The best camera phone in 2023: what's the best smartphone for photography? - Chuyên Trang Chia Sẻ Kiến Thức Thời Trang Mới Nhất

The best camera phones offer a tantalizing combination of the pinnacle of imaging technology with pin-sharp displays and lightning-fast internet connectivity. In fact, some handsets can deliver better photographs than the ‘proper’ camera you might otherwise be tempted to pick up.

As camera phone technology progresses, you might find it tricky to keep up to date on the latest handsets available. Our phone rumors (opens in new tab) hub will keep you up to date with the latest leaks and smartphone news. But to help you find the best camera phone for you right now, we’ve rounded up a selection of the latest models with a range of budgets in mind.

Camera phone technology can really boil down to one simple concept – pure and simple convenience. Not only will the best camera phones feature powerful imaging sensors (for example, the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra (opens in new tab) has an awesome 200MP sensor – higher than most of the best professional cameras), but they’ll also have incredible computational photography features that take a matter of milliseconds to process the images you capture and improve aspects such as sharpness, white balance and more.

While the best camera phones might not yet be able to beat the best DSLRs (opens in new tab) or mirrorless cameras (opens in new tab) for sheer image quality, the one area that camera phones beat out traditional cameras in is their size. Even the best compact cameras (opens in new tab) can still take up most of your pocket (if they even fit in!), but the best fold phones (opens in new tab) such as the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4 and the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 are incredibly compact.

No matter whether you’re looking for a high-end camera phone that will help you capture great social media content, or you’re simply looking for an everyday handset that will capture beautiful family snaps, we’ve rounded up the best camera phones currently available below…

The best camera phone in 2023

Why you can trust Digital Camera World

Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you. Find out how we test.

A photo of the Google Pixel 7 Pro

(Image credit: Basil Kronfli)

The Pixel 7 Pro is simply the best camera phone you can buy at its price, it’s that simple. It wipes the floor with the similarly priced iPhone 14, and beats the much pricier iPhone 14 Pro in a few key areas too.

While the 7 Pro’s RAW capture isn’t particularly impressive, and some traditionalists might not like how Google processes photos, the camera mix is still mind-bogglingly good as far as point-and-shoot photography goes.

With a sleek design, a mighty screen, and excellent future-proofing by way of continued software support, you do get a lot for your money here. So even though the phone had a couple of small hiccups in our time with it – specifically when it came to connectivity, as a package, you’ll be hard-pressed to get a better value flagship phone than the Pixel 7 Pro.

Read our full Google Pixel 7 Pro review (opens in new tab).

Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra - one of the best camera phones

(Image credit: Gareth Bevan)

In our first impressions of the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra, we concluded that this is one pretty phone. Samsung has doubled down on the clean minimal style this year, and it has really paid off, with a cool sophisticated style, that is also distinctly different from the other big manufacturers.

The screen is big, bright, and colorful with a near-bezeless curved screen, that is a joy to behold. On the rear of the phone, the camera cutout has been replaced by each lens sitting alone nearly flush with the device. The S Pen continues to be tucked in the bottom of the phone ready for note-taking at a moment’s notice.

Meanwhile, this Android phone (opens in new tab) does have power! With the latest Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy, you can expect to fly through daily tasks, mobile gaming, and content creation. When it comes to photography, Samsung is not playing around. With a new 200MP camera sensor, which can now capture 50MP RAW photos, and new AI processing algorithms specializing in new nighttime and astrophotography, this phone packs some serious chops when it comes to photography.

Read our full Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra review (opens in new tab).

A photo of the iPhone 14 Pro - one of the best camera phones

(Image credit: Basil Kronfli / Digital Camera World)

3. Apple iPhone 14 Pro

Phone 14 Pro combines Apple’s finest camera system with a pocketable design and advanced safety features

Our expert review:

Specifications

Release date:

September 2022

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)

OIS:

Yes

Weight:

207g

Dimensions:

147.5 x 71.5 x 7.9 mm

Storage:

128GB, 256GB, 512GB, 1TB

Today’s Best Deals

View at AT&T Mobility

View at Verizon Wireless

Check Amazon

Reasons to buy

Excellent camera performance

RAW photos are loaded with detail

Premium IP68 design

Powerful internals

Reasons to avoid

–

No SIM slot for US customers

–

Telephoto camera isn’t class-leading

–

Very expensive

The iPhone 14 Pro is a serious, pocketable powerhouse. Yes, it’s thick, but its relatively compact footprint and ample camera and power mix make it an enticing option, especially for photographers.

While it’s a shame there’s no pro mode for manual photography, the 14 Pro’s 48MP RAW photos capture excellent results. The automatic mode’s photo processing is also one of the best, if not the best, we’ve seen on a phone. Additionally, while the lack of a periscope zoom is a bugbear when using the Pro, on smaller phones, there’s less of an expectation for a far-reaching zoom.

So while the new iPhone 14 Pro is expensive, it’s a mighty phone with a brilliant camera, that’s powerful and lasts a full day. If you’re an Apple fan who likes more compact phones, the iPhone 14 is a no-brainer. But if you consider yourself a power user who needs a superior battery and the very best watching experience, then you should think about picking up the 14 Pro Max.

Read our full iPhone 14 Pro review (opens in new tab)

best camera phone - Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra

(Image credit: Basil Kronfli / Digital Camera World)

While not the latest Galaxy Ultra model, last year’s flagship’s four-camera system is top-notch, featuring wide, ultra-wide, telephoto, and super-zoom sensors. The first of these boasts a 108MP sensor, with an f/1.8 aperture, Dual Pixel AF, and an 85-degree field of view. The 12MP ultra-wide camera features an f/2.2 aperture and a 120-degree field of view. There’s also one 10MP telephoto with an equivalent three times zoom (f/2.4) and another 10MP telephoto with a 10 times zoom (f/4.9). And that’s not to mention the selfie camera, with its 40MP resolution, f/2.2 aperture, and 8K video capture at 24fps.

More broadly, this is a large, stylish, and powerful smartphone. Its 6.8-inch AMOLED screen is to die for, with smooth motion, vivid colors, impressive brightness, and 500 pixels per inch resolution.

The S Pen stylus is brilliant and gives you the kind of productivity you previously only got with a Galaxy Note. There’s a powerful 5,000 mAh battery to keep it going for hours, and the design and look of the phone are simple but, to our eyes, very stylish.

Read our full Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra review (opens in new tab).

A photo of the Google Pixel 7

(Image credit: Basil Kronfli)

The Google Pixel 7 is a very safe bet for photographers who want a balanced phone. Yes, you have to sacrifice a little manual control – no pro mode or access to 50MP RAW photos isn’t ideal. But for a point-and-shoot mobile, nothing in the Pixel’s price range can best it.

Google’s photo processing is tasteful and still ekes out loads of shadow detail, the large sensor does great things with close-up photos, blurring out the background naturally, and lowlight scenes, brightening things up reliably. The phone won’t be for photography purists, but it will likely check everyone else’s boxes from a camera point of view.

As for the rest of the phone – sure, more consistent battery performance would have been ideal in our week with the phone. The inclusion of wireless charging and IP68 water resistance is both a boon at the price, though, and after our third day with the phone, it always kept us alive from morning to night.

Read our full Google Pixel 7 review (opens in new tab).

A photo of the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 foldable Android phone

(Image credit: Basil Kronfli / Digital Camera World)

The Galaxy Z Fold 4 packs an improved camera array over the Z Fold 3, and Samsung’s camera software has also been overhauled. We weren’t blown away by the Z Fold 4’s automatic mode – it’s good, but nothing special, especially given the phone’s price – but the phone’s manual modes and Expert RAW features are excellent. This is especially true when matched with Flex Mode, for some super-steady shooting.

The rest of the phone is premium across the board. The design seems robust and durable – not as slimline as the Xiaomi Mix Fold 2, but definitely hardier-feeling. IPX8 water resistance is also a great boon for Samsung’s folding phones, and the Z Fold 4’s hinge, which locks at almost any point across the 180º rotation, is also very impressive. The competition’s foldable (available in China) spring open or closed, by contrast, preventing them from working with a Flex Mode style interface.

Add S Pen support and decent battery life to the mix, and the Galaxy Z Fold 4 is a mighty smartphone and foldable. Of course, we would have loved better camera hardware, but given how much better the photography experience is year-on-year, and how useful the Z Fold 4’s big screen is for third-party photography apps, it’s still a great choice.

Read our full Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 Review (opens in new tab).

Best camera phone: Sony Xperia 1 III

(Image credit: Basil Kronfli/Digital Camera World)

The Sony Xperia 1 III is the only choice for video pros and cinema buffs who want to get manual with their smartphone videography. It’s able to shoot footage at up to 21:9 for cinema-style capture, offers full manual control, and features a beautifully flat color profile, perfect for post-processing in Premiere Pro or Da Vinci Resolve (opens in new tab). Thankfully, almost everything else about this phone is excellent too, with a striking 21:9, 4K HDR screen, a clean UI, and a snappy chipset ensuring plenty of power under the hood. Sony photography fans will also appreciate all the Alpha elements that have made their way into the Xperia camera UI. If want the ultimate cinema experience, both from a content creation and consumption point of view, the Xperia 1 III is it.

Read our full Sony Xperia 1 III review (opens in new tab).

Today’s best Sony Xperia 1 III deals

Xperia 1 III - 5G Smartphone...

$798

View

Sony Xperia 1 III 512GB...

$825

View

A photo of the OnePlus 11 smartphone

(Image credit: Basil Kronfli / Digital Camera World)

If we could use one word to describe the OnePlus 11 5G, it would be “balanced”. The phone balances a very fair price with a rich feature set and a powerful camera system, and importantly – doesn’t pull up any real red flags.

By going back to its roots, OnePlus has created a phone that doesn’t need to compete on every single feature. It costs less than the incredibly expensive iPhone 14 Pro and Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra, so its zoom range can afford to be pared back, and the lack of wireless charging isn’t a deal-breaker.

In the core areas you need your smartphone to be great – design, screen, primary camera, performance, battery life – OnePlus absolutely nails it. While in the past, therefore, we weren’t sold on OnePlus being absorbed into Oppo, if this phone’s anything to go by, the future is once again bright for this once plucky upstart.

Read our full OnePlus 11 Pro 5G review (opens in new tab).

George Cairns iPhone 14 review

(Image credit: George Cairns)