In today’s post, we are going to be counting down the top 20 smartphone cameras in the world.
Article was updated at 4pm on the 3rd of February, 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: Vivo X70 Pro+
We start off with the Vivo X70 Pro+. The X70 Pro+ was one of Vivo’s flagship offerings. It starts us off on our list. It uses a 50MP Samsung GN1.
Number 19: Google Pixel 6 Pro
Google set the hype train in motion, long before the Google Pixel 6 Pro made its debut. Based on Google’s track record with its Pixel phones, almost everyone was expecting a world beater. It limps to an 19th place finish, just ahead of Vivo X70 Pro+.
The Google Pixel 6 Pro has very good cameras (50MP Samsung GN1 main). Its successor is the Google Pixel 7 Pro.
Number 18: Vivo X80 Pro (MediaTek)
The Vivo X80 Pro from last year came in 2 flavours, one with a Dimensity 9000 and another with a Snapdragon 8 Gen 1.
The Dimensity 9000 variant with a 50MP Samsung GNV camera is down in 18th.
Number 17: Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra (Snapdragon)
The Snapdragon variant of the S22 Ultra finishes well ahead of its sister Exynos variant. This is despite the fact that the both use the same 108MP Samsung HM3 camera. It is a true testament to Qualcomm’s imaging technologies.
Recommended: Megapixel count vs Sensor size
Number 16: Huawei Mate 40 Pro
The Mate 40 Pro is also another giant from last year on the downward slide. That not withstanding, it is still capable of world class performance. It shares the same camera setup (52MP Sony IMX 700 with an aperture of f/1.9) with the Huawei P40 Pro.
Number 15: Xiaomi 12S Ultra
In 15th place, we have the latest of Xiaomi’s creme de creme, the Xiaomi 12S Ultra. It sports a humongous 50MP 1″ Sony IMX 989 sensor and is a photography giant.
Number 14: 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 13: 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 12: Huawei Mate 40 Pro+
In 12th 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.
Number 11: 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.
Top 10
Number 10: Google Pixel 7
The vanilla Pixel 7 shares the same camera (50MP Samsung GN1) with it’s more illustrious Pixel 7 Pro sibling but has to make do with 10th place finish.
Number 9: 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.
Number 7 & 8: 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.
Number 6: Huawei P50 Pro
In sixth place is the Huawei P50 Pro. It leapfrogged the Mi 11 Ultra into first place a while back, now it has to make do with 6th place. It uses a 50MP Omnivision OV50A main sensor with an aperture size of f/1.8.
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 Apple iPhone 14, 14 plus and 12 Pro Max. There’s also the Galaxy S22 Ultra (Exynos), Oppo Find X5 Pro, Huawei P40 Pro and the Xiaomi 12T Pro.
Number 4 & 5: Apple iPhone 14 Pro and 14 Pro Max
Once in second place but now in 4th and 5th, the iPhone 14 Pro and 14 Pro Max are Apple’s first devices to use a 48MP camera and it shows.
Number 3: 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’s the best in the world currently.
Number 2: Google Pixel 7 Pro
The Google Pixel 7 Pro finally lives up to it’s much vaunted hype by tying for first place. 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.
The number one on the list of the Top 20 smartphone cameras in the world is…
Number 1: 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.
Thank you for reading to the end. As always, ensure to check out our links for more information
- Subscribe to my YouTube channel
- Follow on Facebook
- Join our Telegram community
- Participate on Reddit
- Find us on Quora
- Follow us on Instagram
- Check out the Clubhouse as well
