15 best camera phones in the world in 2024

Here's a list of the best camera phones currently ranking on top in DXOMARK.

• By Ramneek Singh -
Last Updated: January 8, 2024

Most high-end smartphones these days boast bleeding-edge camera capabilities that allow users to capture their favourite moments with ease. Be it recording high-resolution videos or clicking night shots, a phone can do it all. While most handsets get the job done equally well, there's one or the other factor that takes them ahead of others.

In this article, we take a look at the best camera phones in the world. The list is based on the stats of the camera testing platform DXOMARK. Check it out:

Huawei Mate 60 Pro+

• The Huawei Mate 60 Pro+ currently tops in DXOMARK's camera ratings. It features an OIS-enabled 48MP primary that can adjust the aperture between f/1.4 to f/4.0.
• For portraits and close-up shots, there's a 48MP periscope telephoto lens that rocks 3.5x optical zoom.
• The third lens on the rear is a 40MP ultra-wide sensor which comes with a 120-degree field of view.
• Coming to the selfie cameras, there's a 13MP sensor alongside a 3D TOF sensor that helps in measuring the depth.
• The Huawei Mate 60 Pro+ can shoot videos in up to 4K 60FPS from both front and rear cameras.

PROS	CONS
Main camera can adjust the aperture	No Google Play services
Supports 88W wired and 50W wireless charging

DXOMARK rating: 157

Huawei P60 Pro

• The Huawei P60 Pro has an OIS-enabled 48MP main camera that supports adjustable f/1.4 to f/4.0 aperture.
• There's also a 48MP telephoto camera on the rear that has sensor-shift OIS and goes up to 3.5x zoom optically.
• Alongside the primary and telephoto camera, there's also a 13MP ultra-wide angle lens with f/2.2 aperture.
• Coming to the front, you can find a 13MP selfie shooter of f/2.2 aperture.
• Key modes and features of Huawei P60 Pro's cameras include Super Macro, Story Creator, Dual-View Video, 4D Predictive Focus, Capture Smiles, and Light painting

PROS	CONS
Variable aperture on primary camera for lighting control	No Google Play services
Powerful Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 processor	No 5G connectivity
Super fast 88W wired charging

DXOMARK rating: 156

Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max

• The Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max has managed to grab the third ranking in DXOMARK ratings in quick succession right after some time of its launch.
• The handset carries a 48MP primary camera that features sensor-shift OIS for more precise stabilisation compared to regular OIS.
• There's a 12MP ultrawide angle lens with f/2.2 aperture and a 120-degree field of view.
• Star of the show on the iPhone 15 Pro Max's camera is the 12MP periscope telephoto camera that comes with up to 5x optical zoom, which also supports sensor-shift OIS.
• On the front, there's a 12MP selfie shooter housed within the Dynamic Island. Furthermore, one can record up to 4K 60FPS videos using both rear and selfie cameras.

PROS	CONS
Up to 5x optical zoom	Slow charging speeds
Video recording in up to 4K 60FPS using all lenses	No pause button while recording videos
Performance powerhouse

DXOMARK rating: 154

Apple iPhone 15 Pro

• The iPhone 15 Pro comes with a 48MP primary camera that features sensor-shift OIS for more precise stabilisation compared to regular OIS.
• There's a 12MP ultrawide angle lens with f/2.2 aperture and a 120-degree field of view.
• Unlike the iPhone 15 Pro Max, the iPhone 15 Pro has a 12MP periscope telephoto camera that comes with up to 3x optical zoom.
• On the front, there's a 12MP selfie shooter housed within the Dynamic Island. Furthermore, one can record up to 4K 60FPS videos using both rear and selfie cameras.

PROS	CONS
Up to 5x optical zoom	Slow charging speeds
Video recording in up to 4K 60FPS using all lenses	No pause button while recording videos
Performance powerhouse

DXOMARK rating: 154

Google Pixel 8 Pro

• The Google Pixel 8 Pro boasts a versatile camera setup which includes a 50MP main camera that supports dual-pixel PDAF, multi-zone Laser AF, and OIS.
• There's a 48MP telephoto sensor that goes up to 5x zoom using the hardware. It further enhances the long-range shots using AI to remove any pixelation and blurriness.
• Along with the primary and telephoto cameras, the Pixel 8 Pro also houses a 48MP ultrawide lens.
• At the front, a 10.5MP selfie shooter sits right inside the centre punch-hole of the Pixel 8 Pro.

PROS	CONS
Up to 5x optical zoom	Slow charging speeds
Tons of AI image editing tools built-in	Performance throttling issues
7 years of OS updates

DXOMARK rating: 153

OPPO Find X6 Pro

• The OPPO Find X6 Pro sports a 1-inch-type IMX989 50MP main camera that comes with OIS.
• Aiding the main camera on the Find X6 Pro is an OIS-enabled 50MP periscope telephoto lens with 2.8x optical zoom support.
• For capturing a wider field of view, there's a 50MP ultra-wide angle camera as well.
• Situated inside the front punch-hole cutout is a 32MP camera.
• OPPO has collaborated with Hasselblad for tuning the cameras on the Find X6 Pro. The phone can record up to 4K 60FPS videos from both front and rear cameras.

PROS	CONS
Distinct colour shade and design	Not available in India
Hasselblad camera tuning
Large 5000mAh battery with 100W charging

DXOMARK rating: 153

Honor Magic5 Pro

• The Honor Magic5 Pro packs in a 50MP main camera on the rear that supports OIS.
• There's a 50MP ultra-wide angle lens along with a 50MP periscope telephoto lens that supports up to 3.5x optical zoom.
• On the front, there's a 12MP selfie shooter along with a 3D depth camera.
• One can shoot up to 4K 60FPS videos using the back and front cameras.

PROS	CONS
Quad-curved OLED display	Slower charging than the predecessor
Triple 50MP rear cameras
3D face unlock

DXOMARK rating: 152

OPPO Find X6

• The vanilla Find X6 Pro is also one of the best camera smartphones in the world right now, according to DXOMARK ratings. Just like its 'Pro' counterpart, the handset has a 50MP main camera that comes with OIS and f/1.8 aperture.
• Wide angle shots are taken care of by a 50MP ultra-wide angle lens.
• There's also an OIS-enabled 50MP periscope telephoto lens with 2.8x optical zoom support.
• The selfie cutout has a 32MP front camera that can shoot up to 1080p videos.

PROS	CONS
Hasselblad colour science	Front video recording limited to 1080p
50MP triple rear cameras	Not available in India
80W fast charging

DXOMARK rating: 150

Huawei Mate 50 Pro

• Coming in fifth rank is the Huawei Mate 50 Pro which offers an adjustable aperture primary camera of 50MP with OIS.
• There's also a large 64MP periscope telephoto lens that allows up to 3.5x optical zoom for capturing crisp close-up shots. This lens also consists of OIS.
• As for clicking wide field of view, a 13MP ultra-wide angle comes into play.
• Lastly, there's a 13MP front shooter housed within the notch that supports up to 4K 60FPS video recording, just like the cameras on the rear.

PROS	CONS
Variable aperture on primary camera	Dated notch
64MP periscope lens	No Google suite of apps

DXOMARK rating: 149

Google Pixel 8

• The camera setup of the Pixel 8 includes a 50MP main camera that supports dual-pixel PDAF, multi-zone Laser AF, and OIS.
• Along with the primary, the handset has a 48MP ultrawide sensor that has a 126-degree field of view.
• Coming to the front, there's a 10.5MP selfie shooter that sits right inside the centre punch-hole of the Pixel 8.

PROS	CONS
Tons of AI image editing tools built-in	Slow charging speeds
7 years of OS updates	Performance throttling issues

DXOMARK rating: 148

Google Pixel 7 Pro

• Right below the Pixel 8 in the DXOMARK rankings is last year's Google flagship phone, Pixel 7 Pro.
• It rocks a 50MP main camera on the rear that supports dual-pixel PDAF, Laser AF and OIS.
• A 48MP telephoto lens takes care of capturing zoom shots which can go up to 5x optically.
• Pixel 8 Pro also packs a 12MP ultrawide angle lens that has a 126-degree field of view.
• Lastly, there's a 10.8MP selfie camera that can shoot videos in up to 4K 60FPS, just like the rest of the cameras present on Pixel 7 Pro.

PROS	CONS
Great cameras	Slow charging
Packs AI features throughout the software	Inferior performance compared to rivals

DXOMARK rating: 147

Honor Magic4 Ultimate

• Launched in early 2023, the Honor Magic4 Ultimate sports dual 50MP wide cameras that support PDAF, and Laser autofocus.
• For wide-angle shots, there's a 64MP sensor that can capture 126-degree field-of-view images.
• The fourth lens on the rear is a 64MP periscope telephoto camera that comes with 3.5x optical zoom
• Moving on to the front, a 12MP camera along with a 3D TOF sensor sits inside the pill-shaped cutout of the screen.

PROS	CONS
Dual wide cameras	The design may seem bulky to some
Captures 3.5x optical zoom shots

DXOMARK rating: 147

Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max

• Grabbing the 13th position on DXOMARK is 2022's Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max which carried a 48MP main sensor for the first time on an iPhone. This sensor supports dual-pixel PDAF and sensor-shift OIS.
• For clicking wide perspective shots, a 12MP ultrawide angle lens is present that comes with a 120-degree field of view.
• As for capturing zoomed and portrait shots, users can take advantage of a 2x 12MP telephoto camera which is assisted by the TOF 3D LiDAR scanner.
• Coming to the front, there's a 12MP selfie shooter situated within the Dynamic Island of iPhone 14 Pro Max.

PROS	CONS
Video recording in up to 4K 60FPS using all lenses	Pricey
Features 48MP ProRAW mode	Slow charging

DXOMARK rating: 146

Apple iPhone 14 Pro

• Just like its elder sibling, iPhone 14 Pro Max, the iPhone 14 Pro's camera module houses a 48MP main camera with dual-pixel PDAF and sensor-shift OIS for clicking stunning images.
• The other two cameras on the rear include a 12MP ultrawide angle lens and a 2x 12MP telephoto sensor for wide and zoomed-in shots respectively.
• Then there's a 12MP front shooter for selfies and video calls.

PROS	CONS
Video recording in up to 4K 60FPS using all lenses	Pricey
Features 48MP ProRAW mode	Slow charging

DXOMARK rating: 146

Apple iPhone 15

• Apple's latest standard iPhone, the iPhone 15 takes up the 15th spot on DXOMARK. Surprisingly, it borrows the flagship-grade camera hardware from the iPhone 14 Pro.
• For starters, there's a 48MP main camera that comes with dual-pixel PDAF and sensor-shift OIS.
• Then there's an ultrawide angle sensor of 12MP with a field of view of 120 degrees. Unfortunately, the iPhone 15 misses out on a telephoto lens.
• The selfie shots and video calls are taken care of by a 12MP front camera.

PROS	CONS
Reliable main camera	No high refresh rate support
Shoots in multiple focal lengths	Slow charging

DXOMARK rating: 145

Best camera phones in 2024

RANK	PHONE NAME	DXOMARK RATING
1	Huawei Mate 60 Pro+	157
2	Huawei P60 Pro	156
3	Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max	154
4	Apple iPhone 15 Pro	154
5	Google Pixel 8 Pro	153
6	OPPO Find X6 Pro	153
7	Honor Magic5 Pro	152
8	OPPO Find X6	150
9	Huawei Mate 50 Pro	149
10	Google Pixel 8	148
11	Google Pixel 7 Pro	147
12	Honor Magic4 Ultimate	147
13	Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max	146
14	Apple iPhone 14 Pro	146
15	Apple iPhone 15	145

Factors to consider when purchasing a camera phone

• HDR capabilities - When going for a camera-centric smartphone, ensure the device has great HDR while capturing images and videos. This allows the camera to properly expose all the areas while bringing out the intended colours of the shot.
  
• Zooming capabilities - If you're willing to click close-up shots from your phone's camera, make sure to have a look at its zooming capabilities. A telephoto or periscope lens allows you to click crisp and detailed images even in harsh lighting conditions if it has OIS.
  
• Easy to use Pro mode - Through Pro mode in the camera app, one can tinker with the camera settings and change aspects like ISO, shutter speed, and white balance to capture a shot as preferred. If the options or buttons are too difficult to find or operate, you can have a hard time capturing the shot.
  
• Fast shutter speed - You can capture blur and distortion-free images with fast shutter speeds. This comes in handy when capturing moving subjects.
  
• 4K video recording - While many flagship smartphones these days offer 8K recording, capping the video limit to 4K should be more than enough for most. If you're into videography or vlogging, ensure the phone has at least 4K support on all the lenses, especially on the front camera.

FAQs

Do I need a high-end phone to click great pictures?

While high-end phones tend to capture overall better photos, you should be good with inexpensive and affordable smartphones provided you have the basic knowledge of image composition, taking the image from the right angle, and know a bit of image editing.

Do phones with higher camera megapixels take better images?

No, a higher megapixel count doesn't always mean the phone will capture better images. While the image may have more details, a decent output depends on the phone's processing after clicking the image which may vary from phone to phone.