The Best Camera Phones of 2024

The best camera you own can be the one you carry every day

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Most smartphones have enough smarts to be the best camera you've ever owned.

We evaluated several smartphones to find the best camera phones. Read on to see our recommendations.

in this article

Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max

Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max.

Apple

Camera Comparison

iPhone 14 Pro Max
  • 48MP primary camera

  • 12MP ultra-wide

  • 12MP telephoto

  • 12MP front camera

iPhone 15 Pro Max
  • 48MP primary camera

  • 48MP ultra-wide

  • 48MP telephoto

  • 12MP front camera

Apple's iPhone 14 Pro Max and 15 Pro Max deliver impressive specs as the company continues to improve its rear-camera system, adding more perks per generation.

These improvements result in better overall pictures, mainly low-light photos. Its front-facing cam produces clean, sharp selfies.

Camera Comparison

S23 Ultra
  • 200MP wide

  • 12MP ultra-wide

  • 10MP telephoto with 3x zoom

  • 10MP telephoto with 10x zoom

  • 12MP front camera

S24 Ultra
  • 200MP wide

  • 12MP ultra-wide

  • 10MP telephoto with 3x zoom

  • 50MP telephoto with 10x zoom

  • 12MP front camera

Samsung’s Galaxy S23 and S24 Ultra have four rear cameras, including two telephoto lenses each. The cameras perform well in all sorts of situations—outside, inside, in low light, portrait mode—with effective image stabilization and high levels of detail.

Camera Comparison

Pixel 7 Pro
  • 50MP wide

  • 12MP ultra-wide

  • 48MP telephoto

  • 10.8MP front camera

Pixel 8 Pro
  • 50MP wide

  • 48MP ultra-wide

  • 48MP telephoto

  • 10.5MP front camera

The Google Pixel 7 Pro and 8 Pro take fantastic photos thanks to their trio of high-resolution cameras. 

Google updated its Real Tone algorithm to capture darker skin tones, and its Photo Unblur tool sharpens out-of-focus pictures. The Pixel 8 Pro uses Google AI to amp up photo and video output and editing.

FAQ
  • Does phone camera quality get worse?

    If you don’t update your software on your phone and protect your camera lenses, photo quality can get worse over time. To protect your camera phone’s quality, update your software to the latest version, clean your lenses, and consider adding a screen protector to the camera lens portion of your phone.

  • How do you know if your smartphone has good camera quality?

    If you have a phone with more than one camera lens on the back, your phone likely has a pretty good camera. This is not to say single-lens configurations aren’t good, as some single-lens rear cameras effectively take clear pictures. Still, many modern smartphones have a primary camera, a wide-angle lens, and a telephoto lens. 

  • How can you improve your phone camera quality?

    You can improve your phone’s camera quality by taking photos in optimal lighting conditions, using software that enhances photo quality, and keeping your lenses free from dirt and debris.

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