The best camera phones in 2022 compared
| Best camera phone in 2022 | Best Android camera phone | Best sub-$400 camera phone | Best $400 alternative phone | Best sub-$300 camera phone | Best $300 alternative phone | Best sub-$200 camera phone | Best $200 alternative phone | |
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| Technical data | Display 6.1″, 120 Hz, OLED, 2532 x 1170 pixels SoC Camera Battery |
Display 6.7″, 120 Hz, AMOLED, 1440 x 3120 pixels, QHD+ SoC Camera Battery |
Display 6.1″, 90 Hz, AMOLED, 2,400 x 1,080 pixels, FHD+ SoC Camera Battery |
Display 4.7″, 60 Hz, LCD, 1334 x 750 SoC Camera Battery |
Display 6.67″, 120 Hz, AMOLED, 2,400 x 1,080, FHD+ SoC Camera Battery |
Display 6.4”, AMOLED, 90 Hz, 2400 x 1080, FHD+ SoC Camera Battery |
Display 6.43”, 90 Hz, AMOLED, 2400 x 1080, FHD+ SoC Camera Battery |
Display 6.43″, 90 Hz, AMOLED, 2,400 x 1,080, FHD+ SoC Camera Battery |
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| Rating | Read the Apple iPhone 14 Pro review | Read the Google Pixel 7 Pro review | Read the Google Pixel 6a review | Read the Apple iPhone SE (2022) review | Read the Xiaomi Redmi Note 11 Pro (5G) review | Read the Realme 9 Pro+ review | Not yet reviewed | Read the Xiaomi Redmi Note 11 review |
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Of course, there’s more to a smartphone than just a good camera. That’s why you can read in more detail about our selection of the best camera phones below. If you’d like to know, even more, you’ll also find the link to our in-depth review of each smartphone.
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Buying guide: How to find the best camera phone?
Before we go into more detail about our selection of smartphones with the best cameras, we would first want to talk about a few basic smartphone camera features that you will come across time and again in our reviews.
How many cameras are useful?
Obviously, the more cameras your smartphone has, the more flexible you can be when taking pictures. The main sensors, for example, usually have a focal length of 24 to 26 millimeters, which is equivalent to 35 mm. This corresponds to a relatively large angle of view and is well suited for landscape and city shots, for example.
For portraits or distant subjects, however, you need a telephoto zoom lens, usually between about 70 and 240 millimeters. The higher the resolution of the main camera, the more room you have for a digital zoom without having to rely on a real telephoto lens. It is unfortunate that the law of physics simply sets limits in this aspect. On the other hand, many smartphones offer an ultra-wide angle camera that is suitable for particularly wide subjects.
All other sensors for bokeh, macro, black-and-white, and others fall under the category of “data sheet padding” and have virtually no use.
What do focal length and optical zoom mean?
The focal length of a camera is always shown in millimeters. The higher the number, the more “powerful the zoom”, which translates to a greater degree of magnification you get. The main cameras of smartphones usually range from 24 to 26 millimeters in 35 mm equivalent. Ultra-wide-angle cameras with “0.5x” have half the focal length and would be at 12 to 13 millimeters accordingly. A 3x telephoto zoom camera would then be 72 to 78 millimeters in 35 mm equivalent.
The optical zoom of a camera system is the ratio between the smallest and largest focal length. A camera system with 12 to 120 millimeters, therefore, has a 10x zoom. In the case of smartphones, however, the manufacturers usually calculate from the main camera—from 24 to 120 millimeters would therefore be a 5x zoom according to this calculation method, and an ultra-wide angle camera with 12 millimeters is 0.5x.
As if that wasn’t weird enough, manufacturers replace the upper optical focal length with an arbitrary maximum value for a digital zoom to calculate the zoom factor—and then come up with a 50x, 100x, or 200x zoom that has long since lost any meaning.
What does the sensor size mean?
Another important point for estimating the image quality is the size of the image sensors in smartphones. The larger the sensor, the more light it captures and, in turn, the better the image quality. The sensor size is usually specified in 1/1.2-inch format—the smaller the number under the fraction, the larger the sensor and the better the expected image quality.
Sensor size is also directly related to pixel size via resolution. Roughly speaking, the pixel size in microns is calculated by dividing the edge length of the sensor by the horizontal or vertical resolution. The larger the pixels, the more light they capture and the better the image quality.
What is aperture?
The term “aperture” describes the focal length of the optical system in relation to the diameter of the entrance pupil of the lens. It sounds complicated, but you only need to remember one thing here: The smaller the number, the more light is allowed into the sensor, and the less image noise you will theoretically have at night. Therefore, F1.6 is better than F2.0. The f-number is often also written as aperture ratio, then in the format f/2.0.
Of all the technical key data of smartphone cameras, however, one great unknown quantity remains: image processing in the smartphone. The quality of the algorithms that convert the raw data from the sensor into JPEG or HEIC images is often more important than the technical data of the smartphone camera. Therefore, it is always worth taking a look at our sample photo galleries, which NextPit provides in their original size for all current smartphone reviews, apart from the spec sheet.
The best camera smartphones in 2022
Here is some bad news in advance: The presumably best camera smartphone of 2022 is neither the iPhone 14 Pro (Max) nor the Google Pixel 7 Pro, nor a Samsung smartphone. The Xiaomi 12S Ultra convinced us in the NextPit review as well as you in the big camera blind test. However, you cannot buy the smartphone in the US, at least not via the manufacturer itself—and the Xiaomi 12S Ultra also has a few clear drawbacks besides the great camera.
In the end, the NextPit editorial team chose the Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max and the Google Pixel 7 Pro. Both smartphones offer brilliant cameras and an excellent overall smartphone package at the same time.
The Apple phone with the best camera: iPhone 14 Pro (Max)
iPhone 14 Pro review on NextPit
iPhone 14 Pro Max review on NextPit
The iPhone 14 Pro (Max) is the smartphone with probably the best camera in 2022 that you can buy in the US. There may be smartphones that offer more powerful telephoto lenses, like the Pixel 7 Pro or the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra for example. However, the iPhone 14 Pro (Max) has made it to the first place in this best list with its very strong night mode, fast and reliable autofocus, and excellent camera app.
Probably the biggest innovation in the iPhone 14 Pro is the main sensor, which now has a resolution of 48 megapixels. The additional pixels mainly help to close the gap between the main camera and the 3x telephoto lens—because, with the 2x zoom, the camera still has a 12-megapixel section in the center of the image sensor. Apart from that, however, Apple has tweaked the image quality on all fronts. The iPhone 14 Pro Max also performed very well in our camera blind test, especially when it comes to night photos.
Otherwise, the new iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max impress with the strong A16 Bionic SoC and a great display including the Always-On feature and Dynamic Island. However, you will still have to live without fast charging in 2022, and apart from the display island, virtually nothing has changed in terms of design.
The best Android camera smartphone: Google Pixel 7 Pro
Google Pixel 7 Pro review on NextPit
The best camera currently available in an Android smartphone can be found in the Google Pixel 7 Pro, which replaces the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra in this comparison. Whether you take pictures during the day or at night, the smartphone simply delivers outstandingly good photos. In addition, the striking camera module offers a strong zoom and numerous smart features—for example, you can retouch disturbing people or objects from photos with a tap of your finger.
Like the iPhone 14 Pro (Max), the Google Pixel 7 Pro also offers a really great display. The AMOLED panel is simply fun with up to 120 Hz frame rate. Finally, the new Tensor SoC offers a convincing performance with above-average battery life at the same time. What more could you want?
You should definitely get a case because the smartphone can get quite slippery. And if you are one of the few people without a USB-C charger, you will also need one. Google ships the Pixel 7 Pro without a power adapter. You do not need a particularly expensive power adapter because the maximum charging speed of 30 watts is rather modest.
Buy the Google Pixel 7 Pro on Amazon
The best sub-$400 camera smartphone: Google Pixel 6a
Google Pixel 6a review on NextPit
One thing about the Google Pixel 6a is how its camera configuration will not win the prize for the smartphone with the most cameras in the sub-$400 category. The smartphone only has a dual camera and does without the macro and bokeh sensors, which are both common and useless additions in this price range. In return, both cameras benefit from Google’s sophisticated image processing algorithms and deliver really great photos—almost on the level of the big Pixels.
Apart from the camera, the Pixel 6a pleases with its tidy vanilla Android and long-term update supply—and strong performance. The Pixel 6a is equipped with the Tensor SoC of its bigger siblings, the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro, and the IP67 certification against dust and water is not quite par for the course in this price range. The only thing you have to like is the form factor: The Pixel 6a is relatively compact.
What the competition from the likes of Xiaomi and others does better in this price range are their displays, though. The screen in the Pixel 6a can run at a maximum of 60 Hz. You will also not find wireless charging in the smartphone, and charging via cable only works with 18 watts.
Buy the Google Pixel 6a on Amazon
If you are not committed to Android, then the iPhone SE 2022 (review) is also a hot recommendation for a smartphone with a good camera that retails for approximately $400. With a bit of luck, you can find an entry-level iPhone for just below that price point. Although there is neither a telephoto zoom nor an ultra-wide angle camera, it has a very strong main camera that is almost as good as the one in the iPhone 13, for example.
Buy the Apple iPhone SE 2022 on Amazon
The best sub-$300 camera smartphone: Xiaomi Redmi Note 11 Pro
Xiaomi Redmi Note 11 Pro review on NextPit
The Xiaomi Redmi Note 11 Pro is not only a smartphone with a really good camera for less than $300. It also deserves a place in our list of the best smartphones of up to $300. The 108-megapixel main camera convinced Ben in the review with its great image quality, although the ultra-wide angle camera saw noticeable drops in quality. You can safely forget the two additional sensors for macro and bokeh.
As is typical for Xiaomi, the Redmi Note 11 Pro has a great AMOLED display. The MediaTek Helio G96 SoC is also convincing in practical, everyday use. However, you will have to live without 5G, and as usual for Xiaomi, the update situation is not that great. The manufacturer promises just two major Android updates and three years of security patches. Samsung, for example, is already much further ahead with its smartphones.
Buy the Xiaomi Redmi Note 11 Pro on Amazon
You just can’t get used to the Xiaomi Redmi Note 11 Pro? Then take a look at the Realme 9 Pro+ (review), which also offers a great camera. The display “only” manages 90 Hz, but the MediaTek Dimensity 920 SoC supports 5G.
Buy the Realme 9 Pro+ on Amazon
The best sub-$200 camera smartphone: Poco M5
As your eagle eyes may have already spied on the photo, the Poco M5 offers a triple camera configuration. However, only the main camera with a resolution of 50 megapixels and an aperture of F1.8 is really useful. The macro and bokeh sensors with 2 megapixels each mainly serve to pimp the spec sheet a bit.
Apart from the usable main camera, the Poco M5 convinces with decent performance. The smartphone is equipped with a MediaTek Helio G99 SoC that offers good performance and also supports NFC. However, you will, unfortunately, have to make do without 5G—and the somewhat more powerful version of the Poco M5 with 6 GB of working memory is unfortunately not available in selected markets. Nevertheless, the 5,000 mAh battery ensures excellent battery runtime.
Buy the Poco M5 on Amazon
If you do not like the Poco M5, then you will find another exciting smartphone with a good camera within the $200 price range in the form of the Xiaomi Redmi Note 11.
Buy the Xiaomi Redmi Note 11 on Amazon
What do you think of our selection? Which models have we overlooked that you think should be included here? We would be very happy to hear your feedback in the comments.
