Which is the most productive Android phone for photography lately? Whether you’ve been waiting a long time to upgrade your current Android phone or you’re an iPhone user and have been tempted by some of the latest Android phone releases, like the Pixel nine Pro XL or the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra, I’m here to help you discover what’s best for you.
Why opt for an Android phone over the best iPhones?The main reason is variety, Android telephones come in a wide variety of sizes and shapes and each one offers different versions of what the best camera phone deserves to offer. While some concentrate on the camera’s superior solution, others concentrate on the photographic functions.
Another merit of the Android platform is that some of them come at strangely competitive prices, which is a direct result of the number of Android phones available lately. If you are looking for a lot, consult our advisor for more Affordable and productive camera phones.
There are so many devices for your next Android phone, however, the devices included here are based on their design, quality of their displays, processing power, battery life, exclusive features, camera quality, value, and usability. Let’s dig deeper!
Gareth is Digital Camera World’s Reviews Editor and the user’s guilty thumb for approving the latest camera technology. A photography and phone enthusiast, he shoots with his Google Pixel or mirrorless camera and knows exactly what qualities he expects to see in a photograph.
Our review:
The Google Pixel 9 Pro and 9 Pro XL offer the same camera systems and user experiences, differing only in size. The Pixel 9 Pro’s 6. 3-inch display is for anyone looking for a more compact flagship experience, while the 6. 8-inch Pixel 9 Pro XL is ideal for those who prefer larger screens. Both models feature flat displays, offering brilliant colours, deep blacks and stylish 120Hz refresh rates, with maximum brightness levels ensuring perfect outdoor visibility. Both models also feature 45W Fast Charging, allowing for a full charge in less than nine minutes, and come with wireless charging capabilities.
Installing the same cameras on both models contrasts with other brands that reserve high-end cameras for larger models, and will be popular with smaller phone enthusiasts. Both devices feature a triple camera setup, adding a periscope zoom.
The camera formula includes a 48MP ultra-wide-angle lens with macro capabilities, a 50MP main sensor with optical image stabilization, and a 48MP telephoto lens that provides approximately 5x optical zoom. The 42 MP front camera offers selfies.
Notably, the Pixel 9 series excels in night photography, producing well-balanced shots across all cameras. The phone is also enhanced by AI-driven photo processing and editing tools with Google’s excellent Magic Eraser in the Photos app.
Read our full Google Pixel nine Pro and nine Pro XL review
Our expert review:
The Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra has long been the default Android flagship for so many people, blending premium design with cutting-edge performance. This year is no different with a titanium frame, stunning design, and beautiful flat display making it very oh-so premium.
Powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 processor, the S24 Ultra delivers ultra-fast performance, ideal for multitasking and tough applications. Complex AI features integrated into the software productivity and user experience, while the device’s battery life is high, thanks to the power of the new chipset.
The camera formula consistently delivers high-quality images and videos, with a huge array of five cameras you can capture everything from ultra-wide-angle shots to 10x telephoto; Samsung’s symbol processing is arguably not to everyone’s taste. Although the S24 Ultra introduces significant improvements, it maintains many similarities with its predecessor. Finally, the 200MP camera mode, while impressive, arguably doesn’t offer practical benefits to all users.
This is also one of the priciest options on the list, and a lot of other phones have equally strong cameras for less money, but if you love the design and are integrated into Samsung’s ecosystem already then this is the camera phone for you.
Read our full review of the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra
Our expert review:
The Google Pixel 8a is a mid-range smartphone with an affordable price point, but don’t let that fool you into thinking this is any less of an incredible camera phone than its Pixel 9 Pro siblings.
Its design features a metal frame and plastic back, which offers durability with IP67 water and dust resistance, but the plastic does feel much less premium than other phones on the list – and phones for the same price.
The 6. 1-inch OLED display offers a 120Hz refresh rate and the phone is powered by Google’s Tensor G3 chip and 8GB of RAM, allowing it to effectively tackle daily responsibilities even if it might fall behind its competition in photo and video editing performance. With a 4492mAh battery, it can last all day with moderate use, and there’s also up to 30W stressed charging for fast charging.
The camera formula includes a 64 MP main sensor and a thirteenMP ultra-wide-angle lens, which delivers stunning images thanks to Google’s complex photo processing. The device supports 4K video recording, the quality of which depends on good enough lighting. The Pixel 8a also shared Google’s AI-based editing features with Magic Eraser tools, blur removal, and more, as well as AI on the phone, adding live audio transcription of any video.
Notably, Google promises seven years of software updates, so this phone will keep you going long into the future – which certainly can’t be said for all Android phones.
Read our full Google Pixel 8a review
Our opinion:
OnePlus 13 started 2025 with a bang not only with the brand’s phone to date, but also with one of the phones you can buy lately if you care about your photos.
The camera system, developed in collaboration with Hasselblad, features a 50MP main sensor, a 50MP ultra-wide lens, and a 50MP telephoto lens with 3x optical zoom. This setup delivers awesome detailed images that rival the best on any other phone. The only downside while the 3x optical zoom is effective, a longer optical zoom would enhance versatility – although the phone does have an impressive AI-assisted digital zoom.
The OnePlus 13 is powered by the latest Snapdragon processor and offers seriously fast performance, and editing images and videos is a breeze. Its 6. 82-inch color-accurate display is certainly impressive, making it ideal for editing photos and videos with maximum clarity, accurate colors, and a maximum brightness of 4,500 nits for home editing. ‘outside. The build quality is also exceptional and the phone comes in 3 colors and finishes; I like the Midnight Ocean faux leather (blue) for its premium feel. The OnePlus 13 supports fast charging up to 80W and has a 6000mAh battery that I got during the day.
Read our OnePlus 13 full
Our opinion:
The OnePlus Open stands out as the leading camera phone among foldables, thanks to its exceptional photo processing and powerful hardware. Equipped with 3 rear cameras (a 52 MP main sensor, a 48 MP ultra-wide angle lens and a 3x telephoto lens), it stands out for capturing detailed and flexible photos. The main camera stands out for its ability to render the main shadow points correctly and handle mixed lighting situations effectively. Its low-light functionality is impressive, backed by a reliable automatic night mode that delivers sharp, handheld photos.
The telephoto lens stands out for generating sharp, product-quality photographs even at close range, although it lags behind the wide-angle lens in low-light scenarios. The ultra-wide-angle lens, although generally less notable, offers useful macro functions for situations of excessive proximity. -oops. Plus, Dolthrough Vision HDR 10-bit video support makes it a must-have selection for video creators.
Despite its strengths, the OnePlus Open has some drawbacks. The most notable is color inconsistency across its lenses, and its zoom capabilities are less competitive when compared to non-foldable flagships like the Google Pixel 9 Pro or Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra.
If you’re looking for a foldable phone with the best camera experience available, the OnePlus Open is an excellent choice. However, if having the absolute best camera is your top priority, a non-foldable flagship might be a better option.
Read our full OnePlus Open review
Our opinion:
The Xiaomi 14 Ultra is a high-end smartphone as it has a camera. The combination of the most productive hardware in its class, pioneering camera technology, Leica’s oldest version of the photo setting, and the most productive proprietary accessory we’ve ever tested make the Xiaomi 14 Ultra the ultimate phone for photographers right now.
With a 1-inch Sony sensor, a variable aperture from f/1. 63 to f/4. 0 and a Leica Summilux lens on its 23mm main camera, as well as 3 secondary 50MP cameras: a 12mm ultra-wide angle and a telephoto lens 75mm. Lens and a 120 mm periscope. Telephoto lenses, all supplied with fast apertures and close focusing capabilities. The device supports 8K video recording.
The most interesting thing about the 14 Ultra is the photography kit accessory that adds physical controls and improves ergonomics. Photographers have extensive manual controls out of the box and freer zoom than ever.
Unfortunately, the telephone does not have an eSIM and its operating formula and user interface are not the cleanest to use. Plus, all those cameras mean that the Xiaomi 14 Ultra is also very expensive and not the easiest phone to buy in some places.
Read our full Xiaomi 14 Ultra review
Our opinion:
The Oppo Find X8 Pro stands out as a remarkably versatile camera phone, adept at capturing a range of subjects from sports and wildlife to portraits and close-ups with its two periscope telephoto modules.
Although the main camera sensor may be larger, the phone’s exceptional symbol processing compensates for any length limitations, resulting in high-quality symbols. The phone’s rugged AI helps deliver even greater telephoto symbol quality, belying its light weight. But as with other AI-enhanced camera phones, those “assisted” symbols are more about interpreting the scene than offering a literal representation, and while the algorithms rarely fail, those compromises were rarely quite smart in our evidence.
The phone is well built with an impressive IP6nine protection, making it suitable for underwater photography (but not in the ocean), although its robustness is questionable as we control that its glass breaks easily. While the Find With its impressive camera specs and functionality that can rival any of those phones, the Find X8 Pro offers excellent value for money.
Read our full Oppo Find X8 Pro review
The main considerations to make when purchasing a new Android phone are the camera, design, and price.
Let’s start with the cameras, since most modern smartphones come with two or more cameras that provide other perspectives. To choose the right camera for you, you need to ask yourself what you like to take pictures of. If you take a lot of close-up photos, make sure your Android phone has a smart macro mode. If you like open and spectacular spaces. Then it is essential to opt for a phone with the maximum productivity wide-angle camera, and for remote photography, a smart telephoto lens is essential.
It’s easy to get carried away with cameras and specs, but you find that most Android phones offer a wonderful experience. Find the right design for you, with the features you really need, and luckily, there’s an Android phone to suit your needs. practically any budget.
Unfortunately, any apps or content purchased directly from the Apple App Store can only be used on Apple devices. You will need to repurchase any apps or content from the Google Play Store. The only exception is subscriptions to apps or installations that you have signed. through the Apple Store, which would possibly be valid on any device on which that application or service is offered. Please do not replace your billing information or cancel your subscription with Apple if you intend to move away from Apple devices completely.
Android is the core OS that powers all these phones and manages the way the phones function, but this is separate from how Android looks – and each manufacturer is free to come up with their own take on the OS’s style. Google as the developer of Android offers the most “stock” version of how they intend the underlying Android to be interacted with, and also emphasizes Google’s comprehensive apps and services. Other phone makers have their own services and features that they want to push – Samsung for example has an extensive ecosystem of apps and devices. So what Android phone you buy might well depend on if you like the look of that phone’s take on Android.
As a photography site, I pay special attention to the quality of photos and videos on Android phones. Camera phones, of course, are also flexible virtual assistants, so I’ll also check the overall handling, usability, and practicality, such as battery life. I edit more and more on my phone, it is essential that my selection has a sharp screen and accurate colors.
To test Android phone cameras I take hundreds (sometimes thousands) of photos with the phone and carefully compare the images side by side to look for any inconsistencies in quality or color between shots. I also compare Android phone cameras to one another – I keep a range of the latest phones on hand, so I can take the same pictures with multiple devices and see which performs best.
For images, I compare resolution, noise, and color reproduction in the context of what competing Android phones can do and what the manufacturer promises. I also look at the camera’s special features, such as “night modes” or “portrait modes,” to see how effective they are and how they compare to the competition.
I can then include all the information, along with a good dose of my informed opinion, in this list to help you which might be the most productive Android phone for your photography needs.
Gareth is a London-based photographer who works as a freelance photographer and videographer for a number of years and has the privilege of photographing for well-known names. With a painting focused on creating fashion, portrait and lifestyle content, she has developed a diversity. of skills that span everything from editorial sessions to social media videos. Aside from painting, he has a private hobby for nature photography, with a determination towards sustainability and environmental causes.
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