The best camera phones of 2024: Our top ten ranked
Nowadays, all flagship phones have remarkable cameras. The newest Galaxy, the latest iPhone, and all the other premium-tier Android phones are all among the best camera phones you can buy in 2024.
The average flagship now comes packing a respectable camera setup with decent main camera and processing software, and while certain brands and models may excel in certain areas, it's mostly a neck-and-neck race that's largely decided by one's personal preferences. But how can you separate the best camera phones from all the rest?
Recently, we've introduced a new in-house camera-benchmarking test that aims to objectively rate every phone's camera in both still photos and videos. We carefully measure the performance of all cameras in various test scenes, ranking the performance across important metrics like exposure, subject exposure, color accuracy, detail, artifacts and more. We do these tests for both photos and videos.
The average flagship now comes packing a respectable camera setup with decent main camera and processing software, and while certain brands and models may excel in certain areas, it's mostly a neck-and-neck race that's largely decided by one's personal preferences. But how can you separate the best camera phones from all the rest?
You can learn more about our PhoneArena Camera Score test here.
Best camera phones to consider in 2024 according to the PhoneArena Camera Test:
- Xiaomi 14 Ultra––One of the best exotic Android camera phones available right now.
- Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra––The best mainstream camera phone of 2024, so far.
- Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max––The most capable camera on an iPhone.
- Xiaomi 13 Ultra––Another superb Xiaomi cameraphone.
- Google Pixel 8 Pro––Signature camera prowess powered by Google's AI.
- Oppo Find X7 Ultra––A great camera phone, period.
- iPhone 14 Pro Max––The previous-gen iPhone is still an excellent performer.
- Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra––The last Galaxy flagship with a 10X periscope camera.
- OnePlus 12––OnePlus' latest flagship is an industry disruptor with a top camera.
- Honor Magic 6 Pro––Another exotic and intriguing camera phone.*****
1. Xiaomi 14 Ultra
One of the most extreme camera phones in 2024 so far is the Xiaomi 14 Ultra (Image by PhoneArena)
The Xiaomi 14 Ultra is currently ranked as the best camera phone according to our Camera Score test.
For those unfamiliar with these technicalities, fret not – the phone's Auto mode effortlessly handles these settings. Photography enthusiasts can dive into Pro mode, manipulating the aperture to achieve stunning natural bokeh effects and maximize light intake.
2. Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra
You can't really have a top camera list without including the Galaxy S24 Ultra near the top (Image by PhoneArena)
Unveiled in early 2024, the Galaxy S24 Ultra quickly became the new benchmark that all other flagships released later this year will match against. Coming in hot with a 200MP camera, and joined by a 12MP ultra-wide, a 10MP 3X telephoto, and a new 5X periscope camera, the Galaxy S24 Ultra is the phone to beat right now.
What's even more exciting than the hardware changes are the software and algorithm enhancements. These play a critical role in the overall camera experience. Fortunately for us, Samsung has done away with the over-processed mess that was the Galaxy S23 Ultra image processing. With the new top flagship, we get very natural and true-to-life scene rendition, which means that your photos are no longer excessively processed out of the box.
Unlike its predecessors, the Galaxy S24 Ultra drops the 10X periscope in favor of a more detailed 50MP periscope, which obviously has less optical zoom prowess, but thanks to clever trickery, the phone achieves a similar maximum-zooming capability, with Space Zoom up to 100X. Up front, Samsung still uses a 12MP front camera, but don't let the megapixel count fool you: this one delivers excellent image quality.
3. iPhone 15 Pro Max
With the iPhone 15 Pro Max, Apple joins the zoom game and generally steps it up in the camera department (Image by PhoneArena)
The new titanium iPhone 15 Pro Max comes along with an intriguingly refreshed rear camera setup. The 48MP wide-camera that debuted with the iPhone 14 Pro Max is here to stay, and so does the 12MP ultra-wide, but the telephoto is now finally improved. We get a 12MP telephoto with a 5X optical zoom capabilities, the equivalent of a 120mm lens on a 35mm frame. This corresponds to 25X digital zoom on the iPhone 15 Pro Max.
There are many changes on the software front as well. We get an improved Photonic Engine and HDR algorithms, which enable the latest iPhone to take significantly more natural-looking photos than its predecessors. What's more, Apple is switching from taking 12MP photos by default and will now take 24MP pictures as standard on the iPhone 15 Pro and the Pro Max. Thanks to sensor-cropping, the latest top iPhone also delivers lossless 2X zoom; you can also choose to shoot at 1.2X (28mm) or 1.5X (35mm).
At 5X and 10X zooms, photos look better and have more detail in comparison with the iPhone 14 Pro Max. The camera also stays quite steady thanks to the stabilization, so they look sharp even in low light. There's also a small but visible improvement in low-light photography.
4. Xiaomi 13 Ultra
Xiaomi 13 Ultra is not the latest flagship, but it's still a hot commodity on the cameraphone scene (Image by PhoneArena)
The Xiaomi 13 Ultra is an extreme device that brings some serious A-game to the camera department. Albeit superseded by the Xiaomi 14 Ultra, the Xiaomi 13 Ultra still ranks pretty high up on our camera score chart. This ex-Xiaomi flagship boasts a large 1-inch sensor for the main camera that has a variable aperture that ranges between f/1.9 and f/4.0.
Here are the camera specs of the Xiaomi 13 Ultra:
- 50MP Wide (IMX989, 1" sensor), 23mm lens, f/1.9 - f/4.0
- 50MP Ultra-wide (IMX858, 1/2.51" sensor)
- 50MP 3.2X Zoom (IMX858): 75mm f/1.8
- 50MP 5X Periscope zoom (IMX858): 120mm f/3.0
- 32MP Front cam
For the full scoop, we suggest checking out our full Xiaomi 13 Ultra review for a more in-depth look at its camera and all the camera samples you might need. In short, the device takes extremely natural-looking still photos, with no sign of excessive oversharpening or overly saturated colors. In low-light conditions, the Xiaomi 13 Ultra fares extremely well. The phone has a wide and pretty versatile zoom range.
5. Google Pixel 8 Pro
The Pixel 8 Pro punches way above its weight thanks to AI (Image by PhoneArena)
The Pixel 8 Pro is the best Pixel phone available right now by a mile. Continuing the legacy of the Pixel 6 Pro and the Pixel 7 Pro, the Pixel 8 Pro arrives with a camera that features slightly improved hardware but majorly enhanced software.
The main camera is a 50MP one, accompanied by a 48MP telephoto camera with 5X optical zoom, as well as a 48MP ultra-wide macro-friendly snapper. At the front, we find a 10.5MP, which sounds less exciting in comparison, but still delivers good results. Thanks to this hardware setup, the Pixel 8 Pro easily ranks among the great Android cameraphones you can get right now.
But hardware isn't everything: the Pixel 8 Pro arrives with a ton of AI features and processing enhancements, all of which aim to make the phone's camera smarter and better-understanding what you want to capture.
6. Oppo Find X7 Ultra
This exotic phone has what it takes to take on the Galaxies and iPhones of the world (Image by PhoneArena)
The Oppo Find X7 Ultra is an extreme camera phone. Equipped with a quad-50MP camera system, this new Oppo device boasts two dedicated periscope zoom cameras.
With this setup, the phone can zoom from the equivalent of 14 to 270mm with mostly coherent image quality thanks to the new HyperTone Image Engine. Enhanced by AI, this one aims to fix unnaturally looking HDR photos, preserving highlights, as well as shadows and mid-tones. Overall, the goal of these is to deliver natural photos.
7. Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max
The classic iPhone camera island of the iPhone 14 Pro Max (Image by PhoneArena)
The biggest new feature of Apple's former flagship phone is its new main camera, with a 48MP sensor. Thanks to it, the iPhone 14 Pro Max can now take extremely detailed 48MP ProRAW images, but normally uses pixel-binning to deliver the good ol' 12MP image files of old.
Meanwhile, pixel-binning is a fairly widespread technology that all the best camera phones use. Pixel-binning uses multiple pixels of a camera's sensor to create a single output pixel, which is usually beneficial to the overall image quality and sharpness, especially in low-light conditions.
ProRAW is Apple's take on the RAW image format, which combines it with the iPhone's excellent native image-editing experience, allowing you to easily modify your files without the help of third-party apps.
We do feel that the 48MP camera mode is truly a game-changer for Apple. Thanks to the new sensor, the iPhone 14 Pro Max can deliver more detail in both regular and low-light situations. What makes the iPhone 14 Pro Max a great camera phone is the much improved video capture. Cinematic 4K at both 24 and 30fps is a big improvement over the measly 1080p 30fps cinematic mode that debuted with the iPhone 13 Pro Max, which of its own was among the best camera phones of 2021/2022.
We do feel that the 48MP camera mode is truly a game-changer for Apple. Thanks to the new sensor, the iPhone 14 Pro Max can deliver more detail in both regular and low-light situations. What makes the iPhone 14 Pro Max a great camera phone is the much improved video capture. Cinematic 4K at both 24 and 30fps is a big improvement over the measly 1080p 30fps cinematic mode that debuted with the iPhone 13 Pro Max, which of its own was among the best camera phones of 2021/2022.
In terms of video recording, the iPhone 14 Pro Max is as good as it gets, with superb video-recording capabilities that make it the main contender for the best camera phone title.
8. Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra
The Galaxy S23 Ultra might remain the last Galaxy flagship with a 10 periscope camera (Image by PhoneArena)
With the Galaxy S23 Ultra, Samsung has decided to finally move on from the 108MP camera that graced most of its previous Galaxy S Ultra flagships. The new Galaxy S23 Ultra is graced with a 200MP camera, a bold new undertaking in the Galaxy camera department. This one unlocks the possibility for super-detailed RAW pictures, but on most occasions, the phone uses pixel-binning to output, you guessed it, 12MP pictures, which still hold tons of detail.
When it comes to image quality, the Galaxy S23 Ultra performs very well, with excellent definition and tons of detail. The excessive processing of the Galaxy S22 Ultra has been toned down, so pictures on the Galaxy S23 Ultra look a lot more natural, which is a splendid improvement that propels this one to the coveted spot of the best phone camera in early 2023.
Aside from a sharp new 200MP camera sensor, the Galaxy S23 Ultra camera also comes with a 12MP ultra-wide snapper, a 10MP 3X zoom, a much longer 10MP 10X periscope lens, and a new 12MP front-facing camera, which outputs exceptionally nice selfies. As you can see, all the necessary chops for a super-versatile and exceptionally potent camera system that can be used in different situations, and will deliver top results nearly all the time.
Colors rendition in Galaxy S23 Ultra photos looks more natural and generally more pleasing than the Galaxy S22 Ultra, which definitely tips the scales in favor of the newer device. Certainly a top camera phone for its time, but still, not entirely perfect!
Aside from a sharp new 200MP camera sensor, the Galaxy S23 Ultra camera also comes with a 12MP ultra-wide snapper, a 10MP 3X zoom, a much longer 10MP 10X periscope lens, and a new 12MP front-facing camera, which outputs exceptionally nice selfies. As you can see, all the necessary chops for a super-versatile and exceptionally potent camera system that can be used in different situations, and will deliver top results nearly all the time.
Colors rendition in Galaxy S23 Ultra photos looks more natural and generally more pleasing than the Galaxy S22 Ultra, which definitely tips the scales in favor of the newer device. Certainly a top camera phone for its time, but still, not entirely perfect!
9. OnePlus 12
Even though it doesn't have an impressive telephoto camera, the OnePlus 12 boasts a superb camera (Image by PhoneArena)
The OnePlus 12 introduces a fresh 50MP primary camera featuring Sony's latest camera sensor, the LYT-808, belonging to the same sensor family as the LYT-T808 utilized in the OnePlus Open, renowned for its splendid image quality and overall camera performance.
Beyond these hardware enhancements, OnePlus has incorporated some software and image-processing upgrades. A new HDR algorithm ensures superior image processing in challenging lighting conditions. Claimed to be AI-powered, OnePlus asserts that the phone comprehends scenes intelligently, applying precise edits for a more natural appearance.
Moreover, the OnePlus 12's primary camera offers a slightly wider 23mm perspective and boasts a faster f/1.6 aperture, implying impressive low-light performance.
OnePlus has also increased the megapixel count of the ultra-wide camera slightly, from 48 to 50MP, but this doesn't bring major improvements in image quality. The ultra-wide angle on the OnePlus 12 is a bit narrower than the OnePlus 11's, at 114 degrees compared to 115 degrees. Autofocusing now works from just 3.5cm, allowing for close-up macro shots.
Most importantly, OnePlus is bringing back a telephoto camera with 3X optical zoom on their flagship phones. Though not as advanced as some competitors' 5X periscope cameras, like those on the iPhone 15 Pro Max, Galaxy S24 Ultra, and Pixel 8 Pro, it's a significant addition.
Most importantly, OnePlus is bringing back a telephoto camera with 3X optical zoom on their flagship phones. Though not as advanced as some competitors' 5X periscope cameras, like those on the iPhone 15 Pro Max, Galaxy S24 Ultra, and Pixel 8 Pro, it's a significant addition.
10. Honor Magic 6 Pro
An imposing camera island for an imposing camera phone (Image by PhoneArena)
There are three cameras on the back of the Honor Magic 6 Pro, and those are in the familiar Star Wheel configuration. The main camera employs a 50MP H9000 OmniVision sensor with variable aperture support. A physical diaphragm allows for apertures ranging from f/1.4 to /f2.0, which is mighty useful for portrait shots.
The camera at the very top is a periscope zoom, and it's a rather imposing one. There's a logical reason for this, as under the lens you'll find a 180MP sensor, one of the biggest pixel counts (if not THE biggest) for a dedicated telephoto camera.
Honor has once again employed a 50MP ultrawide camera with a 122-degree field of view. All this hardware is supported by new AI algorithms; we left the system on, as today's smartphone photography is mainly computational.
Honor has once again employed a 50MP ultrawide camera with a 122-degree field of view. All this hardware is supported by new AI algorithms; we left the system on, as today's smartphone photography is mainly computational.
There are two selfie cameras in the pill-shaped cutout and a ToF sensor between them. Honor lists only one of them as being a 50MP snapper; the second one is probably for depth purposes.
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