I took over 10,000 images on 13 completely different flagship telephones, and this is what I discovered

Over the previous yr, I’ve shot greater than 10,000 images throughout 13 completely different flagship smartphones, and having put every machine by means of the complete spectrum of real-world use, I’ve had the prospect to have a look at the smartphone panorama past our typical overview interval home windows.

This may not be an exhaustive listing, however these are the gadgets that caught my consideration and are value contemplating for those who’re planning to purchase a cellphone particularly for pictures.

My prime picks

Samsung Galaxy S25 Extremely

The Galaxy S25 Ultra was probably the most iterative telephones in 2025, and that was each its biggest energy and its most persistent limitation; the foremost {hardware} change to the digicam system was the leap to a 50MP ultrawide sensor, which changed the getting older 12MP unit from its predecessor.

Carried over have been the 200MP primary sensor, 50MP 5x telephoto, and 10MP 3x telephoto, rounding out a system that, on paper, stays probably the most versatile within the business. With its breadth of focal lengths and sensors, Samsung continues to tell apart itself in consistency throughout its cameras, rivaled solely by the iPhone.

Switching between the ultrawide, primary, and telephoto lenses produces photos with remarkably cohesive shade science; the white stability and publicity not often shift in ways in which really feel jarring, an issue too many competing flagships nonetheless have not resolved.

Sharpness and element from the ultrawide and telephoto lenses are typically sturdy, and the general expertise of shifting between zoom ranges feels significantly smoother in comparison with the likes of Google, OnePlus, or Xiaomi.

The primary sensor

What makes the Galaxy S25 Extremely notably sturdy is its primary 200MP sensor, which, whereas technically spectacular, is in the end carried by Samsung’s exceptionally constant computational pictures; for auto-mode reliability, it stays probably the most reliable shooters I’ve examined. In supreme lighting, the primary sensor produces richly detailed photographs with punchy distinction and vibrancy in heat tones, remaining pure with out getting too oversaturated.

It isn’t with out faults, nonetheless. The 200MP primary sensor carries ahead some irritating baggage resembling occasional focus searching, particularly in reasonable and low-light situations the place center-frame topics nonetheless come again mushy and grainy. I skilled an analogous situation on the Galaxy S24 Extremely, and the truth that Samsung has had a full product cycle to deal with it makes its persistence more durable to forgive.

Shutter lag compounds this drawback the place there is usually a noticeable delay between urgent the seize button and the precise picture being recorded, which suggests any slight hand motion in that half-second hole can produce undesirable blur.This has improved throughout software program updates, nevertheless it stays an annoyance, notably when taking pictures at 50MP or increased on the primary sensor.

Regardless, the 200MP primary sensor paired with Samsung’s processing has made the Galaxy S25 Extremely probably the most dependable gadgets to shoot on, and this profit additionally extends to the Galaxy S25 Edge and the Galaxy Z Fold 7, which carry these significant implications over for his or her respective digicam programs.

The primary digicam on the Galaxy S25 Edge and Z Fold7 look a lot better over the bottom Galaxy S25 and S25+, and is a big improve over the Z Fold 6, although the supporting focal lengths diminished noticeably in high quality. For those who’re available in the market for both and do not typically depend on the ultrawide or telephoto, you may discover the primary sensor on these telephones greater than satisfying.

Total, the Galaxy S25 Extremely stays a wonderful pictures bundle, and with the launch of the Galaxy S26 series, I stay up for seeing if Samsung maintains the identical match and end with the digicam.

Xiaomi 15 Extremely

If Xiaomi bought this cellphone in North America, it might simply take the highest suggestion throughout the board for pictures efficiency; the 15 Extremely carries what’s, in my evaluation, probably the most succesful digicam programs out there on any smartphone, anchored by its 1-inch Sony LYT-900 primary sensor that captures photos with a depth and authenticity that almost all flagships merely can’t replicate.

The place Google and Samsung lean closely on computational processing to provide photos which can be technically flawless, with frames sharpened edge to edge, shiny, and evenly uncovered, Xiaomi leans into what the {hardware} naturally captures, and that differentiation produces outcomes not like anything on this class.

Shadows keep deep and darkish, and the distinction is punchy with out feeling over-processed. The pure depth-of-field from that huge sensor produces photographs that appear to be they got here from a devoted digicam, freed from the fringing or focus irregularities that giant sensors generally introduce.

Xiaomi layers in Leica shade profiles that reinforce the photographs’ character additional, and the handbook Professional mode produces RAW recordsdata that maintain up in opposition to Apple’s ProRAW in each constancy and editability. That mentioned, I do discover the Leica presets is usually a little jarring sometimes, and would a lot choose an everyday taking pictures mode outdoors of Professional mode to take images that lets the {hardware} converse for itself.

The telephoto system is equally spectacular, consisting of a 200MP periscope sensor that handles the lengthy vary whereas a 3x telephoto handles macro photographs right down to 10cm, filling the mid-range very nicely. The periscope unit pulls in considerably extra mild than its predecessor, and whereas Xiaomi sacrificed the mechanical aperture from the 14 Extremely to accommodate the bigger sensor, the trade-off is nicely value it; the telephoto is sharper, extra versatile, and much more sensible for on a regular basis taking pictures than what got here earlier than. Xiaomi’s processing will not be flawless.

My primary gripe with this digicam system is the white stability shifting unexpectedly between photographs and between lenses. Moreover, edge detection often falters in ways in which Google’s or Samsung’s computational pipeline doesn’t. These inconsistencies forestall the 15 Extremely from matching the shot-to-shot reliability of a Pixel or Galaxy or iPhone, however they’re minor blemishes on a system that produces probably the most visually compelling photos of any cellphone I examined. For anybody who values how a photograph appears to be like and feels over how technically exact its processing is, the Xiaomi 15 Extremely is in a category of its personal.

Apple iPhone 17 Professional

The iPhone 17 Pro is the cellphone I spent probably the most time with, and that point has made the case for what Apple has been quietly constructing towards. Apple has spent years making very conservative and incremental refinements to its digicam system, and the iPhone 17 Professional is the machine the place all of these particular person enhancements converge into one thing that feels genuinely full.

The numerous new improve is the brand new 48MP telephoto lens, which replaces the 12MP sensor from the 16 Professional, and this essentially adjustments what this cellphone can do at distance. The 16 Professional’s telephoto photos would visibly degrade when cropped and reveal aggressive computational work making an attempt to compensate for a smaller sensor; the 17 Professional’s bigger sensor means much less processing intervention is required, and the distinction exhibits.

Zoom photographs are cleaner and extra natural-looking, notably on the full 8x attain the place lens compression creates exceptional depth separation between foreground and background. At evening, the distinction is dramatic; the 17 Professional’s telephoto pulls in sufficient mild to provide genuinely usable low-light zoom photographs that the 16 Professional merely couldn’t handle.

The brand new digicam does have a pair quirks although. The iPhone will allow you to activate 8x zoom at any distance, but when your topic is nearer than roughly a foot and a half, it silently switches to a crop from the primary sensor relatively than utilizing the telephoto. The standard distinction is seen, and it may be complicated for those who’re not conscious of it, however extra stark is the change in compression, which can’t be faked as simply. Stepping again barely solves the problem, however it’s the sort of unintuitive conduct Apple ought to floor extra clearly.

The primary and ultrawide sensors haven’t modified dramatically in {hardware}, however Apple’s up to date processing pipeline handles difficult lighting eventualities with noticeably extra finesse this era.

My favourite facet of the Professional iPhones is the graceful modifying pipeline that ProRAW permits, and it is solely stronger now that each one three sensors are of comparable decision. The iPhone 17 Professional persistently holds up higher by means of post-editing due to the complete 48MP knowledge throughout all three lenses. ProRAW produces photos which can be remarkably versatile in post-processing, providing a degree of latitude in publicity restoration and element preservation that no different cellphone matches as seamlessly.

If modifying is a part of your pictures workflow, that is the cellphone that makes the modifying workflow really feel like an actual digicam. The digicam system has lastly reached some extent the place each lens contributes meaningfully, and the result’s probably the most balanced, most edit-friendly cellular digicam I’ve used.

Finest AI suite: Google Pixel 10 Professional

Google’s digicam {hardware} has all the time performed second fiddle to its computational capabilities, and the Pixel 10 Pro doubles down on that philosophy with probably the most complete AI-powered pictures suite out there on any cellphone.

Options like Digicam Coach can learn the scene in actual time and supply composition options, lighting changes, and mode suggestions earlier than you even take the shot. These nudges, whereas sounding gimmicky, will be genuinely helpful in observe, notably for much less skilled photographers who need to enhance their eye with out having to assume too deeply about it.

The Pixel 10 Professional is probably finest recognized for Auto Finest Take, which refines an already sensible characteristic by mechanically combining a number of group photographs right into a single picture the place everybody appears to be like their finest. Add Me has additionally been expanded to work with bigger teams, guaranteeing the photographer would not should sacrifice their place within the body; this was notably helpful throughout my journeys with a big group of buddies.

Whereas these will not be flashy {hardware} upgrades like on a number of the different flagships, they tackle the sorts of real-world frustrations that almost all digicam programs ignore solely. There’s additionally the plethora of extra software program options inside Google Photographs and Pixel Studios, with instruments like Magic Eraser, Transfer, and Zoom Improve extending the modifying pipeline significantly.

The primary frustration with these options, nonetheless, is how dependent the cellphone will be on the post-processing; many photographs carry a noticeable processing delay as a result of the post-processing is offloaded to Google’s servers, which requires an lively Wi-Fi or knowledge connection.

Finest evening digicam: Honor Magic8 Professional

The Honor Magic8 Pro is one other standout shock of this take a look at, and it makes the case for why North America wants higher competitors within the flagship house. Its digicam stands above the remainder particularly for telephoto efficiency, and nowhere does that benefit present extra clearly than in low-light environments.

The mix of a giant 1/1.4-inch sensor, 3.7x optical zoom, and CIPA 5.5-rated stabilization produces outcomes that genuinely outperform extra established flagships, just like the Samsung Galaxy, iPhone, and Pixel.

The place the Galaxy S25 Extremely and iPhone 17 Professional each lean on noise discount that tends to smear positive texture at prolonged zoom ranges, the Magic8 Professional retains a degree of element and pure shade that’s instantly seen in side-by-side comparisons. Honor’s AI Adaptive Stabilization system permits for handheld long-exposure captures that different telephones would wish a tripod to copy, and the ensuing photos carry a texture and constancy that caught me off guard given how little consideration this cellphone has acquired relative to its competitors.

Xiaomi’s 15 Extremely affords a comparable {hardware} profile, with its 200MP telephoto representing the opposite severe contender on this class, however Honor is delivering this caliber of zoom efficiency in a tool that doesn’t place itself solely as a digicam cellphone. For photographers who care about telephoto attain and low-light zoom above all else, the Magic8 Professional deserves severe consideration.

Finest selfie digicam: Apple iPhone 17 sequence

Your entire iPhone 17 lineup acquired a big front-facing digicam improve, and it is the sort of enchancment that adjustments how you utilize the cellphone relatively than merely making selfies marginally sharper. The brand new 18MP entrance digicam makes use of an ultrawide, that means you possibly can seize wider framing with out bodily shifting the cellphone additional away.

This additionally permits the iPhones to vary the orientation of the selfie itself, so that you needn’t rotate the machine to vary the composition. Additionally, it goes with out saying, Apple continues to be top-of-the-line when it comes to dealing with pores and skin tones in robust lighting conditions.

The ensuing versatility of this new selfie digicam makes it considerably extra helpful. Even for individuals who not often take selfies, that is the place the improve issues most, as a result of the broader discipline of view and compositional flexibility open up the entrance digicam for different issues like video calls, and informal pictures in conditions the place flipping to the rear digicam is impractical.

The one I would like improved: Nothing Telephone (3)

Painful as it’s, the Nothing Phone (3) is a superb machine that stumbles within the digicam division. Whereas the remainder of the cellphone feels polished and aggressive, almost indistinguishable from dearer flagships in each day use, the digicam system is the weakest hyperlink in an in any other case cohesive expertise.

The primary 50MP sensor performs fairly nicely and produces detailed photos that maintain up nicely in good mild with strong distinction, tone, and shade science. The 3x optical zoom telephoto follows shut behind, sustaining affordable sharpness and element in shiny scenes with a usable in-sensor crop to 6x, although it trails noticeably behind the Galaxy S25 and falls additional nonetheless from the Pixel 10.

The ultrawide, nonetheless, is probably the most disappointing of the three. Photographs look positive at full view, however any try and zoom in reveals a scarcity of element and noticeable warping on the body edges. The bigger situation, although, is consistency. Switching between the three rear cameras produces seen shifts in shade stability and tonal character, and indoor taking pictures is especially unreliable; some photographs land completely whereas the following comes out flat with no change in situations.

This inconsistency makes it not possible to belief the digicam in the way in which you possibly can belief the iPhone 17 at an analogous or cheaper price level. Nothing constructed an distinctive cellphone round a digicam system that merely can’t preserve tempo with the iPhone 17, Galaxy S25, and Pixel 10 at related or cheaper price factors, and that hole defines the expertise.

Closing ideas

2025, and the early half of 2026, has been probably the most aggressive years for smartphone pictures in latest reminiscence. The hole between the most effective and worst cameras on this listing is narrower than ever, which makes the variations that do exist extra significant. Samsung’s versatility, Xiaomi’s uncooked imaging character, and Apple’s editing-first method every symbolize genuinely completely different philosophies about what a digicam cellphone ought to prioritize, and none of them is unsuitable.

What taking pictures 10,000-plus photos throughout these gadgets makes clear is that the computational processes utilized by every of those gadgets matter rather more than particular person {hardware} specs, however higher {hardware} with the best software program nonetheless yields these general outcomes. The Xiaomi 15 Extremely and the Google Pixel 10 Professional sit at reverse ends of that spectrum; one trusts its {hardware} extra to ship genuine photos whereas the opposite trusts its software program extra to good each shot, and each produce glorious outcomes by means of essentially completely different means.

The telephones that struggled most this yr have been those that might not decide to both method with sufficient conviction. If I had to decide on one cellphone as my solely digicam for the following yr, the Xiaomi 15 Extremely could be it, restricted availability and all. For these of us shopping for telephones by means of standard North American channels, the iPhone 17 Professional’s mixture of {hardware} completeness and post-editing flexibility makes it probably the most sensible selection, whereas the Samsung Galaxy S25 Extremely stays the most secure guess for versatility.