The new iPhone 16 is a photography beast, in fact the mobile seems inspired so that its camera composition is the protagonist of the entire mobile. But, despite this, It doesn't have to have the best camera on the market, although this comes into the debate especially thinking about what we are looking for in the mobile. If you want a mobile capable of recording at a great distance, if you care about the photography settings or if you want AI to do everything for you. Therefore, today Let's take a deeper look at the best mobile camera on the market.
But before we start, you should know that more megapixels does not mean that the camera is better, this depends on many factors. I recommend you read this article about How to rate mobile cameras and then come back to this one. Ready? Let's get to it.
Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra
The first mobile phone that is capable of competing with the new iPhone 16 is the well-known Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra. This terminal is always in the debate for the best mobile camera thanks to the fact that it has a Awesome setup with 4 cameras.
Samsung's top of the range offers a 200MP main sensor, surpassing the 48MP of the iPhone. It also has a 50MP periscopic telephoto lens with 5x optical zoom, it is accompanied by another 10MP telephoto lens with 3x optical zoom, and finally a camera 12MP ultra wide angle. So we have a configuration that surpasses the iPhone 16 in versatility and, above all, in Zoom.
And the zoom of the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra is up to 100x, which categorically surpasses the iPhone's digital zoom. And we cannot fail to mention the Advanced AI features that Samsung's best mobile brings, such as improved low-light images, improved portrait mode with edge detection, and the ability to capture slow motion video.
Honor Magic5 Pro
Now we go to another top of the range (actually they all are), in this case the Honor Magic5 Pro. This mobile is a Direct competitor of the iPhone 16 for its technical qualities and advanced functionalities of edition.
Each of its cameras has a Stunning 50MP resolution, surpassing the iPhone 16 in megapixels in all its sensors. Its 50MP main camera is complemented by a 50MP ultra wide angle or with a 50MP periscopic telephoto lens with 3.5x optical zoom. It simply has nothing to envy the iPhone 16.
And as for artificial intelligence, a highlight of the Honor mobile, we have to mention that its digital zoom reaches 100x, surpassing the iPhone in range, but in reality, Quality at maximum zoom can be questionable since it doesn't seem very faithful to reality. But the simple fact that we can test this functionality is already a positive thing. It also includes a motion capture mode that uses artificial intelligence for smooth and stable videos, very similar to the iPhone system.
Xiaomi 14 Pro
We now move on to Xiaomi, which was once synonymous with a cheap mobile phone and is now synonymous with high quality. And there is no better quality in photography than in the Xiaomi 14 Pro, a mobile phone that, at the time of its launch, perhaps It had the best mobile camera on the market.
Not forgetting that it incorporates Leica photography modes that emulate the photographic styles characteristic of the German brand. Its Night mode uses AI to improve capture in low light conditions, rivaling the iPhone's night mode. It also offers 8K video recording and an iPhone-like "cinematic" mode to achieve a bokeh effect on video.
Also, something that many users recommend about modern Xiaomi cameras is that they come with the HyperOs AI photo editing enhancementsSomething to keep in mind since, despite the fact that the iPhone 16 comes with Photonic Engine and Smart HDR 5, the style that predominates in the Xiaomi is much more automatic and does not require as much knowledge. Sometimes ease of use is everything.
Google Pixel 9 Pro
Let's continue with one of the mobiles of the year, the Google Pixel 9. Google and Apple show Two clearly differentiated ideas in terms of photography and video quality. And while the iPhone is trying to get as close as possible to capturing reality as we see it, Google is betting heavily on AI post-processing, which results in more vivid and detailed images.
Basically, the Google Pixel 9 Pro takes a more aggressive approach using tools like magic eraser to remove unwanted objects, Real tone to automatically adjust skin tones, and Super Res Zoom to improve the quality of digital zoom up to 30x. All this with a Excellent camera setup awesome.
And as for the camera configuration we see that it has a 50MP main camera, an ultra 48MP wide angle or with a 48MP telephoto lens with 5x optical zoom. This composition ends up offering a range similar to that of the iPhone but with a higher resolution in its secondary cameras.
OnePlus 12
If we talk about mobile phones with the best cameras on the market, we have to talk about OnePlus, it's a fact. And the Chinese brand presents a unique setup with its triple Hasselblad cameraAlthough it is not the most powerful camera on the market, it is true that it is an improvement compared to the iPhone 16, there is no doubt about that.
Something to highlight about the OnePlus 12 is that it offers a series of adjustments that the most professional photographers will know how to handle perfectly. And this terminal presents a «Hasselblad Pro» mode, which offers advanced manual controls that go beyond the manual options on the iPhone 16.
In fact, we can appreciate the value that OnePlus has given to the ability to take professional photos that you can use its 12-bit RAW photo mode for better editing of the image afterwards. Oh and the camera composition is as follows. First of all, the main with 50 MP and a Sony LYT-808 sensor, the 64 MP telephoto lens with an OmniVision sensor and the Ultra wide angle with up to 48 MP quality.
As you've seen, there are plenty of phones on the market that have components and features that match or even improve on the iPhone 16. But don't be fooled, the iPhone 16 is still an impressive device in terms of photography. But of course, not everyone is looking for the same thing in a phone, there are those who want something affordable and there are those who want features over quality.
So if extreme zoom is your priority, the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra offers outstanding performance. For those who value AI editing and control over their photos, the Google Pixel 9 Pro and Honor Magic5 Pro can be great options. If you're looking for more manual control and a pro-level experience, though, the OnePlus 12 is by far the best smartphone camera.
What do you think? Do you agree with the list or do you think I've left out some great ones? I'll read you in the comments and if you liked the article, share it with your most photography-savvy friends.