for the full 48MP experience.
There is also a 12MP ultrawide lens for extra size and a 12MP TrueDepth camera that has an f/1.9 aperture, which translates to significantly better photos in low-light settings.
The 48MP main camera has 2x zoom, and the 12MP telephoto has 3x zoom. Its advanced A16 Bionic chip is also one of the most powerful processors out there, and it helps with rendering high-quality photos.
To find the best existing deals on an iPhone 14 Pro or Pro Max, check out Navi.
2. Apple iPhone 14 and 14 Plus
Like the iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max, the iPhone 14 and 14 Plus share the same camera system.
They have a dual camera system on the back with a 12MP main lens and 12MP ultrawide lens. The selfie camera also sports a 12MP lens.
It is much less advanced than the Pro and Pro Max options, but both the base model and the Plus utilize Apple’s photogenic engine. This is an AI processing component of the iPhone 14 with special features for improved low-light pictures.
3. Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra
Samsung phones are widely available and generally good quality, but the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra could easily be argued as their best smartphone yet.
The company aimed to break barriers with this product. It is the first mainstream smartphone to come out with a camera that was a whopping 200MP. This means the lens is packing 200 million pixels into that frame.
Samsung claims that you could print a highly detailed poster from the S23 Ultra. While the iPhone 14 Pro Max can cluster four pixels at a time, the S23 Ultra will cluster 16 to create larger pixels for better lighting quality. This means you can choose to have it act as a 200MP camera or a 15MP camera, depending on your needs at the time.
There has never been a smartphone lens with this level of detail before, and all other companies are trying to catch up.
In addition to this powerhouse, you also get two telephoto lenses, both of which are 10MP, one with 3x digital zoom and the other with 10x digital zoom. The 10x zoom is fantastic as far as modern smartphones go, and that alone puts it above many other phones in the industry.
There is also a solid 12MP front camera that pales in comparison to the rear camera system but can still shoot passable photographs.
This comes at a high cost, given that the phone is on the market for $1,199, but it is a fantastic phone if you can find a good deal.
4. Samsung Galaxy Z Fold4
The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold4 is one of the most expensive phones you can buy, and so it stands that it has one of the best camera systems.
It sports a 50MP main camera, with a 12MP ultrawide and 10MP telephoto lens rounding out the triple camera system. The telephoto lens gives you 3x optical zoom and 30x space zoom.
The front of the phone gives you a 10MP selfie camera as well. Overall, this is an impressive showing for a flippable phone, which have a reputation for having poor camera systems.
That being said, the phone is also a solid $1,799 to purchase at retail price, so make sure you look to Navi for a deal before picking one up.
Which One Is Best?
These phones have fantastic camera systems, but the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra takes the cake this generation.
It has the most powerful camera system of any mainstream smartphone, with higher resolution capability than we have ever seen in the industry.
Google has some amazing AI processing features, and Apple has a great balance of software strength and lens quality. But the Galaxy 23 Ultra has the best hardware in the game, and it is worth the money if you are willing to drop $1,199 on it.
Conclusion
Phone camera quality is all about the perfect balance of hardware and software. Processing power, pixel size, megapixel count, and lens type are all important to have a grasp on before picking out your next smartphone.
Apple, Google, and Samsung all have great smartphone cameras, with the S23 Ultra sporting the most impressive hardware. However, the right phone for you will come down to your own preferences and willingness to spend.
Navi can help you sort through those preferences to find the right phone for you. Navi can utilize industry insight and resources to find you the best deals on the camera phones that have caught your eye.
Use Navi today to get yourself the phone camera system you have been waiting for.
Sources:
What is a Megapixel — Art & Science of Megapixels Explained | StudioBinder
iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max | Apple
