Top 5 Camera Phones for Mobile Photo & Video

Why Use a Big Camera?

Camera phones these days are seriously next-level, especially for creators. With screens getting bigger, sensors sharper, and processors faster, it’s tough to keep up with the latest and greatest.

But it’s not all about sheer power; it’s about having the right tools at your fingertips. Picking the best camera phone isn’t just a numbers game. What works for one person might not be your perfect match, depending on how and when you shoot. From lenses to how these phones perform in different lighting, there’s a lot to think about.

To make things easier, we’ve rounded up our top picks. Whether you're documenting your family on the go or capturing those soft low-light portraits for Instagram, there's a phone that'll do it right.

Bonus: If you're looking for comprehensive education on mobile filmmaking, including gear recommendations, camera settings, editing tips, and more — you'll love our 1-hour long Mobile Filmmaking 101 Course.

1. iPhone 16 Pro

Best For Photography

Tim Cook and crew have mastered the art of cramming serious camera power into your hand, sometimes even outperforming mirrorless cameras. Enter the all-new iPhone 16 Pro with its 48MP Main camera and an advanced quad-pixel sensor. Thanks to a 65% larger sensor and some serious Apple silicon muscle, low-light shots just got way better. And with 4x the resolution in ProRAW, you’re getting insane detail in every crop.

What We Love:

The quad-pixel format means you can crop your photos creatively without losing quality. More data = more chances to get the shot you want.

Apple’s latest Deep Fusion kicks in earlier for richer colors and brighter details, while their new “Photonic Engine” is a game-changer for low-light shots, pushing smartphone photography to new heights.

The Details:

Brand: Apple

Product Type: Smartphone Camera

Best For: Anyone needs a professional-grade mobile smartphone camera for any and all creative use cases, including photography and filmmaking. It is incredible for low-light scenes.

2. iPhone 15 Pro Max

Best For Filmmaking

This iPhone feels like a camera. The iPhone 15 Pro Max stands alongside the iconic iPhone 4, which Steve Jobs once compared to a “beautiful old Leica camera.

Now, I’ve had my fair share of giant iPhones—my experience with the iPhone 12 Pro Max made me swear off larger screens for a while. Even the regular iPhone 14 Pro felt borderline too big and heavy. So, I went into the 15 Pro Max expecting the same discomfort, a huge slab of glass and more cold metal to fuss with. But its features are just too darn good to pass up, including an impressive 5x optical zoom, equivalent to a 120mm focal length. Meanwhile, the regular 15 Pro sticks with the solid 3x zoom, but the Max takes things further for those who want more reach.

When it comes to video, the iPhone 15 is pretty next-level. You’re getting 4K video recording at up to 60 frames per second, which means super crisp and smooth footage. It’s got Dolby Vision HDR, which makes your colors pop and adds depth to your shots, giving them a more cinematic look. There’s also improved image stabilization, so even handheld shots come out steady. And for all you filmmakers out there, it supports ProRes and LOG recording, which is huge if you’re serious about editing.

Long Battery Life

Best battery performance we’ve seen on any iPhone lineup.

AMAZING Color Graded Footage

LOG footage from the Pro Max is massive but incredible in quality, outshining anything we’ve tested before. Apple keeps fine-tuning, and the 15 series' focus is all about video. When shot in LOG, video quality rivals pro gear like our Sony FX3. The results are flat-out amazing, making the iPhone a serious contender for a second-angle camera.

The Details:

Brand: Apple

Product Type: Smartphone

Best For: Mobile filmmakers that want almost pro-level mobile footage. Pair it with some mobile accessores nd a filmmaker cage, and you're set.

3. Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra

Best Camera For Zoom

This thing is pretty stacked for mobile photography — tons of features for people who really care about getting the best shot. You’ve got your ultra-wide camera for those big, bright landscapes, and the zoom is super versatile, with a 10x telephoto that’s honestly impressive. Samsung even threw in two telephoto modules, so long-range shots are never an issue. They come out sharp with a lot of detail.

The 5x portrait lens is a bold move, but it works. Plus, you’ve got this 50-megapixel sensor that can crop to a 10x zoom at 12 megapixels, which is clutch for shooting faraway stuff, like concerts or your kid’s soccer game. The stabilization is also impressive, which I wasn't expecting.

Here’s where it gets a little tricky, though: the AI screams gimmick. It’s powerful, no doubt, but it can be a bit finicky at times. It tries really hard to enhance the shot, but sometimes, it overdoes it. I prefer the simplicity of a phone camera.

As for video, it’s not quite on the iPhone 15 Pro Max level. Samsung’s done some good stuff with color accuracy and noise reduction, but the exposure and color stability aren’t always consistent, especially in tricky lighting. It’s not a dealbreaker, but if video is your main thing, you’ll probably notice it.

Amazing Camera Zoom

With their 5x telephoto lenses, the Galaxy S24 Ultra is a rockstar.

AI Features for Non-Professionals

A ton of AI features to highlight the various downfalls of photography or filmmaker for those who need an extra boost.

The Details:

Brand: Samsung

Product Type: Smartphone

Best For: Everyday shooters who want a sharp zoom.

4. Google Pixel 9 Pro

Best For All-Around Everyday Reliability

Google's latest, the Pixel 9 series, makes notable strides in camera and video tech, yet it's not without shortcomings. The new display is arguably the best phone display creators have ever seen; ask Sarah. With realistic renditions of skin tones, a bokeh-heavy Portrait Mode, and incredible straight-out-camera JPEGS, the Google Pixel 9 Pro is a genuine contender for mobile photographers. I'd still argue that the iPHone 15 and 16Pro series are better for video with their stunning spec list, but the Pixel would be my first choice for Android.

However, Google chose to emphasize its A.I. implementations, which overall stunted the progression the camera could have made. Results feel unnaturally robotic, lacking the organic fluidity we crave in simple mobile images and video. It's a phone that offers a ton of refined bells and whistles, but that doesn't encourage better craft for the creator, in my opinion. Nonetheless — it's still Google's best yet.

The Details:

Brand: Google

Product Type: Smartphone

Best For: It's a solid, affordable option, though it doesn't quite threaten its high-end Apple competitors. For those embedded in the Google ecosystem and prioritizing budget over top-tier camera performance, the Pixel 9 series is a great pick.

5. OnePlus Pro 10

Best Camera On a Budget

The OnePlus 10 Pro is probably a first-timer on this list, but it definitely caught our attention. It has a 48MP (f/1.8) primary camera, 50MP (f/2.2) for the ultrawide, 8MP (f/2.4) 3.3x telephoto, and a 2MP monochrome camera for enhancing black and white images. The ultra-wide is perhaps the most notable, as it features a freeform lens design that eliminates the "barrel" distortion commonly seen at the edges of ultra-wide shots. The OnePlus 10 Pro's cameras were also developed in collaboration with Hasselblad, though the collaboration was mostly limited to color calibration and the design of the camera app. We expect more from this partnership on future OnePlus phones, but the results are already visible in photos with accurate colors. While the OnePlus 10 Pro has robust manual controls, it also performs admirably in auto mode, making it an excellent point-and-shoot option.

Great Smartphone Power

8K video quality, and a capable 16MP front-facing camera, the OnePlus 10 Pro is a good all-rounder as far as photography goes.

Excellent Color Calibration

The colors you see are reproduced as accurately as possible

Great Manual Camera Controls

It takes fantastic images with great-looking colors and masses of detail.

The Details:

Brand: OnePlus

Product Type: Smartphone
Best For: Sharp photos with impressive color accuracy.