The Best Camera Phones In 2024

I love taking pictures. But I've never been one to lug around heavy equipment, much as I adore professional cameras. With my smartphone, it's easier. Even though it doesn't have top-of-the-line specs, it's portable and always with me.  So I can easily whip it out and capture moments. 

Plus, phone cameras have become undeniably good recently. They also offer the convenience of fast sharing and uploading directly to social media cameras. If you want the best camera qualities in these portable devices, here are your best five options.

Tip: There are numerous factors to consider before buying a phone. A high megapixel count is just one of them.

A quick peek at the best camera phones

• Best camera overall: Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra.
• Best color reproduction: Google Pixel 8 Pro.
• Best camera setup: Xiaomi 14 Ultra.
• Best camera with OIS: OnePlus 12.
• Best telephoto camera: Honor Magic 6 Pro.

Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra

The S24 Ultra is the best of Samsung's phones, and Android devices ever made — for now. It tops the charts for almost all specifications, ratings, and functions. In the camera department, it packs a 200MP wide main camera sensor, which is the highest you'll find on most flagships today. If you plan to produce print media frequently, you'll be able to shoot images in high detail and edit them without quality loss. 

Following the main camera is a 12MP ultrawide camera that fits shooting expansive landscapes or capturing everyone in a group selfie. If you’d rather be far away from the scene, you can use the dual telephoto lenses. The first lens has a 10MP sensor that can zoom in up to three times on your subject.  The second lens has a 50MP sensor with five-times zoom.

The S24's front carries a 12MP lens in a punch-hole cutout. Most flagships don't exceed this amount because of space constraints and you don't need that much detail to see your face. Most social media platforms would downscale the pictures for faster loading speeds anyway.

Google Pixel 8 Pro

Google has consistently pushed the boundaries of smartphone photography through its Pixel series. The Pixel 8 Pro continues this legacy. While other manufacturers focus on hardware specs, Google’s secret sauce lies in its software algorithms. The Pixel 8 Pro uses AI and machine learning to enhance every shot. Its crown jewel features include HDR+ and Night Sight. 

The Pixel 8 Pro also offers a ProRAW mode that lets every photographer shoot and save files as uncompressed and RAW files. Google’s astrophotography mode allows you to capture breathtaking shots of the night sky, or even of an eclipse which many devices failed to do earlier this month. The portrait mode performs well at separating subjects from backgrounds, even without dedicated depth sensors. 

Xiaomi 14 Ultra

The Xiaomi 14 Ultra has a quad camera system on the rear, giving you tons of options to play with when snapping photos. Each one has 50MP and uses Leica technology. Leica is quite reputable for its distinctly natural color profile in its camera products.

Shooting in 4K resolution with the cameras is also possible, with 1080p recording at different frame rates (fps). The front camera trumps the Galaxy S24 Ultra at 32MP and supports many useful features, including dynamic framing, shooting with palm gestures, a selfie timer, and a movie frame among others.

The phone even has a cooling system that should save your phone and your efforts. If it gets too hot when you're shooting content or editing it, it'll throttle down the processor and cause slower performance. With Xiaomi's Dual-Channel IceLoop system, the 14 Ultra can run demanding tasks without overheating.

OnePlus 12

OnePlus has faced criticism in the past for camera shortcomings. But the OnePlus 12 changes that narrative with renewed features and a triple camera setup. The main camera has 50MP with optical image stabilization (OIS) and electronic image stabilization (EIS). 

OIS keeps those physical camera shakes at bay, while EIS backs it up to further iron out any residual shakiness. The periscope telephoto camera is above it with 14MP extra. The ultrawide camera is 48MP.

Powering the device is the latest Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 processor with a big 5,400mAh battery capacity to keep you shooting for hours. The 120Hz refresh rate doesn't add any major benefit to the process, but it may be useful when you're comparing movements or judging framing in fast-moving scenes.

Honor Magic 6 Pro

With 50MP sensors present for selfie, main, and ultra-wide purposes, the Magic 6 Pro goes all out on Zoom with its 180MP periscope telephoto lens. Needless to say, the telephoto lens is the star of the show but its main 50MP backs it up admirably by producing great images time after time.

Images aren't too over-saturated and are still bright and vibrant with good levels of detail. Its only weakness is the ultra-wide lens which can be a little temperamental.

With the largest battery on offer in this collection, Honor's Magic 6 Pro enjoys excellent power efficiency. Speedy wired and wireless charging are present, and the display is bright and vibrant with excellent viewing angles. If you are looking for an affordable alternative to the Galaxy S24 Ultra and Xiaomi's 14 Ultra, then Honor's Magic 6 Pro is certainly worth your consideration.  

A Google may just be the phone you need

If you are in the market for one of the best cameras, any of the aforementioned devices will do. If you want many functionalities and processing power, prioritize the S24 Ultra. Honor's Magic 6 Pro comes in at a more affordable price with excellent cameras, speedier charging, and a bigger battery. That said, Google Pixel phones are usually the first choice for camera quality in the Android ecosystem. They're free from bloatware and they receive updates before any other phone brand. These are some extra details to think about before buying a phone.