Best camera phone 2023: Smartphones with stargazing capabilities
The best camera phones on the market are getting more and more advanced and are even approaching ‘proper’ cameras in some cases, in terms of quality and imaging technology. We’ve compiled a list of the very best on the market today and put them in this guide, so you can make the right decision based on your needs.
Here you’ll find the top camera phones available on the market, including models that are excellent for both general photography and low-light shooting. From the newest and best to something a little different, you’ll find a variety of models from manufacturers like Apple, Samsung, Google, Huawei, and OnePlus that can give outstanding wide-angle shots, ultra-clean ‘Night Modes,’ or just a great value package.
Although it is true that the best camera phones are constantly evolving in terms of technology and sophistication, the engineers and designers are restricted in what they can try and do due to the size of the phones, so it should come as no surprise that they cannot compete with the best DSLR and mirrorless cameras. The same goes for Night Modes, too, as even the best camera phones can’t keep up with the top astrophotography cameras on the market.
Having said that, larger aperture lenses are improving sensor quality and sensitivity in smartphone cameras, to the point where flagship phones can now take fantastic images at night. Some smartphones boast huge digital zooms that can take detailed close-ups of the moon (by cropping a regular image). The software is improving yearly and can now produce relatively clean shots. See our guide on smartphone astrophotography to learn more.
If you’re looking for guidance on astrophotography for beginners then you’ll also want to check out our guide for the best camera accessories for astrophotography. If you’re looking for quality cameras and discounts then you can also check out our round-ups of the best cameras and best camera deals. However, for the best camera phones on the market today, keep on reading.
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Best camera phone 2023
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The latest and greatest from Apple, the iPhone 14 Pro Max is just a few months old.
(Image credit: Apple)
Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max
Best camera phone overall: In terms of technology, this is the best iPhone yet for photographers
Our expert review:
Specifications
Weight:
8.47 oz (240g)
Dimensions:
160.7 x 77.6 x 7.85mm
Operating system:
iOS
Screen size:
6.7-inch
Screen resolution:
1284 x 2778
CPU:
A16 Bionic
RAM:
6GB
Rear camera:
48MP + 12MP + 12MP
Front camera:
12MP
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Check Amazon
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Reasons to buy
+
Night Mode
+
Good video stabilization
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Best iPhone camera yet
Reasons to avoid
–
Expensive
–
Much like 13 Pro Max
Unsurprisingly, Apple is a big hitter in this guide and their newest 6.7-inch flagship smartphone is top-of-the-range. This camera phone’s cutting-edge quad-pixel sensor allows it to take brighter pictures with up to four times the resolution, even in low light and at night. Additionally, it has a high-quality Night Mode, which makes it possible to capture decent shots of the night sky and, if you’re ever in the Arctic Circle, great images of the Aurora Borealis.
That Night mode automatically kicks in when it’s dark, just like the built-in high dynamic range (HDR) mode for all your shots. The phone’s simplicity is complemented by advanced hardware. Selfies and video calls are high-resolution, as is video, with 4K/60 frames per second, making it a great choice for vloggers and content creators, too.
The main camera has seen the biggest update from its predecessor — in fact, this is the first iPhone to use a 48MP 1/1.28-inch sensor with a Quad-Bayer color filter.
Pretty much the best android phone, the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra can take huge 200-megapixel images.
(Image credit: Samsung)
Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra
Best Android smartphone camera: This new high-end Android phone is a photographer’s dream
Our expert review:
Average Amazon review:
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Specifications
Weight:
8.3 oz
Dimensions:
7.12 x 3.71 x 1.08-inches (163.4 x 78.1 x 8.9 mm)
Operating system:
Android
Screen size:
6.8-inch
Screen resolution:
3088 x 1440 (Edge Quad HD+)
CPU:
Snapdragon® 8 Gen 2
RAM:
8GB & 12GB options
Rear camera:
200MP + 12MP + 10MP + 10MP
Front camera:
12MP
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Reasons to buy
+
200-megapixel sensor
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10x optical zoom
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100x digital zoom
Reasons to avoid
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Massive file sizes
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An expensive handset
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Bulky design
Released in February 2023, the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra has truly raised the bar when it comes to camera phones — sporting a massive 200MP camera which to date is the highest resolution camera on any phone. They’ve also equipped this phone with their fastest processor ever and advanced night photography, and it also comes with an integrated S-Pen with a camera shutter button.
It has an astro hyperlapse feature, which records timelapses and speeds them up to turn them into stunning short videos — a great feature for capturing star trails. You can also switch to Expert RAW to shoot beautiful 50MP photos and with its noise-reducing capabilities and impressive battery life, we think this phone will be incredible for shooting astrophotography.
The Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max photographed during testing for our review
(Image credit: Lloyd Coombes)
Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max
Best for ease of use: A great value iPhone for photographers
Our expert review:
Specifications
Weight:
8.46 ounces (240 grams)
Dimensions:
6.33 x 3.07 x 0.30-inches (146.7mm x 71.5mm x 7.7mm
Operating system:
iOS
Screen size:
6.7-inch
Screen resolution:
2778 x 1284
CPU:
A15 Bionic
RAM:
6GB
Rear camera:
12MP + 12MP + 12MP
Front camera:
12MP
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Reasons to buy
+
Excellent battery life
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Improved camera suite
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Night Mode portraits
Reasons to avoid
–
Expensive
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Camera array protrudes slightly
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Only 3x optical zoom
Since the iPhone 12 Pro, not much has changed in terms of design, but some of the changes have improved this phone’s photography capabilities. For users who aren’t wanting to spend big bucks on the newer iPhone 14, and soon-to-be-released iPhone 15, the iPhone 13 Pro Max is still a great option — check out our iPhone 13 Pro Max review to see what we thought of it.
Its rear camera system includes an ultra-wide and a wide lens with larger apertures, a telephoto lens (something the iPhone 13 lacks) with 3x optical zoom and a LiDAR scanner for quicker autofocus and for taking portraits in Night Mode. What’s more, the iPhone 13 Pro Max supports ProRes video recording at up to 4K/30 frames per second and Apple ProRAW for taking professional-quality photos.
- Read our Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max review.
The Huawei P50 Pro stock images displaying two color options.
(Image credit: Huawei)
Huawei P50 Pro
Best for optical zoom: An excellent value flagship smartphone with a 200x zoom range
Our expert review:
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Specifications
Weight:
195g (6.88 oz)
Dimensions:
158.8 x 72.8 x 8.5mm (6.25 x 2.87 x 0.33 in)
Operating system:
EMUI 12
Screen size:
6.6 inch
Screen resolution:
1228 x 2700
CPU:
Octa-core
RAM:
8GB
Rear camera:
50MP + 64MP + 13MP + 40MP
Front camera:
13MP
View at Amazon
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Reasons to buy
+
Excellent engineering
+
200x optical zoom
+
Sleek design
Reasons to avoid
–
Lacks Google apps
–
Green cast on night portraits
When it comes to optical zoom, the Huawei P50 Pro is hard to beat. Its 64MP periscope telephoto lens has a 200x zoom range — although admittedly, going by the sample images on their website, you start to lose image quality from 50x and over. They also claim to have professional-grade color accuracy, making landscape and portrait images come to life with natural tones and colors. This camera reportedly performs brilliantly in low light, too, giving a wide dynamic range and low noise levels in all conditions which would be suited to astrophotography.
Unfortunately, though, there’s an elephant in the room. Huawei smartphones now don’t support Google Play apps and services, which may make them less desirable to many consumers.
The Google Pixel 7 Pro is special for photography, not just for its myriad quality lenses, but its image processing too.
(Image credit: Google)
Google Pixel 7 Pro
Best for built-in software: A unique-looking camera array and a 50MP sensor
Our expert review:
Specifications
Weight:
212g
Dimensions:
162.9 x 76.6 x 8.9 mm (6.41 x 3.02 x 0.35 in)
Operating system:
Android
Screen size:
6.7-inch
Screen resolution:
1440 x 3120
CPU:
Google Tensor
RAM:
8GB & 12GB options
Rear camera:
50MP + 48MP + 12MP
Front camera:
10.8MP
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Reasons to buy
+
Photo Unblur and Magic Eraser modes
+
Runs Android 13 OS
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Stylish design
Reasons to avoid
–
Not a huge upgrade on the Pro 6
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Fewer color options
In terms of in-camera software and photo editing, this Google smartphone is the best available. Open the camera app, and you’ll see all the standard shooting modes, like portrait, panorama and a low-light setting called Night Sight. There’s also a new Cinematic Blur setting to record videos with a shallow depth of field — something the Pixel Pro 6 didn’t offer. The Pixel 7 Pro also comes with Photo Unblur and Magic Eraser for removing people and objects from photos after the fact.
It may not seem like a huge upgrade from its predecessor in many areas, but the Pixel 7 Pro features a 50MP wide lens, a 12MP ultrawide lens and a 48MP telephoto lens with 5x optical zoom and 30x SuperRes Zoom, compared to the 4x optical zoom and 20x SuperRes Zoom of the previous model. With regard to the ultrawide lens, it now has a 21% larger field of view and supports macro focus.
The OnePlus11 is the best camera on a OnePlus handset to date.
(Image credit: OnePlus)
OnePlus 11
Best for portrait photography: A partnership with iconic photography company Hasselblad makes for a unique camera phone
Our expert review:
Average Amazon review:
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Specifications
Weight:
205g (7.23 oz)
Dimensions:
163.1 x 74.1 x 8.5mm (6.42 x 2.92 x 0.33 in)
Operating system:
Android 13
Screen size:
6.7-inch
Screen resolution:
1440 x 3216
CPU:
Octa-core
RAM:
Up to 16GB
Rear camera:
50MP + 48MP + 32MP
Front camera:
32MP
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Reasons to buy
+
Hasselblad-calibrated colors
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Fast charging
+
Impressive main camera
Reasons to avoid
–
No wireless charging
–
No ultrawide 150-degree camera
Released at the beginning of 2023, the OnePlus 11 is very clearly an evolution of the popular OnePlus 10 Pro design, although the camera array is now cased in a circular glass element that resembles that of a camera, with the Hasselblad logo in the center. We think the design of the OnePlus 11 is absolutely stunning.
On paper, the OnePlus 11 camera setup is the best one on a OnePlus phone to date, however, if you’re specifically shooting landscape photography, you may miss the 150-degree ultrawide lens that was on the OnePlus 10 Pro, which they’ve now removed. There’s still an ultra-wide lens on the OnePlus 11, but it doesn’t have as much reach. The 32MP telephoto lens is a significant improvement over the previous 8MP model, however, you do lose out on the zoom range slightly — going from 3.3x down to 2x zoom. That said, the 2x zoom is still more than capable, particularly for portrait photos.
Honourable mentions
While not the newest or best camera phones out there, here are some of our favorite older models that used to feature in this guide before the newer versions were released. Even though they aren’t the newest models anymore, we still think they’re worth mentioning as great camera phones and now that they’re a little older you could even find them for a discount when compared to the newest models.
Pretty much the best android phone, the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra can take huge 108-megapixel images.
(Image credit: Samsung)
Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra
Best Android smartphone camera: This high-end Android phone is a photographer’s favorite
Our expert review:
Average Amazon review:
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Specifications
Weight:
229g
Dimensions:
6.5 x 2.98 x 0.35-inches (165.1 x 75.6 x 8.9 mm)
Operating system:
Android
Screen size:
6.8-inch
Screen resolution:
1440 x 3200
CPU:
Qualcomm Snapdragon 888
RAM:
12GB
Rear camera:
108MP + 10MP + 10MP + 12MP
Front camera:
40MP
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Reasons to buy
+
108-megapixel sensor
+
10x optical zoom
+
100x digital zoom
Reasons to avoid
–
Massive file sizes
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Lacks micro SD card slot
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Bulky design
A large part of why this phone is so impressive is its incredible 108-megapixel image sensor. Although technically you can take ultra-high resolution images, that massive megapixel capability is there to improve pictures taken in low light. The 6.8-inch Galaxy S21 Ultra takes a photo with nine separate 12-megapixel shots before removing the “noisy” pixels to produce a cleaner and more detailed image.
Although you can capture 108-megapixel pure photos with that sensor, why would you want to? Particularly considering that you cannot expand the phone’s 512 GB of built-in storage, which would fill up pretty quickly at that rate. For photographers, the 10x optical and enormous 100x digital zooms are more appealing, which can be useful when you mount the Galaxy S21 Ultra on a tripod.
The Huawei P40 Pro Plus offers 10x optical zoom through an actual zoom lens.
(Image credit: Huawei)
Huawei P40 Pro+
Best for optical zoom: An excellent value flagship smartphone with seven lenses and a useful 10x optical zoom
Our expert review:
Specifications
Weight:
7.97 oz (226g)
Dimensions:
6.23 x 2.86 x 0.35″ (158.2 x 72.6 x 9mm)
Operating system:
Android
Screen size:
6.58-inch
Screen resolution:
1200 x 2640
CPU:
Kirin 990 5G
RAM:
86GB
Rear camera:
50MP + 40MP + 8MP + 8MP
Front camera:
32MP
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View at Amazon
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View at Amazon
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Reasons to buy
+
Excellent engineering
+
Leica lens
+
Night Mode on telephoto camera
Reasons to avoid
–
Lacks Google apps
–
No Night Mode on ultra-wide camera
If you’re having trouble choosing between Huawei’s P40 Pro and P40 Pro Plus — the latter offers 10x optical zoom through an actual zoom lens, providing greater detail and editing choices than any resolution-killing zoom. However, there’s a lot more to get excited about on this 6.58-inch smartphone, which brings no fewer than seven lenses, including a 3x optical telephoto, ultra-wide lens and a time-of-flight depth sensor. The camera’s night mode increases dynamic range and sharpness to generate clear, vivid images that most visibly reveal greater detail in shadows. It also works well on the telephoto lens, though less well on the ultrawide lens.
It’s important to bear in mind that Huawei phones no longer support Google apps and services, though there are myriad workarounds and replacement apps to fill the void.
Although not the newest model, the Samsung Galaxy S21 Plus is still a great value option
(Image credit: Samsung)
Samsung Galaxy S21 Plus
Best value Android camera phone: This good value effort includes 30x zoom, 8K video capture and a clean Night Mode
Our expert review:
Average Amazon review:
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Specifications
Weight:
7.05 oz (200g)
Dimensions:
6.36 x 2.98 x 0.31″ (151.7 x 71.2 x 7.9 mm)
Operating system:
Android
Screen size:
6.7-inch
Screen resolution:
1080 x 2400
CPU:
Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 / Exynos 2100
RAM:
8GB
Rear camera:
Rear camera: 12MP + 64MP + 12MP
Front camera:
102MP
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View at Best Buy
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Reasons to buy
+
8K video capture
+
Bright Night Mode
+
Long battery life
Reasons to avoid
–
Ageing camera tech
–
Night Mode requires stability
It may not have the mighty 108-megapixel camera and 100x zoom of Samsung’s flagship models, but the Samsung Galaxy S21 plus is kinder on the wallet, and still offers a lot to photographers despite using very similar tech to the older Galaxy S20 Plus.
The 12-megapixel wide-angle and ultra-wide-angle lenses and the 64-megapixel telephoto lens are housed in a newly designed camera strip on the back of this 6.7-inch handset. The latter offers 3x optical zoom and 30x digital. In bright conditions, the Samsung Galaxy S21 Plus takes colorful, vibrant and detailed photos that are equal to most other phones, while in low light, it produces images that are a touch brighter than, say, the iPhone. However, the Night Mode greatly benefits from using a tripod (or at least balancing it on a wall or similar).
Although slightly older, the Apple iPhone 12 Pro can still compete with newer models
(Image credit: Apple)
Apple iPhone 12 Pro
Best value iPhone: It may no longer be the flagship but this camera phone still sports cutting-edge tech
Our expert review:
Specifications
Weight:
6.67 oz (189g)
Dimensions:
5.78 x 2.81 x 0.29-inches (146.7mm x 71.5mm x 7.4 mm)
Operating system:
iOS
Screen size:
6-inch
Screen resolution:
1170 x 2532
CPU:
A14 Bionic
RAM:
6GB
Rear camera:
12MP + 12MP + 12MP
Front camera:
12MP
Visit Site
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Reasons to buy
+
OLED display
+
Night Mode
+
Three camera array
Reasons to avoid
–
Average battery life
–
Uses an older chipset
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Only 2x optical zoom
Can this aging iPhone still hold its own? Actually, yes it can. A 6.1-inch smartphone with a triple camera setup — a wide-angle, ultra-wide and telephoto (the latter with 2x optical zoom) all capture thoroughly decent 12-megapixel images. What may be slightly behind the times is its meager 2x optical zoom. Although it can’t capture distant subjects as well as Samsung (and other) flagship phones, it’s much better for better-composing portrait shots. Arguably, the latter is more useful on a smartphone.
The same could be said for Night Mode, which is possible via the iPhone 12 Pro’s rear lenses, which are vastly improved here than on previous models. You’ll be able to record 4K video at 60 frames per second and benefit from rapid autofocus in low light, in addition to Apple’s ProRAW image format and the LiDAR depth-scanning sensor. What you miss out on compared to the iPhone 13 Pro is the latter’s Apple A15 Bionic chip, slightly faster apertures and bigger sensors, 3x optical zoom and Cinematic Mode for video recording.
How we test the best camera phones 2023
In order to guarantee you’re getting honest, up-to-date recommendations on the best camera phones to buy here at Space.com we make sure to put every camera phone through a rigorous review to fully test each product. Each camera phone is reviewed based on a multitude of aspects, from its construction and design, to how well it functions as an optical instrument and its performance in the field.
Each camera phone is carefully tested by either our expert staff or knowledgeable freelance contributors who know their subject areas in depth. This ensures fair reviewing is backed by personal, hands-on experience with each camera phone and is judged based on its price point, class and destined use.
We look at how easy each camera phone is to operate, whether it contains the latest up-to-date imaging technology, whether the camera phones can shoot high-quality stills photos and high-resolution video and also make suggestions if a particular camera phone would benefit from any additional kit to give you the best viewing experience possible.
With complete editorial independence, Space.com are here to ensure you get the best buying advice on camera phones, whether you should purchase a device or not, making our buying guides and reviews reliable and transparent.
