How to Choose a Good Camera Phone (Even If You Know Nothing About Cameras)

So, your old phone is hardly capturing any good photos, or perhaps you simply want to click better shots for your Instagram, travel or your paw friend’s birthday. And then you find yourself staring at a bunch of phones that call themselves "camera phones" with terms like megapixels, AI photography, and OIS. It's overwhelming, we get it. 

But fret not. We will break down the complexity around the camera and try explaining it to you in the simplest way possible. Let’s begin. 

First things first- what is a good camera phone?

No heavy tech-talk or jargon here. Let’s keep it basic. A good camera phone can produce sharp, clear, natural-looking images and not only when the sun's shining, but also indoors, at night, or if something is in motion. It should also record good videos that don't look shaky or grainy. Brownie points if the selfies don't turn you into someone unknown. 

Don’t worry about the megapixels, they're largely marketing hype

Phone ads these days scream "108MP!" or "200MP!" but believe us, just the number does not guarantee better photos. What really counts more is the sensor size and, essentially, how much light the camera can pull in. A larger sensor means more light, which will result in improved low-light captures with higher detail.

Instead, look for reviews that specify the sensor size, such as "1-inch sensor" or "Sony IMX sensor.” They are a better indicator than megapixels alone.

OIS is a must (do not leave this)

You may have heard or read labels of OIS. It stands for Optical Image Stabilisation. It refers to the camera lens automatically adjusting to counter the shakes or jerks while clicking photos or shooting videos. This is a key player when taking night shots and video; otherwise, your images can come out blurry and worse if it is clicked in low light. 

In simple words, no OIS means shaky night photos and blurry video. So always check for this.

More than one camera isn't always better

There is a growing obsession with the number of cameras in a phone these days. Phone cameras today have 3, 4, even 5 cameras. But for real? Half of them are just for show. What matters is the main camera, which is your normal camera. This one should be robust. An ultra-wide camera, which comes into use when clicking group pictures or landscapes. It is also handy in cramped spaces. A telephoto lens, which comes in handy when it's optical zoom, wherein the actual lens moves and not digital crop-in zoom that destroys quality. And lastly,  a depth or macro sensor, which is basically a marketing gimmick in lower-end phones. Nobody uses it. So don't be tricked by "quad camera" when three of them are just fillers. 

Low-light and night mode: Big deal

Much of phone photography now is how well it performs in low light, say indoors or at night. A good phone will retain detail and colour without making everything appear blurry as if painted with a soft colour. 

Night mode should not just exist; it should also function, making your photos appear as natural as possible and not overly processed. Always try to view photo samples online before hitting the buy button. 

Videos: Crucial, don’t ignore them

If you are into content creation or love taking family videos, it is important to see how the phone does in terms of video. It should record at least 4K, and preferably, also feature OIS so that there’s no place for shaky videos. The audio quality also counts. If it has stereo mics or wind reduction, even better. 

Front-facing camera: More than beauty filters

A good selfie is all about sharpness, natural skin tone, and no need for beauty mode unless you are looking to. Some phones these days also come with autofocus on the front-facing camera, which is a huge help. Bonus if it can also record 4K video from the front cam. 

What to actually look for before you buy a camera phone

Here is a quick checklist. 

• Does it have OIS?

• Is the primary sensor large and well-reviewed?

• Are the ultrawide and zoom cameras practical, not gimmicks?

• How does it handle low light?

• Does it record stable, high-res video?

• Are the selfies natural, not some beauty filter sample?

If the answer is "yes" to most of these, you are good to go. 

Top camera phones you can buy right now 

Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra, iPhone 16 Pro Max, Pixel 9 Pro, OnePlus 13. There are some pretty good camera phones in the budget segment as well, like Vivo T4X, iQOO Z10x and likewise more. 

Don't buy a camera phone based on reading numbers. Seriously. Marketing jargon can turn a potato camera into a DSLR. Instead, look for actual photo samples online, think about what you click the most - food? people? dogs? videos? Choose a phone that does that thing exceptionally well.

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