The best camera phones in 2021 for every budget

The Top 5 Best Camera Phones For Every Budget In 2021

In 2021, we reached the point where even the budget smartphones include excellent cameras. Furthermore, the flagships are even more impressive and comparable to dedicated devices. However, as with any product in general, the most expensive option isn’t always the smartest choice. This means that even the universally best camera phone might not be the most suitable choice for you. For example, it may have tons of features you rarely use while performing average in segments you need. This is why I’m reviewing five camera phones, offering something for everyone. What’s also important is that all of them are great phones overall – it’s just that their camera features are a step above the rest.

What to look for when buying a camera phone?

Modern camera phones have so many features that it’s easy to become overwhelmed. So, as I’ve mentioned, it’s pointless buying a device that does things that you might never need. That’s why I suggest sticking to these general rules when purchasing a camera phone.

Megapixels shouldn’t matter – There are pretty affordable smartphones with cameras offering tens of megapixels, and many people will get automatically attracted to them. However, these numbers don’t mean anything if the picture quality is awful, and that’s usually the case. An eight or 16-megapixel camera should be more than enough unless you want to print gigantic posters for billboards or something similar.

Night mode is important – Luckily, many phones now have a night mode, which helps the picture look brighter in low light conditions. Even the best phones won’t perform perfectly in pitch-black situations, but the resulting images will still be impressive.

Check for optical, not digital zoom – Manufacturers are still trying to impress uneducated customers with massive numbers, and as with megapixels count, they love to do the same with zoom. However, you only need to care about optical zoom as it’s far superior to a digital one. The difference is pretty apparent, as the latter only makes the picture blurrier, giving it limited functionality.

Don’t go below 4K video recording – As the 4K TV era is at its peak, recording 1080p videos doesn’t make much sense in most cases. That’s why you need a camera supporting 4K or more, ideally at 60 fps. However, don’t forget you’ll need plenty of space for such files!

Invest in memory – As making photos and videos is important to you, you need a device with lots of memory. The 64 GB option is a bare minimum, but only if the smartphone supports storage expansion via memory cards. With Apple products, the 128 GB option is highly recommended.

FAQ for the best camera phones in 2021

Is lower aperture always better?

As you may know or not, the aperture is that hole in your camera that affects how much light falls on the sensor through the camera lens. To rate aperture, we use f-number where the lower number is considered better, but not always. In practice, a smaller number means that more light reaches the sensor, which is critical for low-light conditions. Plus, it’s also crucial for creating sharp, dynamic shots or if you want a depth of field effect. However, a higher aperture also has a purpose when you need everything to stay focused. For example, it’s great for landscapes or family photos. So while you’ll probably need a lower aperture in most cases, know when to use a higher one!

Should I ever use digital zoom?

When you are utilizing digital zoom on your phone, it functions as a glorified cropping tool. This means that when you enhance the part of the picture, it will start losing the details, becoming more blurry. The camera software will compensate for that, but it will be successful only to a certain point. So, is digital zoom totally useless? Not if you take shots in massive resolution, as the loss of detail will be less apparent. That’s why it’s a good idea to take photos of the biggest size available, as you can always crop them later.

What is hybrid camera zoom?

Since optical zoom is still pretty limited on smartphones, the manufacturers have introduced hybrid camera zoom. As you can imagine, this technology combines digital and optical zoom, using various enhancements to cover the loss in quality. The results are pretty impressive, although you should use this only when optical zoom isn’t enough.

Is it the truth that smartphones don’t have optical zoom?

It may shock you, but strictly speaking, the answer is yes. As we know, on a traditional camera, using optical zoom always employs moving glass elements. Instead, smartphones make lossless zoom by combining multiple cameras. While the results may still be impressive, a more precise term would be multi-camera zoom. However, I guess the manufacturers thought it would just overcomplicate things.

Can the best camera phones be a substitute for regular cameras?

The answer to this question is rather complicated, as it depends on what kind of user you are. Any phone on our test will do an incredible job for the most, producing clear and lifelike images. Yet, even S21 Ultra or iPhone 13 Pro may look limited for more advanced photography. Because of their size, phones can’t match full-frame camera sensors, and there’s no substitute for it. DSLR will always give you much better optical zoom and low-light performance, resulting in the best image quality. To conclude, DSLR won’t become useless anytime soon, but camera phones can replace regular point-and-shoot cameras.

How much space do I need for 4K and 8K videos?

There’s no universal answer here, as the size of a video depends on the bitrate and compression. However, you will need a lot of space. In the case of the iPhone, it takes 350 MB per minute when filming 4K at 30 fps. Nevertheless, you might be surprised to know that 4K at 60 fps video is marginally larger – 400 MB per minute. That’s because, in 4K 60 fps mode, Apple devices force strong HEVC compression.

Some smartphones also support 8K recording, including Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G. However, keep in mind that you can’t record at more than 24 fps and that a minute of video takes around 600 MB. Also, as the video processing is incredibly demanding, recording more than five minutes of 8K video will make your phone quite hot.

Do I need 3rd party camera software for my smartphone?

Whatever smartphone you buy today, you’ll find that the default camera software has basic and even advanced functions. However, there are still tons of 3rd party camera software for Android and iPhone, and some of it is free. Compared to what you already have on your phone, they usually add a better editor, more options, or an improved interface. Of course, what they can’t do is make your camera perform beyond its limits, no matter what the advertising says. However, they can still employ it better than the default software.

What about under-display cameras?

Can you imagine a phone with a camera hidden below the display? Well, they are already here! This concept sounds very exciting, as it will allow bezel-less screens to make phones even more elegant. However, I don’t recommend under-display camera phones, and it’s not about the money but the performance. Unfortunately, the image quality is rather blurry, and under the screen, you can still see the cam. So while this technology is the future, it will take years before it reaches the quality we expect. So don’t wait for anything and buy a camera phone now. Once its battery dies in three or four years, under-display cameras will be in a much better shape.

Buying guide for the best camera phones in 2021

What is the camera phone you can buy in 2021?

As is always the case, your needs dictate what’s best for you. This means that even the best camera phone might be a waste of money for you if it’s too big or maybe doesn’t have advanced slow-motion options. Knowing that, I’m pretty sure that at least one of these five devices has pretty much everything you want, at the price you are ready to pay.

The iPhone 13 Pro brings the “Best camera phone” title back to Apple. Improved aperture and sensor size contribute to more impressive images, especially in low-light settings. Thanks to an effective chipset, the phone easily handles [email protected] fps videos which are the best I’ve ever seen. As the Pro Max model only brings a bigger screen and battery, the Pro version with 256 GB memory seems like a much better investment. 

As Samsung’s flagship, S21 Ultra is more affordable now, a year after its release. For the price, you’ll get a camera phone that is the best or among the best in every category, from recording videos to selfies or low-light images. It also helps that it’s the only phone on the test that can film 8K videos. On top of that, you have excellent performance and a beautiful AMOLED screen. This is still the top choice if you prefer Android and need a large zoom.

Google’s Pixel 6 is my favorite midranger, as it hugely improves the camera over the previous generation. While the megapixel count went up by over 400 percent, I’m more impressed with the picture clarity and the excellent night mode, which is close to a premium phone. Also, the camera software is better than anywhere else. Pixel 6 only lacks a telephoto lens, but you won’t find it in this class. Finally, this is one of the fastest Androids, with impressive battery capacity.

Great camera phones are usually massive, so iPhone SE stands out because of its compactness. Despite the size, this piece of hardware produces terrific images with rich colors and details. Also, it offers some of the best 4K videos on the test. Because of its mighty A13 chipset, iPhone SE will do every task efficiently.

While the iPhone SE is also a budget phone, if you don’t need a compact device, Google Pixel 5A is a better solution. The picture quality might be similar, but the night mode is much better. The implemented image stabilization is still rare in this class, and you can create [email protected] fps videos. The improvements over Pixel 4a 5G are minimal, but this is still a terrific device for the price.

Which camera phone is the best for you?

Apple iPhone 13 Pro is the best overall camera phone, аs it brings the best night mode I’ve seen. Thanks to the larger sensor size, the daylight pictures are also more impressive. Finally, the 4K video recording is superior to anything Android. 

Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra is one of the best phones overall, and its cameras are second to none among Android devices. While the picture quality exceeds all expectations, you will love this device because of its night mode, the best zoom, and the support for 8K recording. 

Google Pixel 6 has the best camera software, which helps it produce terrific results under any conditions. The night mode is slightly below Apple and Samsung flagships, but the difference is minor, except for the lack of a telephoto lens.

The iPhone SE has a single camera, which is no wonder for a compact phone with a very attractive price. Despite this, you’ll love the pictures and videos it records. It’s also incredibly fast, but be aware that it doesn’t have a night mode. 

On the other hand, Google Pixel 5A does much better in low light situations, has an impressive OLED screen, and produces crystal clear images with saturated colors. While it’s almost the same as 4a 5G, it’s more affordable and has a bigger display.