Best Overall Smartphone Camera | Huawei Mate 30 Pro | The Huawei Mate 30 Pro has - without a doubt - the best performing smartphone camera system. The phone packs a 40-megapixel, f/1.6 aperture primary sensor, a 40-megapixel, f/1.8 ultrawide lens, an 8-megapixel, f/2.4 aperture telephoto sensor with 3x optical zoom and a 3D TOF camera. All three sensors feature PDAF, while the telephoto and primary sensors also support OIS. On the front, the Mate 30 Pro gets a 32-megapixel, f/2.0 aperture sensor paired with a 3D TOF camera. The Mate 30 Pro offers the best overall camera performance of any smartphone, in terms of combining video.
2/7
Best Smartphone for Video | Apple iPhone 11 Pro | The Apple iPhone 11 Pro has one of the best camera setups on the market. However, when it comes to video, the iPhone 11 Pro reigns as the undisputed champion. Both the front and back cameras on the iPhone can record videos in 4K resolution at up to 60fps. The iPhone 11 Pro packs a 12-megapixel wide, f/1.8 aperture lens, a 12-megapixel, f/2.0 telephoto camera, and a 12-megapixel ultrawide, f/2.4 aperture lens. Both the telephoto and wide sensors support PDAF and OIS. Apple’s Cinematic Video Stabilisation and Audio Zoom are two of the biggest highlights of this camera system. The iPhone 11 Pro also gets a 12-megapixel, f/2.2 primary sensor. If you’re buying a phone primarily for recording videos, then the iPhone 11 Pro or Pro Max isn’t going to disappoint.
3/7
Best Smartphone for Photography | Xiaomi Mi Note 10 Pro | While most flagship killers deliver performance on par or better than premium smartphones with some compromise in camera performance, the Mi Note 10 Pro goes the opposite route. When it comes to photography, the Mi Note 10 Pro and its five cameras will probably get you better results than the current crop of flagships. The Mi Note 10 Pro is the only phone to packs a massive 108-megapixel primary sensor with f/1.8 aperture (8P) lens, which is a first for smartphones. The primary sensor is backed by a 12-megapixel, f/2.0, 50mm (telephoto) camera for portrait shots, a second 5-megapixel, f/2.0 telephoto with OIS and 5x optical zoom, a 20-megapixel, f/2.2 ultrawide lens, and a 2-megapixel, f/2.4 dedicated macro camera. While overall camera performance is great here, the primary camera performance is the best you’ll get on a 2019 smartphone. On the front, the Mi Note 10 Pro sports the standard 32-megapixel, f/2.0 selfie camera.
4/7
Best Camera on a Flagship Killer | Oppo Reno 10x Zoom Edition | If you’re looking for a good camera setup on a flagship killer, then you can’t go wrong with the Oppo Reno 10x Zoom. The Reno 10x Zoom isn’t that far out from premium flagships and delivers an excellent triple camera setup. The phone boasts a 48 MP, f/1.7 primary sensor with OIS, a 13-megapixel, f/3.0 periscopic lens with OIS and 5x optical zoom. The Reno 10x Zoom Edition also gets a 16-megapixel, f/2.0 motorised pop-up selfie camera. The Reno 10x Zoom Edition has by far one of the best cameras setups on a smartphone for a flagship killer, we’d rate it at slightly better than the OnePlus 7 Pro; “slightly”.
Best Mid-Range Smartphone Camera | Realme X2 | The mid-range smartphone market has been arguably the biggest winner in 2019, primarily because competition has intensified in this area this year. However, for the best smartphone camera under 20000 rupees, we’d have to go with the Realme X2. The Realme X2 strikes a nice balance between delivering a good camera and powerful performance. The Realme X2 packs a primary 64-megapixel, f/1.8 aperture sensor, 8-megapixel, f/2.3 ultrawide lens, a 2-megapixel, f/2.4 depth sensor and 2-megapixel, f/2.4 ultra-macro lens. On the front, the X2 features a 32-megapixel, f/2.0 aperture sensor. If you don’t have the budget for the Realme X2, you can also get the Realme XT, which sports a similar rear camera setup at a marginally lower price.
6/7
Best Affordable Smartphone Camera | Xiaomi Redmi Note 8 | If you’re strapped for cash and looking for an affordable smartphone with a decent camera, you can’t go wrong with the Redmi Note 8. Xiaomi’s Redmi Note 8 has one of the best camera setups on a smartphone under 10,000 rupees. The Redmi Note 8 features a 48-megapixel, f/1.8 aperture primary sensor, an 8-megapixel ultrawide lens with f/2.2 aperture, and two 2-megapixel, f/2.4 lenses for depth and macro mode. On the front, the Redmi Note 8 gets a 13-megapixel, f/2.0 camera. At this price, the Redmi Note 8 is the best camera you can get, but the Realme 5s and Lenovo K10 Note are also smartphones to consider.
7/7
Best Selfie Camera | Asus 6z | The Asus 6z offers the best selfie camera on a smartphone phone. If you’re looking for the best of the best selfies, Samsung’s 5G Note 10+ and Huawei’s Nova 6 5G are arguably the best but the former is too expensive if you’re only considering front camera performance and the latter struggles in terms of availability. The Asus 6z has a 48-megapixel, f/1.8 aperture primary sensor and a 13-megapixel, f/2.4 ultrawide lens on the back. But since the rear camera module flips forward, you can use the same rear cameras as the front shooter, which means for detailed selfies. Additionally, the ultrawide lens will be able to fit more into the frame.
