Which phone should you buy if you want to have the best camera?
Should it be an iPhone, known for its ease of use and excellent video recording quality, or a Galaxy, which has more cameras? What are the pros and cons of those phone cameras? And are there other worthy options?
In this list of the best camera phones, we give you a ranking based on the results of our extensive camera testing, and we explain the specifics of each smartphone camera.
All of that is based on the PhoneArena Camera Score, a testing protocol where we capture hundreds of pictures and videos, analyzing the performance of every camera lens on a phone.
The results measure all the building blocks of a great camera: we have a score for color accuracy, a score exposure, one for detail, and the overall score also accounts for usability features, such as the quality of the preview in the viewfinder.
We do all of these tests both for photos, as well as for video quality. It is a rigorous testing protocol that each phone we test goes through.
So, let's see which phone comes out on top in the battle for the best phone camera in 2024.
Find out more details about photo and video scores for all phones we have tested on our PhoneArena Camera Score page
*The ranking above shows all the top current phones. Keep in mind that below, we will only focus on the devices you can actually purchase in the US and the Western world.
Among phones available in the US, the Galaxy S24 Ultra is the best camera phone on our PhoneArena Camera Score. That is probably no surprise considering that it has two telephoto cameras on its back, one more than most other flagships.
And indeed, zoom quality on the Galaxy S24 Ultra is what sets it apart from the competition. It captures more plentiful and cleaner detail than other rivals, and is clearly your best option if you want a phone that can elevate your zoom shots. This versatility also translates to portrait photos, where having so many focal lengths, such as 2X, 3X and 5X zoom, is a huge advantage, and the Galaxy can cut out subjects from the background flawlessly.
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Selfies also look incredible on the S24 Ultra, colors, and exposure are spot on, and you get a ton of detail. Videos recorded with the front camera also look very good.
The Galaxy is not perfect in every category, but even where it ranks a bit lower, the issues it faces are typically not that big. The ultra-wide camera, for example, still has ways to improve as there are some slight issues with corner sharpness.
The S24 Ultra is also the best phone for video recording, especially when it comes to zoom quality. Learn more about these cameras, in our in-depth Galaxy S24 Ultra camera review.
And we should also say that yesteryear's Galaxy S23 Ultra is another phone with great cameras that you should consider.
The iPhone 15 Pro Max comes a close second after the Galaxy in our PhoneArena Camera Score.
The main camera score in particular is almost exactly the same on the iPhone and the Galaxy, that's how close they are.
The iPhone also scores more than the Galaxy when using the ultra-wide camera, as it preserves detail better in the corners of shots.
However, the iPhone does not give you the same quality of zoom photos and videos. It only has a 5X zoom camera, which is great, but quality at 2X, 3X and 4X zoom is not as good as with a dedicated lens, so the iPhone is less versatile in that regard than the Galaxy.
If you are considering a different iPhone model, you should know that the quality of the main and ultra-wide cameras are practically the same on all iPhone 15 models. The real difference is with zoom quality: the iPhone 15 Pro has a 3X zoom lens, while the iPhone 15 and 15 Plus models have no telephoto camera at all.
In terms of features, the iPhone camera app is one of the most intuitive ones out there, and it supports both HDR and high-resolution preview, which is great. See sample photos and learn more about this camera, in our in-depth iPhone 15 Pro Max camera review.
It's worth mentioning that many other iPhones also make it in the top rankings. We have already mentioned the iPhone 15 Pro as well as the iPhone 15 and 15 Plus models, but last year's iPhone 14 Pro duo is another strong contender that you should not overlook.
This year, the iPhone 16 Pro Max and iPhone 16 Pro come with generally the same camera systems. However, they fail to deliver any significant camera upgrades over the iPhone 15 Pro Max; also, Apple's new changes to the color science and overall dynamics make the new iPhone 16 Pro models rank slightly lower than the iPhone 15 Pro Max.
The iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max introduces significant upgrades to its camera system. The iPhone 16 Pro Max camera now includes a 48MP Fusion sensor and a new 48MP ultra-wide camera with an f/2.4 aperture, a significant upgrade from the 12MP ultra-wide of previous models. The ultra-wide uses quad-binning to once again output 12MP photos, but now with enhanced low-light quality. It also gives us a dedicated macro mode.
Additionally, the iPhone 16 Pro inherits the 5X tetraprism telephoto camera from the iPhone 15 Pro Max, enhancing zoom performance. That long camera is still 12MP, so its sharpness isn't that good.
What's more, the main 48MP Fusion camera now has a faster quad-pixel sensor, allowing for zero shutter lag. Both phones also support 4K@120fps video, which can be edited directly in the Photos app.
Another important addition is the new and enhanced Photographic Styles, which give you even more control over how styles act and adjust vibrancy on a per-color basis. Aside from setting these new Photographic Styles as default color schemes as the default ones for new images, you can also retroactively edit older photos. Think of these as advanced filters of sorts.
However, the big camera-related change that debuted with the whole iPhone 16 series is the new Camera Control button, which lets you open the camera app, take a photo or video with a simple press, or navigate through all the available camera settings and menus with the help of a swipe or a light press. When doing so, the whole interface goes blank, allowing you to immerse yourself in the scene and unleash your creativity without the constraints of icons and buttons.
Next in our list among the best camera phones you can get in the US is the iPhone 15 Pro.
While previously, iPhone Pro and iPhone Pro Max have had mostly the same hardware setups, this isn't the case with the iPhone 15 range. The reason for that is the lack of a dedicated tetraprism telephoto lens on the iPhone 15 Pro, which instead uses Apple's older 3X telephoto camera. The longer telephoto is only available on the iPhone 15 Pro Max, but this doesn't mean the iPhone 15 Pro isn't one capable camera phone.
On the contrary, it's a great camera fitted inside a relatively compact premium iPhone. There's a 48MP main camera, a 12MP ultra-wide, and the aforementioned 12MP 3X telephoto camera. New here, however, is Apple making use of the large main sensor, enabling some intriguing sensor-cropping to 1.2X and 1.5X, which correspond to 28mm and 35mm, respectively.
Another new iPhone 15 Pro feature, called Super High Res picture mode, lets you shoot photos in 24MP by default, doubling the previous 12MP standard. It strikes a balance between the smaller 12MP images and the high-detail but bulky 48MP files, offering superb detail and stomachable file sizes. This upgrade is designed to give users clearer, more detailed images without sacrificing storage space.
Next in the list and ranking quite well are Samsung's regular Galaxy S24 Plus and Galaxy S24. These two flagships have identical camera setups that perform roughly the same, given that they share the same hardware.
The only major difference in comparison with the more premium Galaxy S24 Ultra is the lack of a 5X zoom lens. If you don't feel like carrying the extra bulky and big Ultra version, you can get one of those other models without worrying about any big compromises.
The Galaxy S24 Plus camera is quite similar to its predecessors, the Galaxy S22 Plus and S23 Plus, featuring a 50MP main camera, 12MP ultra-wide, and 10MP telephoto with 3x optical zoom. A 12MP front camera is also included.
However, the real upgrades lie in its improved image processing. Samsung’s ProVisual Engine, powered by AI, enhances night shots, reducing noise and motion blur. New AI features like Generative Edits and Edit Suggestion offer smart tools for tweaking photos, making the overall experience smoother and more intuitive.
In terms of image quality, we are looking at some pretty natural-looking photos, which ditch the overprocessed and overly vibrant style that previous Galaxies heavily leaned into. That's something we definitely appreciate.
Google's latest top phone has a lot going on in the camera hardware.
The Pixel 9 Pro XL has a 50MP main camera, a 48MP telephoto camera, and a 48MP ultra-wide, as well as a 42MP front camera make for a pretty respectable camera setup. However, the new Pixel 9 Pro XL barely beats its predecessor, the Pixel 8 Pro, as it doesn't deliver a ton of improvements overall.
The Pixel 9 Pro XL’s main 50MP camera features a 1/1.3-inch sensor, similar in size to those found on the iPhone Pro Max and Galaxy Ultra. However, it’s smaller compared to the 1-inch sensors seen in some flagship devices from most Chinese brands, which offer enhanced light sensitivity and detail.
Overall, the Pixel camera delivers that familiar and signature Pixel look, which is slightly more gritty and contrast-y in comparison with its more light-hearted rivals. The dynamic range and sharpness are excellent here, although colors are ever-so-slightly warmer than previous Pixels. Not a drawback at all.
Capturing photos at minimal light is now much faster than before, addressing one of our usual criticisms of previous Pixel devices.
The big addition to the Pixel 9 series, however, is the vast addition of AI-assisted features inside the camera app, which aim to enrich the user experience in new ways. For example, Add Me is a new feature that lets you take a group photo by snapping one of your friends, then swapping places so they take one of you. The phone merges both images to make it look like everyone was in the same shot.
Another new feature is Reimagine, a Magic Editor on steroids, which lets you apply major changes to any photo by simply typing a query. You can change the background, add fireworks, planes, birds, and whatever else comes to mind.
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Peter, an experienced tech enthusiast at PhoneArena, is captivated by all things mobile. His impartial reviews and proficiency in Android systems offer readers valuable insights. Off-duty, he delves into the latest cryptocurrency trends and enjoys sci-fi and video games.
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