The best camera phones to buy, tested and ranked by our tech experts

Given just how outstanding a camera phone the Oppo Find X9 Pro is, it was hard to imagine something coming along and making the handset feel somehow inferior, and yet that’s exactly what the Oppo Find X9 Ultra is able to do. Bear in mind that you do have to pay quite a bit more for the privilege of owning this phone as it’s priced at £1,449/€1,699, but if you can afford it, this is a photographer’s dream phone.

There are no fewer than four cameras on the back of this phone, including two 200Mp Hasselblad cameras and the first ever 50Mp 10x optical telephoto in a phone. It’s capable of capturing the type of shots that honestly look like they’ve come from a DSLR. You can see as much in the photos we took over the course of our review, but the X9 Ultra is just leagues ahead of the competition – you have to try really hard to take a bad picture with this phone and that’s without using the optional Earth Explorer Kit, which adds a camera grip and 300mm detachable zoom lens, among other things.

In addition to the cameras, you’re getting a flagship experience with practically every other facet of the X9 Ultra. The 6.82-inch LTPO AMOLED display looks stunning, and thanks to a 144Hz refresh rate, it feels silky smooth to the touch. There’s a Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chipset under the hood to power the show, and that means you can enjoy all the usual high-end trappings such as demanding 3D games and side-by-side multitasking, all without any hiccups. We also love the unique design of the Tundra Umber model shown.

The battery, although not quite as big as the one found in the X9 Pro, is still massive at 7050mAh, and carries enough juice to get you through a heavy day of shooting and filming. There’s super-fast 100W wired charging too, so you don’t have to wait around long for the phone to get back to 100%. We did find that the phone can get quite hot through extended use, but it’s not enough of a dealbreaker to get in the way of just how much fun the X9 Ultra is to use.

Who should buy the Oppo Find X9 Ultra?

Photographers who want a professional-grade camera on their smartphone.

Oppo Find X9 Ultra: Further considerations

It’s very expensive, and the Oppo Find X9 Pro is better value for most people.

Although there’s no shortage of phones vying for the top spot, particularly the likes of the Oppo Find X9 Pro and the Pixel 10 Pro XL, for our money, it’s the Xiaomi 17 Ultra that leaves them all in the dust as it’s more camera than phone (even if there’s one less sensor than the Xiaomi 15 Ultra). 

This time around, there are 50Mp main and ultra-wide cameras accompanied by an all-new 200MP periscope telephoto lens. That all sounds good on paper, but what’s impressive is the inclusion of a mechanical optical zoom system that further enhances the shots you take from a distance, so anyone with an eye for a great shot has the ability to capture it just in time with this phone.

For amateur and professional photographers who want to kick things up a notch, there are two photography kits available that make the 17 Ultra feel more like a dedicated DSLR. While the cheaper £99 kit feels decent in the hand, we recommend plumping for the £179 kit, which features a beefy camera grip with a shutter button and rotating dial for jumping between settings. There’s also a recording button to toggle video capture instantly.

Xiaomi hasn’t focused all of its efforts on the cameras, as the 17 Ultra packs a large 6,000mAh battery that can run for up to two days, and the massive 6.9-inch screen is gorgeous to look at, especially with 3500 nits of peak brightness. The only big letdown, other than Xiaomi’s half-baked AI features, is the promise of only six years of software updates, which isn’t as long as the standard from Samsung and Google.

Who should buy the Xiaomi 17 Ultra?

True photography enthusiasts who want a more compact alternative in their arsenal.

Xiaomi 17 Ultra: Further considerations

With just six years of updates, you get better long-term value from Google and Samsung.

A lot has been said about how the Pixel 11 range as a whole isn’t the most exciting upgrade over the Pixel 10 phones, but even with that caveat in mind, there’s no denying that the Pixel 11 Pro XL offers the best camera experience right now of any Google phone. It does cost a fair bit, given that there’s now a higher starting price of £1,279/$1,299 but there’s a lot to like here.

What arguably separates the Pixel 11 Pro XL from competing handsets is just how easy its camera app is to use on a daily basis. It’s relatively uncluttered and does a great job with autofocus so that even users who aren’t particularly skilled with photography can still take a great picture with very little effort.

That sentiment also extends to scenes with a lot of motion, so if you’re trying to take a picture of your child whilst they’re running around and having fun, you don’t have to worry that it’ll all look like a blurry mess. Throw in the fact that the Pixel 11 Pro’s representation of skin tones and low-light scenes is exemplary, and it’s hard to find fault in what’s available here.

All of that camera prowess sits on top of the excellent stock Android software which is wonderfully colourful and customisable. It is a shame then that for all that the Tensor G6 chipset can do for everyday performance, the processor just isn’t up to scratch when it comes to playing more taxing 3D games. Still, if you’re not much of a mobile gamer then this won’t be an issue.

Who should buy the Pixel 11 Pro XL?

Anyone who wants to take better pictures but isn’t a natural photographer.

Pixel 11 Pro XL: Further considerations

The phone lags behind Samsung and Apple when it comes to video.

The Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra feels like it’s in a tricky spot. There’s no denying that it’s one of the best camera phones you can buy right now, but with a collection of sensors that are almost identical to those you’ll find on the Galaxy S25 Ultra, the previous-gen pick will be a better buy for bargain hunters. Still, if you’re happy to opt for the latest tech, and the price hike that comes with it, you won’t be disappointed with the S26 Ultra.

On the camera front, it’s the versatility of the S26 Ultra’s four rear-facing sensors that sets it apart. The main 200Mp main sensor can capture unbelievably detailed shots in almost any setting. Plus, with such a high megapixel count you can crop in without losing much fidelity in the process. The 50Mp ultra-wide definitely gets the job done, but it’s the 10Mp 3x and 50Mp 5x telephoto lenses that really give you the freedom to capture shots from different angles.

For anyone content creators out there, the new stabilisation mode on the S26 Ultra is able to lock the horizon level in place, much as you can on the latest action cameras, making it appear as if you’re recording with a three-axis gimbal. It’s great to have and, with Galaxy AI’s suite of editing features (plus the S Pen), the S26 Ultra is very much an all-in-one device.

The charging speed has finally been given an upgrade, leaping to 60W over a wired connection, but the real allure for new adopters is the privacy display, which can hide sensitive information onscreen from anyone who might be trying to catch a peep over your shoulder. It all works brilliantly, and we’ll be surprised if other manufacturers don’t implement their own version of the tech in due course.

Who should buy the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra?

High-end buyers who want an all-in-one phone that does pretty much everything.

Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra: Further considerations

The S25 Ultra has almost identical cameras and can be bought for less.

Oppo already set the bar pretty high with the Find X8 Pro, but somehow the brand has managed to raise the ceiling yet again with the outstanding Oppo Find X9 Pro which, just like its predecessor, absolutely destroys the competition when it comes to battery life. If you want a solid camera phone that can genuinely get you through a day’s shoot, this is it.

There’s a massive 7500mAh battery built into this thing which, from our testing, can go through a heavy day of use involving GPS navigation, capturing videos and photos, and still have around 40% remaining by the end of it. Thanks to 80W fast charging, you won’t have to wait long either when you do need to top up the phone, as we managed to get from 0% to 50% in only 30 minutes.

On paper, it might seem like there’s a slight downgrade with the cameras as the phone has moved away from having two telephoto lenses, opting for just one in a triple-camera array. However, this new sensor has been bumped to 200Mp, which gives you a lot more freedom for zooming in and cropping images without losing clarity.

When out and about, the phone is right up there with Xiaomi in terms of taking pictures that look as if they’ve come from a full-on DSLR camera. Autofocus on all cameras is extraordinary and you’d have to try really hard to take a bad picture – we only wish that the phone was available in the US so that more people could experience what it has to offer. 

Who should buy the Oppo Find X9 Pro?

Content creators who want a phone that can genuinely last them all day long.

Oppo Find X9 Pro: Further considerations

The phone isn’t available in the US, which immediately rules it out for some.

Although Apple doesn’t quite have the lead in photography that the likes of Oppo and Xiaomi do with their uber flagship phones, the iPhone 18 Pro still dominates the conversation for what it offers on the whole, including the big addition of having variable aperture. This feature, which hasn’t been seen on a mainstream phone since the days of the Samsung Galaxy S10, allows the 18 Pro to let in more or less light depending on the situation at hand.

That variability can change the depth of a photo, which can completely alter the composition of a shot if you know how to use it. The feature works really well, and it’s a great addition to the iPhone camera experience which already does an amazing job with low-light scenes and portraits.

Where the 18 Pro is completely unmatched is on video performance. If you’re a content creator who wants a smartphone that can also be relied upon to capture great quality footage quickly, then the iPhone 18 Pro is your best option right now. 4K capture is packed full of detail, and the stabilisation is very smooth so you don’t have to worry about needing to pack a gimbal.

Because of the iPhone 18 Pro’s content capture capabilities, Apple has made the smart decision to improve both the battery life and the charging speed. It’s now possible to get up to 34 hours of video playback per charge, which is three more than the iPhone 17 Pro, and it makes for a noticeable difference in everyday use. We also managed to claw back 44% power in just a 15-minute charge, which is great for when you’re in a hurry.

Who should buy the iPhone 18 Pro?

Content creators who need a phone that can compete with dedicated video cameras.

iPhone 18 Pro: Further considerations

The iPhone 18 Pro doesn’t take better pictures than the priciest phones from Oppo and Xiaomi.

Even though the Pixel 10a is readily available to buy, it’s such a minute update on the Pixel 9a that the latter is still the better option, especially now that it’s had a price reduction.

The Pixel 9a stands as proof that you don’t need to spend a small fortune in order to get a camera set-up that more closely mirrors what you’ll find at the higher-end of the market. Google’s mid-range champ is able to borrow from the company’s next-level computational processing to put out some of the best pictures you’ll see within this price bracket.

Just like the pricier Pixel phones on the market, the 9a does an outstanding job of capturing all skin tones in a natural way, and even when you’re simply taking pictures of the world around you, there’s a wonderful injection of colour that really draws your attention. They’re the type of snaps that are perfect for social media.

On top of the cameras themselves, one of the best things about the Pixel 9a is that you’re getting the full suite of AI-powered editing tools that make Pixel phones so attractive in the first place. Best Take ensures that you never have a group shot where someone’s blinking or looking away from the camera, while Magic Eraser can remove unwanted subjects and objects in just a few seconds.

Making a great package even better is the promise of seven years of updates from the time of launch, providing outstanding value for money for consumers shopping around the mid-range sector. 23W wired charging is fairly slow in today’s smartphone market, but it’s a minor setback when you consider all that the Pixel 9a offers in return for its reasonable price tag.

Who should buy the Pixel 9a?

Anyone with a mid-range budget who wants flagship-level cameras.

Pixel 9a: Further considerations

The standard Pixel 9 can now be found for not that much more.

We’ve seen so many companies try to outdo one another when it comes to capturing detailed photos after dark and, while there are plenty that come close to being on top, with the Pixel 10 Pro/Pro XL particular standouts, very few are quite as well-equipped as the Honor Magic 8 Pro. Outside of a few software issues, this is a great flagship phone.

When taking pictures in Las Vegas during the testing period, we were amazed at how well the Magic 8 Pro could recreate the city’s chorus of lights. This is one of the few phones we’ve tested that affords low-light shots with the same sort of vibrancy you can expect to find during the daytime. Of course, this might not be to everyone’s taste, especially if you prefer a more subdued, almost cinematic night-time shot, but as far as we’re concerned, the Magic 8 Pro’s style is better for social media.

It also helps that the Magic 8 Pro has one of the nicest displays of any flagship. The 6.7-inch LPTO 120Hz OLED panel sits comfortably in the hand, but what really sets it apart is the 6000 nits of peak brightness, so you won’t have any issues with trying to line up your shots on a sunny day. Even the Xiaomi 17 Ultra caps out at 3500 nits.

The only thing that really works against the Magic 8 Pro is all the bloatware that comes with MagicOS. There’s just an absurd amount of in-house apps that Honor tries to force on you from the jump, and it can take some time to try and rearrange the home screen to your liking. Still, the phone comes with seven years of software updates, so it does carry the same long-term value as competing phones from Samsung and Google.

Who should buy the Honor Magic 8 Pro?

Night owls who love taking pictures in low-light scenes.

Honor Magic 8 Pro: Further considerations

The software isn’t as smooth as what you’ll find with Samsung’s One UI or Google’s stock Android.

Even though the small phone resurgence, pioneered by the likes of the iPhone Mini range and the Asus Zenfones, didn’t quite take off, there are still a few options available for anyone who doesn’t like having a massive slab of a phone in their pocket. Although the iPhone 17e and the Galaxy S26 are great choices in this regard, it’s the base-model Xiaomi 17 that comes out on top as a trailblazer for compact handsets.

There are no less than three 50Mp sensors on the back of this phone, including a 2.6x telephoto lens for capturing subjects from a distance. When taking the phone for a spin around London, it felt nearly impossible to capture a bad picture, and the Leica-inspired colour profiles can really add some professional flair.

The cameras are backed up by flagship specs across the board, including a vibrant 6.3-inch 1.5K 120Hz AMOLED screen, with Dolby Atmos stereo speakers for a fully-featured entertainment experience. The 6,330mAh battery can easily see you through a heavy day of use, and the 100W fast charging makes short work of topping up the phone quickly.

All of this runs on the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chipset, which really has no comparison in terms of raw performance, so you won’t have any issues with high-end 3D gaming here. Having just five years of OS updates feels a bit short-sighted for a phone of this price, even if there are six years of security support to go with it. Our hope is that Xiaomi can extend that update cycle in a successor.

Who should buy the Xiaomi 17?

Fans of compact phones that pack flagship-level cameras.

Xiaomi 17: Further considerations

Having just five years of OS updates feels absurd for a phone of this price and stature.

Even though it was the first brand to really bring the book-style foldable concept to market, Samsung gave up far too much ground to the competition, particularly when it came to camera performance on these phones. Thankfully, the brand finally pulled back in front with the Z Fold 7 and now it’s the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra that refines that camera experience even further to make it one of the best you can find on a foldable right now.

The real star of the show is the returning 200Mp main camera, which was originally pinched from the Galaxy S25 Ultra, and can still take stunning shots today. It works brilliantly in both the daytime and after the sun goes down, plus when you are taking shots with the full megapixel count, you can crop into a shot without having to worry about losing much in the way of visual fidelity.

The ultrawide camera has been given an upgrade, with a new 50Mp lens which feels like a big improvement over the 12Mp equivalent we previously had on the Fold 7. Colours are now far more consistent when using this sensor, so it’s nice to know that you can switch things up between lenses without any worry about the quality dropping off.

As is now commonplace with Samsung flagships, the Z Fold 8 Ultra is also pretty good when it comes to video performance, making it a decent option for content creators. It’s a great phone overall, but we do think that the Galaxy Z Fold 8 is arguably the better Samsung foldable for most people in every area except the cameras, so it’s worth weighing up which features you prioritise.

Who should buy the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra?

Productivity users who also need great cameras and video performance.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra: Further considerations

The Galaxy Z Fold 7 is still great and now a lot cheaper.