There are different ways to treat the desire of leading manufacturers to create a full-fledged camera with support for mobile communications. Someone will say that such a technique will never replace a full-fledged highly specialized gadget, but someone thinks otherwise. We respect the different opinions of our readers. Therefore, when evaluating the best camera phones in 2021, we took into account not only the capabilities of the camera units, but also other parameters.
What resources were used to compile the top:
- Dxomark – Rate photo and video recording devices;
- DisplayMate – scan displays, write records;
- AntuTu – Estimates actual performance.
Among other things, our authors and editors took into account the comments of various users and proceeded from their subjective opinions.
Smartphones with a good camera for the price and quality
| Sample | Main camera | selfie camera | Video | Battery | CPU |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Xiaomi Redmi Note 8 Pro | 64(f/1.8), 8(f/2.2), 2(f/2.4), 2(f/2.4) | 20 megapixels | Full HD at 30fps | 4500 mAh | Mediatek Helio G90T |
| Realme 6 Pro | 64(f/1.8), 12(f/2.5), 8(f/2.3), 2(f/2.4) | 16 MP (f/2.1), 8 MP (f/2.2) | Full HD at 30fps | 4300 mAh | Snapdragon 720 g |
| Xiaomi Poco X3 NFC | 64 (f/1.89), 13 (f/2.2), 2 (f/2.4), 2 (f/2.4) | 20 megapixels | 4K at 30 fps | 5160 mAh | Snapdragon 732G |
| Samsung Galaxy A52 | 64(f/1.8), 12(f/2.2), 5(f/2.4), 5(f/2.4) | 32 megapixels | 4K with electronic stabilization | 4500 mAh | Snapdragon 720 g |
| Apple iPhone XR | 12 (f/1.8) to 1/2.55, Smart HDR support | 7 MP, f/2.2 | 4K with many modes | 2940 mAh | A12 bionic 7 Nm |
Xiaomi Note 8 Pro
The top 10 camera phones are far from being opened by the newest model, but they are definitely popular and in demand in the market. At the end of last year, the Xiaomi Note 8 Pro model received a major update, after which the camera went through a good update and received several interesting modes. And this despite the fact that the selfie camera dabbled in chic portraits. The main unit includes a large 64MP sensor with f/1.8 aperture. Today, up to 15,000 rubles, it is difficult to find a smartphone with such a good camera. Among other things, the device boasts a good IPS display and a powerful Helio G90T processor. Implemented fast charging 15W.
Advantages:
- bright screen;
- 20-megapixel selfie camera;
- many modalities;
- good processor;
- focus quality.
Flaws:
- huge device;
- far from a new camera phone.
Realme 6 Pro
If you are still undecided or do not know which smartphone to choose with a good mid-range camera, we advise you to pay attention to the previous generation model of the Realme 6 Pro series. Does it make sense to overpay for the seventh generation, given that the camera configurations have not changed much? You decide. In our opinion, the predecessor has very good parameters for its price. On the front, you can find an excellent IPS screen with 90Hz refresh rate support. The main camera has a large 64MP sensor with f/1.8 aperture. It is complemented by a 12MP ultra wide-angle lens, an 8MP telephoto lens with f/2.3 aperture, and a 2MP macro lens. Another feature is the dual front camera, which includes two sensors of 16 and 8 megapixels. The battery capacity is 4300 mAh.
Advantages:
- recharge in 57 minutes;
- good camera;
- update frequency;
- good power.
Flaws:
- there is a seven.
Xiaomi Poco X3 NFC
In the middle segment, it is difficult to find a more balanced smartphone with good main and front cameras than the Xiaomi Poco X3 NFC model. This device is powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 732G processor. The main camera includes a 64 megapixel sensor with an f / 1.9 aperture and a size of 1 / 1.73 inches. The secondary ultra-wide-angle lens has a 13-megapixel lens with a 119-degree field of view. The macro sensor has 2 megapixels, and the depth sensor is also 2 megapixels. This package allows you to shoot in 4K at 30 frames per second. The screen supports HDR10 technology and a refresh rate of 120 Hz, which is not available in analogues in this price category. Another advantage is 33W fast charging, which allows you to restore a fairly large battery (5160 mAh) in just 65 minutes.
Advantages:
- the amount of RAM – 6 gigabytes;
- frequency 120 Hz;
- cool video;
- advanced main camera.
Flaws:
- not the perfect selfie camera.
Samsung Galaxy A52
In the category under 25000, a smartphone with a good camera and good video quality from Samsung certainly looks good – this is the Galaxy A52. This device has a large 6.5-inch Super AMOLED display with a refresh rate of 90Hz and a brightness of 800 nits. The device has an IP-67 protected housing, usually available for the premium segment of South Korean phones. Another nice bonus is the powerful and energy-efficient Snapdragon 720G processor. The main camera includes a 64 (f / 1.8) megapixel sensor and a 12 megapixel ultra-wide-angle sensor with f / 2.2 aperture. The front camera deserves special attention, the resolution of which is 32 megapixels. Another plus is 25W fast charging.
Advantages:
- powerful charging;
- good quadruple room;
- great selfie camera
- powerful chip;
- protected cover.
Flaws:
Apple iPhone XR
The best budget camera phone in 2021 is the Apple iPhone XR. In fact, this is an inexpensive flagship, which makes no sense to compare with the gadgets presented above, since it uses branded elements and proprietary technologies of the American brand. This is confirmed by the low resolution of the camera’s sensors, which produce sharper and brighter images. What’s the secret? Of course, in proprietary software and beautiful stabilization with large matrices. The model has an IPS display, which significantly reduced the cost of the gadget. The battery capacity is 2942 mAh. It is worth noting the excellent 12-megapixel camera with f / 1.9 aperture. This is enough to record a good video in 4K resolution at night.
Advantages:
- large matrix;
- Apple A12 processorBionic;
- support for Apple Pay;
- appearance;
- overall balance.
Flaws:
The best premium camera phones
This category brings together the leaders of DxOMark and other reputable resources for evaluating mobile phone cameras. At the same time, we took into account not only the experience of other resources, but also the personal experience of positioning leaders, taking into account other parameters (except for the camera).
Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max
Apple’s new flagship, the iPhone 13 Pro Max series, adds to the ranking of smartphones with a good camera. The novelty can please apple lovers with improved technical characteristics, including a higher level of power thanks to the use of the Apple A15 Bionic processor. The gadget is equipped with a gorgeous 6.7-inch OLED screen with a refresh rate of 120Hz. The brightness level of this panel reaches 1200 cd/m2. The main camera includes three sensors, including a 12MP main lens with f/1.5 aperture, a 12MP ultra-wide-angle sensor with 3x telephoto lens with f/2.8 aperture, and a 12MP secondary telephoto lens with f/2.8 aperture. f/2.8 aperture. The amount of memory in this case can reach 1 terabyte.
Advantages:
- high power;
- software;
- photosensitivity of cameras;
- lidar sensor for augmented reality;
- the video is even better.
Flaws:
One Plus 9 Pro
When looking at premium camera phones, it’s hard to ignore the OnePlus 9 Pro, which has managed to break a lot of records in terms of display options. Among other things, this gadget received a powerful processor based on the 5-nm process technology of the Snapdragon 888 series. The novelty is based on a new operating system with a proprietary OxygenOS 11 shell. The screen is equipped with a new Fluid AMOLED technology with a frequency of 120 Hz and a peak brightness of 1100 nits. The battery capacity in this model is 4500mAh and is complemented by 65W fast charging. The main camera includes a 48-megapixel sensor with a physical size of 1/1.43 inches and PDAF. The ultra wide-angle sensor has a resolution of 50 megapixels with an f / 2.2 aperture. An additional module is a 2 MP depth sensor. This photo block allows you to shoot video with Auto HDR in 8K resolution.
Advantages:
- peak brightness;
- high power;
- liquid AMOLED screen;
- main sensor size – 1 / 1.43 inches ″;
- powerful Snapdragon 888 processor.
Flaws:
- high expectations.
Samsung S21 Ultra
Without a doubt, Samsung S21 Ultra is one of the best camera phones with good video recording and a front camera. The latter boasts a resolution of 40 megapixels with phase detection autofocus. The main quad camera has a 108 megapixel sensor, a 10, 10 and 12 megapixel sensor. The photo block received an optical zoom, a stabilizer, a really ultra-wide viewing angle, and a good flash. A clear display based on Dynamic AMOLED 2X technology with a resolution of 1440 × 3200 pixels deserves special attention. High performance is guaranteed by the Samsung Exynos 2100 processor, complemented by the Mali-G78 MP14 graphics accelerator.
Advantages:
- battery 5000 mAh;
- good camera;
- dynamic technology AMOLED 2X;
- 40 MP front camera.
Flaws:
- not the most natural colors at night.
Google Pixel 6 Pro
The list of flagship smartphones with a good camera is replenished with the Google Pixel 6 Pro, which attracts with a stunning screen based on the LTPO OLED matrix, whose resolution is 3120 x 1440 pixels. In addition, the American manufacturer paid due attention to the performance and safety of its gadget. In particular, this is confirmed by the support of the Titan M2 module. The sensor of the main camera has been significantly updated and now its resolution is 50 megapixels. It is also necessary to note the high level of light sensitivity of the ultra-wide-angle sensor, the resolution of which is 12 megapixels. It also uses a large telephoto lens with a resolution of 48 megapixels. The camera supports 4K video recording.
Advantages:
- Titan M2 security module;
- pixel density 512 PPI;
- screen refresh rate 120 Hz;
- excellent exposure;
- 4K video.
Flaws:
- not in this generation.
Huawei P50 Pro
The best camera phone of 2021 is the Huawei P50 Pro series model, which features a 6.6-inch 1228 x 2799 OLED display with 120Hz refresh rate and HDR10+ support. It should be noted that the performance of the model is good, since it has a Snapdragon 888 series processor with 4G support from Qualcomm. This chip is based on the 5nm process technology, which indicates a high level of power consumption. The camera received 4 sensors, including a lens of 50 megapixels, 64 megapixels, 13 megapixels and 40 megapixels. Based on the configurations of the sensors, we can already conclude that the model has been significantly upgraded. At the same time, the main camera has an advanced sensor from the Omnivision OV50A series. At the same time, the front camera deserves special attention, the resolution of which is 13 megapixels at f / 2.4 sensitivity.
Advantages:
- Omnivision OV50A sensor;
- powerful Qualcomm chip;
- front camera;
- screen refresh rate.
Flaws:
- it is hard to say.
How to choose a smartphone with a good camera?
Once again, I want to note that many users have different attitudes towards the data of Dxomark resources. If you don’t know how to choose a good camera phone, you should definitely take a look at the comparisons and analysis of the experts from this lab. They take into account not only the resolution of the camera, as inexperienced buyers often do, but also other technical aspects:
- The physical size of the matrix;
- Light sensitivity level;
- Quantity and quality of stabilization;
- Noises, mannerisms, general balance;
- Soft, zoom, etc.
The list of important parameters is not exhaustive. We have neither the experience nor the tools to compare all the presented devices. Instead, we collect all the information, analyze and draw a “middle line” to give you the opportunity to compare, get quick access to the main important data for the right choice. At the same time, I want to once again draw your attention to the fact that we took into account not only the shooting parameters, but also other important parameters, including power, screen, and functions.
What is the best smartphone with a good camera to buy in 2021?
Here’s what, friends: the ideal flagship does not exist and has not yet been invented. Leadership positions change all the time. If you do not know which camera phone to buy, consider this circumstance. As for the current ranking:
- Best Inexpensive Flagship Camera Phone – Apple XR
- A good camera phone up to 25,000 rubles – Galaxy A52;
- Best budget model with a good camera: Poxo X3 NFC
- Flagship premium camera phone: Huawei P50 Pro.
Join the evaluation discussion and express your thoughts, because communication with our reader motivates us!