Smartphone cameras have come a long way, from the laughable VGA cameras of the past to the double and even triple camera setups we see today that are comparable to entry-level DSLRs. Getting decent camera phones has become more and more affordable over the last couple of years, with camera prowess now becoming an essential factor influencing the customers’ choice even in the budget segment.
- Best Flagship Camera Phones
- Best Camera Phones Under 40000 INR
- Best Camera Phones Under 20000 INR
Best Flagship Camera Phones
1. Google Pixel 3/Pixel 3 XL
If you don’t want to make any compromises when it comes to your smartphone’s camera performance, then the Google Pixel 3 is your clear choice. There are quite a few reasons why the Pixel 3 takes the top spot in this segment, with its sheer ease of use giving it a significant edge over all other smartphone cameras. Additionally, Google’s software optimizations are unsurprisingly the best in the industry, which allows the Pixel 3 to take stunning Portrait shots with just a single lens.
Our list earlier had the Huawei P20 Pro on this spot, but the Chinese brand has since launched the Mate 20 Pro which brings an even better and more versatile camera set up than the P20 Pro. The Huawei Mate 20 Pro features a triple rear camera set up with a 40MP Wide Angle 27mm, f/1.8 shooter, a 20MP Ultra Wide Angle 16mm, f/2.2 lens, and an 8MP 80mm 3x Telephoto f/2.4 lens. It’s a pretty insane set up to be honest, and it takes pretty great pictures.In broad daylight, the Mate 20 Pro cameras can capture a lot of light, ample detail, and push out great colors that look beautiful. Plus, while you can shoot at 40MP, you can even turn it down to 10MP to make the phone use four pixels as one, and get even better shots with smaller sizes. This is especially helpful in low light, where, even though the cameras perform really well, with good amount of light and detail, using the 10MP setting results in even more light and less noise.
3. Apple iPhone XS and XS Max
The recently launched iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max boast of some pretty impressive cameras as well, and expectedly so. Apple has made various under-the-hood improvements to the camera performance of the new iPhones, and while they feature the same hardware set up as the 2017 iPhone X, there are subtle but effective changes.
4. Galaxy Note 9
Replacing its S9-series brethren, the Galaxy Note 9 now boasts of having one of the best cameras on a flagship device. The device features the same 12MP dual rear-camera setup we’ve seen on the S9 Plus. This means you’ve got a primary camera that boasts dual apertures of f/1.5 and f/2.4 and a secondary f/2.4 telephoto lens, paired with some new AI tricks up its sleeve.
1. OnePlus 6T
Taking the top spot in this segment is the famous flagship killer – the OnePlus 6T. The device features a 16MP f/1.7 + 20MP f/1.7 primary dual camera setup on the back, which is capable of capturing some amazing pictures with great details and vivid color reproduction. We’ve already reviewed the OnePlus 6T in great detail and the verdict is quite straightforward – the device has packs in a great camera at quite an affordable price.
OnePlus 6’s closest competitor – the Honor 10 – takes the second spot in this segment, with its 24MP f/1.8 + 16MP f/1.8 dual camera setup which performs almost identically as the OnePlus 6. The primary cameras are able to capture a lot of details and the dynamic range is even better than the OnePlus 6, however, the gimmicky AI mode over saturates the images, which is kind of a downer. Low light performance is also pretty good, with the sensor capable of capturing enough light to eliminate most noise.
Up front, the Honor 10 packs in a 24MP f/2.0 selfie shooter which is capable of taking remarkable selfies, even in low light. Portrait mode on the Honor 10 is somewhat of a hit-or-miss, with the device delivering stunning images at times and completely botching up the bokeh on a fair few occasions. Priced at Rs. 32,999, the Honor 10 is a compelling buy in this segment and despite undercutting the OnePlus 6’s price, it takes the second spot only because of the otherworldly performance that the OnePlus 6 offers.
LG’s new G7+ ThinQ is another exceptionally good smartphone that comes with some pretty great cameras. The phone comes with a dual 16MP + 16MP setup on the back and can take some pretty impressive photos. In daylight and good lighting conditions, the photos from the G7+ ThinQ turn out pretty impressive with ample details and good colors. Even in low light, the phone takes impressive pictures thanks to the fact that it has an f/1.6 and an f/1.9 aperture on its rear cameras which allows it to capture a lot of light.
Buy From Flipkart: ₹40,000
Chinese smartphone manufacturer Vivo is a reputed brand when it comes to a smartphone’s imaging capabilities. The company really focuses on delivering great camera performance on its smartphones and the new Vivo V11 Pro is no different. The smartphone packs a 25MP camera up front which allows users to take some amazing and detailed selfies. The selfies have little to no noise and the dynamic range is also quite acceptable. The Vivo V11 Pro is also capable of taking good selfies in low lighting conditions. The primary 12MP + 5MP dual camera setup on the back isn’t half bad either and it can take pretty decent images, with its portrait mode capabilities outshining those of flagship devices.
Best Camera Phones Under 20000 INR
1. Mi A2
Xiaomi Mi A1 was one of the best smartphones you could buy under the INR 20000 price point and the company has just released its successor, the Mi A2, which is turning out to be quite a good budget smartphone. I especially love the cameras on this smartphone as they can capture really good shots. The primary camera is bringing a 12 MP + 20 MP dual camera combo which is quite powerful. While the 20MP camera is using the Sony IMX376 sensor, the 12MP sensor is Sony IMX486 with f/1.75 aperture, large 1.25μm pixels. This means that the smartphone takes great photos in good lighting conditions but it also brings very good low-light performance. The primary camera is also capable of 4K recording which is great. The front-facing 20 MP shooter does a decent job of capturing selfies. While it’s not the best in the business, it’s right there at the top in our price range.
Priced at Rs. 19,999, the Huawei P20 Pro features the best camera setup for its price, which is why it makes it to the top spot in this segment. The Huawei P20 Pro packs in a dual 16MP+2MP primary camera setup on the back which is capable of taking detailed and vivid daylight photos. The device doesn’t disappoint in low light performance, delivering well lit images with little to no noise, and it’s also capable of taking great portrait shots with a nice bokeh effect.
Xiaomi’s Redmi Note 6 Pro is definitely one of the best camera phones under Rs. 20,000. The phone comes with a 12MP + 5MP dual rear camera same as the Redmi Note 5 Pro. However, this time around the main camera has a wider f/1.9 aperture and the performance of the camera has been improved anyway. Photos from the rear camera on the Redmi Note 6 Pro are pretty great in good lighting, but it’s in low light where the f/1.9 aperture of the phone really shines. Low light images from the Redmi Note 6 Pro are quite good, and considerably better than the Redmi Note 5 Pro that earlier occupied this spot on our list.
The Redmi Note 6 Pro is also the first Xiaomi phone to feature dual selfie cameras. The phone comes with a 20MP + 2MP dual front camera set up, and the front cameras here are pretty great in all types of conditions. Whether it’s in low light or good lighting, images from the front camera on the Redmi Note 6 Pro turn out pretty good. Thanks to the 2MP depth sensor on the front, portrait selfies from the Redmi Note 6 Pro have really good edge detection and the bokeh is just better overall. It’s definitely a phone you can consider if you’re looking for good cameras under Rs. 20,000.
The Asus Zenfone Max Pro M1 takes the final spot in this segment, as it offers a great dual camera setup at a very affordable price. Coming in at just Rs. 10,999, the Zenfone Max Pro M1 includes a 13MP+5MP dual camera setup on the back, along with an 8MP selfie shooter up front. Taking the price into consideration, the Zenfone Max Pro M1 offers great camera performance, delivering good daylight and portrait mode shots.
Note: Asus is going to launch the ZenFone Max Pro M2 in India on December 11, and it should have better cameras than the Max Pro M1. So, I’d suggest you to wait before you take the leap and buy the ZenFone Max Pro M1.
