The 10 smartphones with the best cameras

With every new upgrade, smartphone manufacturers improve their flagships – especially with the integrated camera systems, new heights are constantly being reached. Those who take a lot of photos (and videos) value excellent lenses and sensors. TECHNOLOGY BUTTON presents the currently best camera smartphones.

1st place: Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra

… 143 points

The predecessor Mi 10 Ultra never made it to Germany. Fans of good camera smartphones are all the more pleased that Xiaomi is now also selling the Mi 11 Ultra in this country. Introduced at the end of March 2021, the device quickly landed at the top of the list of smartphones with the best camera with a total value of a whopping 143 points.

The Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra not only has the latest technology, especially the triple camera with its high-resolution sensors catches the eye. The manufacturer combines a 50-megapixel main sensor with f / 1.95 aperture, optical image stabilization and 1.4 µm pixels, an ultra-wide angle with 48 megapixels and a telephoto lens with 48 megapixels. The main sensor of the Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra is even larger than the one in the Mi 10 Ultra and almost comes close to the models built into compact cameras. In addition, the new sensor offers a Dual-Pixel-Pro autofocus, which divides each pixel vertically and diagonally (as opposed to only vertically in standard dual-pixel systems) in order to measure the contrast. A separate ToF sensor supports the autofocus and a staggered HDR mode ensures scenes with higher contrast.

Features of the Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra at a glance

• Display: 6.81 inch AMOLED, 3200 x 1440 pixels (515 ppi), refresh rate 120 Hertz, HDR10 +
• Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 888
• Storage: 12 GB RAM + 256 GB storage, not expandable
• Front camera: 20 megapixel selfie camera with f / 2.2
• Main camera: 50 MP wide angle f / 1.95 (OIS), 48 MP ultra wide angle f / 2.2, 48 MP telephoto lens f / 4.1 (OIS) with ten times hybrid zoom, 20 MP ultra wide angle sensor f / 2.2
• Video: 8K at 24 FPS, 4K at 60 FPS
• Connections: WiFi 6E (802.11ax), NFC, Bluetooth 5.2, LTE + 5G, USB-C, GPS, infrared
• Battery: 5000 mAh, Fast Charging 67 watts
• System: Android 11 with Xiaomi MIUI 12.5
• Other: stereo speakers, in-display fingerprint sensor, dual SIM, IP68

You can find out more about Xiaomi here:  What you should know about the smartphone manufacturer Xiaomi

2nd place: Huawei Mate 40 Pro

… 136 points

The Huawei Mate 40 Pro with triple camera system is in the top 3 of smartphones with the best camera. The main camera uses 50 megapixels with an f / 1.9 aperture and electronic image stabilization. There is also an ultra-wide-angle camera with 20 megapixels (f / 1.8) and a 12 megapixel telephoto camera (f / 3.4, OIS). The Mate 40 Pro delivers excellent film and video recordings even in poor image conditions.

Features of the Huawei Mate 40 Pro at a glance

• Display: 6.76 inch OLED, 2772 x 1344 pixels (409 ppi), HDR10, 90 Hz
• Processor: HiSilicon Kirin 9000, Octa-Core with 3.13 GHz
• Memory: 8 GB RAM, 256 GB ROM, expandable by 256 GB via NM card
• Front camera: Dual camera 13 MP with f / 2.4 + 3D time-of-flight sensor (ToF)
• Main camera: 50 MP wide angle with f / 1.9 (EIS), 20 MP ultra wide angle with f / 1.8, 12 MP telephoto with f / 3.4 (OIS) and 5x optical zoom
• Video: 4K with 60 FPS, Full HD with 480 FPS
• Connections: WLAN 802.11ac, Bluetooth 5.2, NFC, LTE, 5G, USB-C, infrared
• Battery: 4400 mAh
• System: Android 10 with Huawei Emui 11, but without Google services such as the Play Store, Google Maps, Google Pay and YouTube
• Other: Water and dust protection according to IP68, in-display fingerprint sensor, quick charge function with 65 watts, wireless quick charge function with 50 watts, reverse wireless charging (can charge other devices wirelessly), dual SIM

Also read: The importance of HDR in smartphone cameras

3rd place: Huawei P40 Pro

… 132 points

The Huawei P40 Pro also grabs a place in the top 3 of the ranking of smartphones with the best camera. Technically, the P40 Pro is equipped with every imaginable, current finesse. It is therefore very powerful and also well made. In addition, it has top camera equipment, which has been developed in cooperation with Leica, as is typical for Huawei. The only thing that users have to do without Google apps is with this device.

In the test, the DxOMark experts particularly praise the impressive zoom. Recordings here show better details and less noise than the competition. In addition, the main camera has the most powerful autofocus system of all smartphones tested to date and offers the best texture and noise balance to date. The image results of the P40 Pro when shooting at night and in very poor lighting conditions are also better than any other device tested by DxOMark. Special features such as the bokeh simulation in portrait mode and the image quality of the ultra-wide camera convinced the testers as well as the video quality of the Huawei P40 Pro. The conclusion of the camera test: “If you are looking for the best camera in a smartphone, there is currently no better alternative”.

Features of the Huawei P40 Pro at a glance

• Display: 6.58 inch OLED, 2640 x 1200 pixels, refresh rate 90 Hertz (Hz), HDR10 +
• Processor: Kirin 990, Octa-Core with up to 2.86 GHz
• Memory: 8 GB RAM + 256 GB ROM (internal memory), expandable via NM card
• Front camera: Dual camera with 32 MP, f / 2.0, dual pixel autofocus + gesture sensor, IR depth sensor
• Main camera: 50 MP Ultra-Vision f / 1.9 (OIS) with 50x zoom, 12 MP periscope telephoto f / 3.4 (OIS), 40 MP Ultra-Cinelens wide-angle, f / 1.8, PD autofocus (OIS) and 3D depth sensor
• Video: 4K and Full HD with 60 FPS, HDR
• Connections: NFC, Bluetooth 5.1, WiFi 6 (802.11ax), USB-C, LTE + 5G, GPS
• Battery: 4200 mAh
• System: Android 10 with EMUI 10.1, no Google apps
• Other: In-display fingerprint sensor, SuperCharge with 40 watts, reverse wireless charging, water and dust protection according to IP68, stereo speakers, dual SIM + eSIM

Also read: The Huawei P40 Pro in the test

4th place: Vivo X50 Pro +

… 132 points

There are a total of four cameras on the back of the Vivi X50 Pro +. The main sensor, a quad Bayer sensor like the one on the Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra, takes pictures with up to 50 megapixels, has an f / 1.9 aperture and a dual PDAF as well as optical image stabilization (OIS). The second and third sensors are telephoto lenses with 32 and 13 megapixels, respectively. The latter allows up to 5x optical magnification, with Vivo optically stabilizing the images. There is also an ultra-wide angle. This has a resolution of 13 megapixels and comes with an f / 2.2 aperture.

The gimbal-based stabilization that some Vivo phones are known for doesn’t exist on the X50 Pro +. In return, the smartphone scores with recordings further away. The good telephoto equipment is noticeable here, which is the main reason for the overall good rating in the camera test. With two telephoto lenses and an ultra-wide angle, the Vivo X50 Pro + is best in class in DxOMark’s partial zoom rating.

Overall, the Vivo X50 Pro + showed a strong performance in the camera test and landed in the top 10 of the DxOMark database. The experts praised the overall very good photo results and the detailed, low-noise images with good colors under most conditions. The wide-angle camera, which delivers somewhat lackluster results, is a small weak point. Video performance is strong with detailed, low-noise 4K output, though there are occasional issues with natural color reproduction.

Features of the Vivo X50 Pro + at a glance

• Display: 6.56 inch AMOLED, 2376 x 1080 pixels, 120 Hz, HDR10 +
• Processor: Snapdragon 865
• Memory: 8/12 GB RAM + 128/256 GB memory, not expandable
• Front camera: 32 megapixels f / 2.5
• Main camera: 50 MP wide angle with f / 1.9 (OIS), 32 MP telephoto f / 2.1 and PDAF, 13 MP telephoto f / 3.0, 13 MP ultra wide angle with f / 2.2, 12 MP telephoto lens with f / 2.2 and 2 , 5x optical zoom (OIS), LiDAR sensor
• Video: 8K with 30 FPS, 4K with 60 FPS, Full-HD with 60 FPS, HDR
• Connections: WiFi (802.11ac), Bluetooth 5.1, NFC, GPS, LTE + 5G, USB-C
• Battery: 4350 mAh
• System: Android 10 with Funtouch OS 10.5
• Other: In-display fingerprint sensor, Fast Charge with 44 watts, dual SIM

5th place: Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max

Apple’s latest iPhone generation not only includes four models with a slightly modified design, especially the iPhone 12 Pro Max was able to prove itself in terms of cameras. The top model in the range has a triple camera setup with three 12-megapixel sensors and the LiDAR sensor for creating depth of field, which is already known from the iPad Pro. There is a wide angle with f / 1.6 aperture, OIS, PDAF and 26 millimeter lens, an ultra wide angle with f / 2.4 and a telephoto lens with f / 2.2, PDAF and OIS. The optical stabilization is sensor-based – a first for Apple.

The iPhone 12 Pro Max’s camera scores particularly well when it comes to exposure and portraits. Even the worst lighting conditions do not affect the smartphone. The testers were impressed by the natural colors, the pleasant depth of field and the fast autofocus. The iPhone 12 Pro Max also delivers brilliant results with videos. Apple scored with its very good general performance, very low image noise and good stabilization.

However, there were also minor flaws in the photo quality. The testers from DxOMark saw weaknesses especially with the zoom. In addition, the dynamic range could be better and the image noise in poor light could be lower.

Features of the iPhone 12 Pro Max at a glance

• Display: 6.7 inch OLED, 2778 x 1284 pixels (458 PPI), Dolby Vision, HDR10
• Processor: A14 Bionic, neural engine
• Storage: 6 GB RAM + up to 512 GB storage, not expandable
• Front camera: 12 megapixel TrueDepth camera (f / 2.2), selfie videos in slow motion with 120 frames per second (FPS) possible, 4K videos with 60 FPS
• Main camera: 12 MP wide angle with f / 1.6 (OIS), 12 MP ultra wide angle with f / 2.4, 12 MP telephoto lens with f / 2.2 and 2.5x optical zoom (OIS), LiDAR sensor
• Video: 4K with 60 FPS, Full HD with 240 FPS, HDR, stereo
• Connections: LTE, WiFi 6 (802.11ax), Bluetooth 5, NFC, GPS, Lightning
• Battery: 3687 mAh
• System: Apple iOS 14
• Other: Face ID to unlock the face, quick charging function with 18 watts, stereo speakers, water and dust protection according to IP68, dual SIM (via eSIM)

6th place: Apple iPhone 12 Pro

The iPhone 12 Pro comes close, but not quite, to the performance of its big brother. In the overall rating, it achieved two points lower in the DxOMark test and thus ranks behind it in the list of smartphones with the best camera. Apart from their size, both smartphones have almost identical features. The difference in the camera, however, is that the iPhone 12 Pro Max uses a larger wide-angle sensor and a longer telephoto magnification.

The testers were also impressed by the fast autofocus and natural color rendering of the iPhone 12 Pro. In poor light or artificial light, however, slight picture noise can occur. The telephoto zoom shots are of good quality at shorter distances, but have a little problem with details when the subject is further away. The ultra-wide camera delivers good image results, but offers room for improvement in areas of detail.

The video function, on the other hand, is excellent. The exposure of the preview image is almost identical to the final image. There are some differences in dynamic range, however, as the final image will have more dynamic range than the preview.

Features of the iPhone 12 Pro at a glance

• Display: 6.1 inch OLED, 2532 x 1170 pixels (460 PPI), Dolby Vision, HDR10
• Processor: A14 Bionic, neural engine
• Storage: 6 GB RAM + up to 512 GB storage, not expandable
• Front camera: 12 megapixel TrueDepth camera (f / 2.2), selfie videos in slow motion with 120 frames per second (FPS) possible, 4K videos with 60 FPS
• Main camera: 12 MP wide angle with f / 1.6 (OIS), 12 MP ultra wide angle with f / 2.4, 12 MP telephoto lens with f / 2.2 and 2.5x optical zoom (OIS), LiDAR sensor
• Video: 4K with 60 FPS, Full HD with 240 FPS, HDR, stereo
• Connections: LTE, WiFi 6 (802.11ax), Bluetooth 5, NFC, GPS, Lightning
• Battery: 2815 mAh
• System: Apple iOS 14
• Other: Face ID to unlock the face, quick charging function with 18 watts, stereo speakers, water and dust protection according to IP68, dual SIM (via eSIM)

7th place: Xiaomi Mi 10 Pro

The predecessor Mi 9 Pro Premium was already considered a flagship camera smartphone worldwide. In the Mi 10 Pro, Xiaomi has once again improved the camera performance – industry insiders had actually no longer considered it possible that Xiaomi would outperform itself again. The 108-megapixel main camera has a large 1 / 1.33-inch image sensor and is combined with 20-megapixel ultra-wide-angle and two telephoto lenses with a variety of zoom options. The DxOMark experts particularly praise the richness of detail, the very precise and stable exposure and white balance, the sharpness of detail in the medium and largest zoom and the extremely precise depth estimation. The ultra-wide-angle camera is particularly impressive in bright light with good details.

Those who shoot videos more often can look forward to efficient video stabilization and precise autofocus – even in weaker light. When taking pictures in rooms with very bright light, the camera setting of the Mi 10 Pro also delivers a wealth of detail. But even such a premium smartphone has (minor) camera weaknesses: Faces sometimes look slightly blurred, red tones a little too dull. With HDR ultra-wide shots and especially in night mode, ghosting occurs from time to time – but the bottom line is that this hardly detracts from the excellent camera performance of the Mi 10 Pro. For the 10th anniversary of Xiaomi, the Chinese have made a big (camera) hit with the Mi 10 Pro.

Features of the Xiaomi Mi 10 Pro at a glance

• Display: 6.67 inch Super AMOLED, 2340 x 1080 pixels (386 PPI), refresh rate 90 Hertz, HDR10 +
• Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 865
• Storage: 12 GB RAM + up to 512 GB storage, not expandable
• Front camera: 20 megapixel selfie camera with f / 2.0
• Main camera: 108 MP wide angle camera f / 1.69 (OIS), 12 MP telephoto lens f / 2.0 with double zoom for portrait photos, 8 MP telephoto lens f / 2.0 (OIS) with ten times hybrid zoom, 20 MP ultra wide angle sensor f / 2.2
• Video: 8K with 30 FPS, 4K with 60 FPS, Full-HD with 960 FPS (Ultra-Slow-Motion)
• Connections: WiFi 6 (802.11ax), NFC, Bluetooth 5.1, LTE, USB-C, GPS, infrared
• Battery: 4500 mAh
• System: Android 10 with Xiaomi MIUI 11
• Other: stereo speakers, in-display fingerprint sensor, fast charging function with 50 watts, dual SIM

Also read: The best smartphones to use the 5G network

8th place: Oppo Find X2 Pro

In Asia, the manufacturer Oppo has long been a big number, in Europe it is becoming increasingly popular. At the end of 2019, Oppo already won over in this country with the Oppo Reno 2. The Chinese had still withheld the Find X from Europe. But with the recently introduced Oppo Find X2 Pro, the manufacturer now has the best ace up its sleeve. So much can be revealed in advance: The camera delivers brilliant results, which means that the device rightly occupies one of the top places in the list of smartphones with the best camera.

The Chinese rely on a main camera with three lenses from Sony. In addition to the wide-angle main cam with 48 megapixels, there is also an ultra-wide-angle camera with 48 megapixels and an f / 2.2 aperture as well as a periscope telephoto camera with 13 megapixels and an f / 3.0 aperture with 60x hybrid zoom. There is also a selfie camera, which is equipped with 32 megapixels and f / 2.4 aperture. Oppo works with super pixels for the main camera. Photos are actually taken with 48 megapixels, but the Sony IMX689 sensor combines four pixels into one (1.6 micrometer pixel area) and can thus capture significantly more light.

Photos appear rich in contrast, extremely sharp and rich in detail, even with zoomed images. Also on the plus side: The excellent autofocus performance, the large dynamic range, the few distortions and a low noise level, regardless of the conditions in which the pictures are taken. Almost the only point of criticism: The HDR option is not always triggered when taking portraits indoors – and ultra-wide-angle shots could be a little more detailed.

Features of the Oppo Find X2 Pro at a glance

• Display: 6.7 inch AMOLED, 3168 x 1440 pixels (513 PPI), refresh rate 120 Hertz (Hz), HDR10
• Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 865, Octa-Core with up to 2.84 GHz
• Memory: 12 GB RAM + up to 512 GB ROM (internal memory), not expandable
• Front camera: Retractable selfie camera with 32 MP, f / 2.2
• Main camera: 48 MP wide-angle camera f / 1.7 (OIS), 48 MP ultra-wide-angle camera f / 2.2 and 13 MP periscope telephoto camera f / 3.0 with 5x zoom (OIS)
• Video: 4K and Full HD with 60 FPS, HDR
• Connections: NFC, Bluetooth 5.1, WiFi 6 (802.11ax), USB-C, LTE, GPS
• Battery: 4260 mAh
• System: Android 10 with Oppo ColorOS 7.1
• Other: In-display fingerprint sensor, SuperVOOC 2.0 fast charging function with 65 watts, water and dust protection according to IP68, stereo speakers, dual SIM

9th place: Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra

… 126 points

The Ultra model of the Galaxy S20 range from Samsung is the best equipped. As a result, the device makes it into the list of smartphones with the best camera. With its 6.9-inch display, the Galaxy S20 Ultra is not only the largest, it is also the only model to offer a camera with 108 megapixels, 10x optical and 100x digital zoom. The 40-megapixel front camera also stands out from the other models. The model with Exynos processor was tested.

In the end, the testers were particularly impressed by the natural colors in the photography, the high dynamic and the low background noise. We also liked the consistently good exposure, which makes the Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra a good all-rounder for smartphone photography. The ultra-wide camera and bokeh effects in portrait mode and the video performance in 4K mode were particularly praised in the DxOMark test. But there were also some weak points, especially the slow autofocus in poor lighting conditions. Night shots are also optimized too much, which reduced the S20 Ultra.

Also read: Galaxy S21 in the test – great smartphone with annoying savings

Features of the Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra at a glance

• Display: 6.9 inch Dynamic OLED, 1440 x 3200 pixels (511 ppi)
• Processor: Exynos 990, Octa-Core with 2.73 GHz
• Storage: 12 GB / 16 GB RAM + 128 GB / 512 GB, expandable
• Front camera: 40 MP wide angle, f / 2.2, dual pixel autofocus
• Main camera: 108 MP wide angle with f / 1.8 (OIS), 12 MP ultra wide angle with f / 2.2, 48 MP telephoto with f / 3.5, ToF sensor, 10x optical zoom, 100x digital zoom
• Video: 8K at 24 FPS, ultra-slow motion
• Connections: LTE, 5G, WLAN 802.11ac, Bluetooth 5.0, USB-C, NFC, infrared, GPS
• Battery: 5000 mAh
• System: Android 10 with One UI
• Other: Fingerprint sensor under the display, fast charging function with 45 watts, wireless charging function with 15 watts, reverse wireless charging (can charge other devices wirelessly), dual SIM, IP68

10th place: iPhone 11 Pro Max

… 124 points

It is possible to record the same subject with all three cameras at the same time. Apple categorized the results under “Pro Photography” – as well as the high-quality “Pro Videos”, which can be edited in the “Photos” app. Thanks to the neural engine of the A13, the camera system combines nine photos taken in quick succession and generates an excellent result. Apple scores with its camera system with both a large dynamic range and one of the best still images. The autofocus not only works quickly, but also very precisely. The colors of the recordings are vivid and natural.

However, the Apple cell phone does not come close to the competition at the top of the list of smartphones with the best camera. Because the user has to make compromises: pictures taken with flash are not very detailed, the same applies to zoom pictures with a long range. Noise is visible in most lighting conditions, which puts the otherwise very good overall impression of the camera system into perspective.

Features of the iPhone 11 Pro Max at a glance

• Display: 6.5 inch OLED, 2688 x 1242 pixels (458 PPI), Dolby Vision, HDR10
• Processor: A13 Bionic, 3rd generation neural engine
• Storage: 4 GB RAM + up to 512 GB storage, not expandable
• Front camera: 12 megapixel TrueDepth camera (f / 2.2), selfie videos in slow motion with 120 frames per second (FPS) possible, 4K videos with 60 FPS
• Main camera: 12 MP wide angle with f / 1.8 (OIS), 12 MP ultra wide angle with f / 2.4, 12 MP telephoto lens with f / 2.0 and double zoom (OIS)
• Video: 4K with 60 FPS, Full HD with 240 FPS, HDR, stereo
• Connections: LTE, WiFi 6 (802.11ax), Bluetooth 5, NFC, GPS, Lightning
• Battery: 3969 mAh
• System: Apple iOS 13, upgradeable to iOS 14
• Other: Face ID for unlocking the face, quick charging function with 18 watts, stereo speakers, water and dust protection according to IP68, dual SIM

 

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