In today’s post, we are going to be counting down the top 20 smartphone cameras in the world.
Article was updated at 12pm on the 24th of May, 2023.
Cameras on a smartphone are very very important. They are one of the four main specs that people look out for alongside the SoC, display and battery. A good camera is a deal breaker for those who can afford it.
Camera comparison is a serious business amongst smartphone users. Companies know this, so there is an arms race amongst them for who makes the smartphone with the best camera.
Top 20 Smartphone cameras in the world
This comparison was made using data primarily from DXOmark.
Recommended: How to read Smartphone Camera specifications
Number 20: Xiaomi 13 Pro
Despite all the hype, Xiaomi’s current flagship limps to a 20th place finish. This is a far cry from the days when the Xiaomi ruled the world with the Mi 11 Ultra.
Number 19: Vivo X90 Pro
The X90 Pro is the one of the current flagship models from Vivo. It uses the Flagship Dimensity 9200 SoC and shares the same 50MP Sony IMX 989 with the Xiaomi 12S Ultra.
Number 18: Vivo X80 Pro (Snapdragon)
The Vivo X80 Pro shares the same camera with the aforementioned MediaTek variant but Qualcomm’s superior ISP + DSP helps it move further up the list.
Number 17: Huawei Mate 40 Pro+
In 17th place, we have the former smartphone photography king. The Huawei Mate 40 Pro+. This phone uses the same camera setup (52MP Sony IMX 700 with an aperture of f/1.9) as the Mate 40 Pro and the P40 Pro.
Recommended: Megapixel count vs Sensor size
Number 16: Vivo X90 Pro+
Vivo’s premium phone, the Vivo X90 Pro+ shares the same camera specs (Sony IMX 989) with it’s sister phone, the Vivo X90 Pro but the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2‘s superior ISP + DSP shines through.
Number 15: Samsung Galaxy 23 Ultra
The Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra is Samsung’s current super flagship. It is armed with a Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 and a 200MP Samsung HP2 camera sensor but it has to make do with 15th place.
This proves that photography isn’t all about megapixel counts as I have repeatedly explained.
Number 14: Google Pixel 7
The vanilla Pixel 7 shares the same camera (50MP Samsung GN1) with its more illustrious Pixel 7 Pro sibling but has to make do with 15th place finish. Its last position was 10th place.
Number 13: Xiaomi 11 Ultra
The Xiaomi 11 Ultra is a photography beast. It was once the undisputed king of photography in the smartphone world. It uses a Samsung GN2 which was (at some point) the largest smartphone sensor in the world.
Numbers 11 and 12: iPhone 13 Pro and 13 Pro Max
This spot is a tie between Apple’s iPhones 13 Pro and 13 Pro Max who both stay ahead of the Xiaomi 11 Ultra flagship. They both use the same 12MP Sony IMX 703 main camera with an aperture of f/1.5.
Top 10
Number 10: Huawei P50 Pro
In tenth place is the Huawei P50 Pro. It leapfrogged the Mi 11 Ultra into first place while back, but now it has to make do with 10th place. It uses a 50MP Omnivision OV50A main sensor with an aperture size of f/1.8.
Number 8 and 9: Apple iPhone 14 Pro and 14 Pro Max
Once in second place but now in 8th and 9th respectively, the iPhone 14 Pro and 14 Pro Max are Apple’s first devices to use a 48MP (Sony IMX 803) camera and it shows.
Number 7: Honor Magic 4 Ultimate
Honor continues the Huawei tradition of pushing out phones with great cameras. The Honor Magic 4 Ultimate has picked up the baton from it’s predecessor. Armed with a 50MP Samsung GN2 sensor, it was once the best in the world.
Number 6: Google Pixel 7 Pro
The Google Pixel 7 Pro finally lives up to it’s much vaunted hype by providing excellent photos. Finally, Google has a true photography champion. The Google Pixel 7 Pro retains last year’s 50MP Samsung GN1 camera but has massively improved on the software.
Honourable mentions
Before getting to the top 5, lets look some of the other smartphones with very good cameras that did not make the cut. Honorable mentions include the Xiaomi 12S Ultra, Vivo X80 Pro (MediaTek), Apple iPhone 14, 14 plus and 12 Pro Max. There’s also the Samsung Galaxy S23 and S23+, Vivo X70 Pro+, Pixel 6 Pro and Pixel 7a.
Number 5: Huawei Mate 50 Pro
After a hiatus of almost 2 years, Huawei finally reclaims top spot with the Mate 50 Pro sporting a 50MP Sony IMX 766. The camera on board is aided greatly by the processing power from the Snapdragon 8+ Gen 2.
Number 4: Oppo Find X6
Kicking off the top 4 is the first of Oppo’s two phones, the Find X6. The Find X6 boasts a very decent 50MP Sony IMX 890 camera paired with a Dimensity 9200 to process images. Expect good things from this phone.
Number 3: Honor Magic 5 Pro
The Magic 5 Pro replaces the Magic 4 Ultimate at the high table of the world’s best smartphone cameras. The Magic 5 Pro is an upgrade on its predecessor due to its better main camera (Sony IMX 878)and SoC (Snapdragon 8 Gen 2).
Number 2: Oppo Find X6 Pro
Completing Oppo’s duo in top 4 is the Find X6 Pro. This phone boasts a flagship 1” 50MP Sony IMX 989 as well as the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 to process images. The Find X6 Pro is a beast.
The number one on the list of the Top 20 smartphone cameras in the world is…
Number 1: Huawei P60 Pro
Huawei reclaim the top spot with the excellent P60 Pro. Everyone has good things to say about this phone with it’s huge 48MP RYYB image sensors and excellent image processing.
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