Top 10 Best Camera Phones of 2023

Smartphone cameras have evolved to such an extent that you don’t need a professional camera to take impressive photos. With so many smartphones in the market, all claiming to have the best camera system, which is the best camera phone of 2023? To answer this query, here’s our pick for the 10 best smartphones for mobile photography. 

Top 10 Best Camera Phones of 2023

• Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra 

The Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra is the best camera phone of 2023. It features an impressive 200MP ISOCELL HP2 primary sensor, a 1/1.3” sensor with 0.6µm pixels, which by default, uses 16:1 pixel binning to capture 12 MP photos. Alternatively, it can combine its pixels 4-to-1 to produce a 50MP image.

The S23 Ultra excels at low-light performance as well. With its Nightography, the advanced camera sensor, combined with the custom-tuned Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, reduces noise in low light for stunning photos and videos. Moreover, the upgraded video stabilization makes it a great video phone that can capture 8K videos at 30fps. 

The other remaining sensors on the S23 Ultra are—a 12MP ultra-wide lens with 120˚FoV, a 10MP  telephoto lens with 10x optical zoom, and a 10MP telephoto lens with 3x optical zoom. Samsung’s ability of 100x digital Space Zoom is still unrivaled by any smartphone brand. 

• Apple iPhone 14 Pro/Pro Max 

Apple’s iPhone 14 Pro Max (also the 14 Pro) is a close second on our list of the best camera phones of 2023. Starting with the specs, you get a 48MP primary camera with second-gen sensor-shift optical image stabilization. There’s also a 12MP ultrawide lens with ƒ/2.2 aperture and 120° FoV and a 12MP telephoto lens with up to 6x optical zoom range and 15x digital zoom. 

The 14 Pro Max further features a second-gen sensor-shift optical image stabilization that offers gimbal-like video stabilization. On top of that, you can now take 4K video at 30/24 fps in the Cinematic Mode. Moreover, with Apple’s new Photonic Engine, the iPhone 14 Pro Max has arguably the best low-light performance. 

• Google Pixel 7 Pro

With major improvements in the camera section, the Google Pixel 7 Pro sits in the third spot on our list of best camera phones of 2023. It features a triple camera setup on the back with a 50MP Octa PD Quad Bayer wide camera that supports 4-in-1 binning. Besides, the primary camera is accompanied by a 12-megapixel ultrawide with 125.8° FOV and a 48-megapixel telephoto lens with OIS and 5x optical zoom.

Adding on, there’s support for optical + electronic image stabilization on all three sensors. Likewise, the Pixel 7 Pro supports 4K video recording at 30 FPS and 60 FPS from both the rear and front cameras. 

• iPhone 13 Pro Max

The iPhone 13 Pro Max is among the best camera phones of 2022. Yes, we already have its successor, the iPhone 14 Pro Max, but still, the 13 Pro Max is one of the best phones you can get for photography. 

For starters, there is a triple camera setup of three 12-megapixel sensors. You get a 77mm telephoto camera with 3X optical zoom, an ultra-wide camera that can now take macro shots at up to 2cm from a subject, and a primary wide camera with an f/1.5 aperture and 1.9um sensor pixels. Moreover, the 13 Pro Max comes with impressive Night Mode, 4k video recording, sensor-shift optical image stabilization, and a cinematic mode. 

• Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra 

The Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra is another device that was voted by many as the best camera phone of 2022. And like the iPhone 13 Pro Max, it’s still among the best, when it comes to mobile photography. 

With the S22 Ultra, you get a quad rear camera setup consisting of a 108MP primary camera with OIS. Besides, there’s a 12MP ultra-wide lens with 120˚FoV, a 10MP  telephoto lens with 10x optical zoom accompanied by another 10MP telephoto lens with 3x optical zoom. Furthermore, the phone also features an updated NPU to improve photo and video quality in low light.

• OnePlus 11

This year OnePlus has made some serious upgrades to its flagship phone, making the OnePlus 11 the best camera phone from OnePlus to date. With sensors like 50MP Sony IMX890, 48MP IMX581 ultrawide, and 32MP IMX709 telephoto lens, the OnePlus 11 takes stunning portraits and landscape shots. 

On top of that, the company's third year of the Hasselblad partnership also brings some much-needed kick to the OnePlus 11.

• Sony Xperia Pro-I

Next on our list of the best camera phones of 2023 is the Sony Xperia Pro-I, a camera-focused smartphone with a triple 12-megapixel camera setup at the back. The main attraction here is a 1-inch sensor borrowed from the company's RX100 VII compact camera. Besides, complementing the sensor is a 24mm ZEISS lens, which can switch between f/2.0 and f/4.0 apertures. 

Being a camera-focused phone, you’ll find many cool features on the Xperia Pro-I that helps in photography. It also features Sony's BIONZ X imaging processor that allows the smartphone to shoot up to 20 frames per second with both auto-focus and auto-exposure enabled. Furthermore, it can record 4K videos at 120fps with both eye-AF and object tracking. 

• Apple iPhone 14/14 Plus 

The vanilla models of the iPhone 14 series may not be as good as the Pro models, but still, the iPhone 14 and 14 Plus are great camera phones that you can buy. The duo features a 12MP lens with sensor-shift stabilization and another 12MP ultrawide camera with a 120-degree field of view. Next, the phone also packs a 12MP TrueDepth selfie camera that supports Autofocus with Focus Pixels. 

With these iPhones, you get a faster aperture, crisp details, and a better dynamic range than other similarly priced smartphones. 

• Samsung Galaxy S23/S23 Plus 

Moving down our list of the best camera phones of 2023, we have the vanilla models of the S23 series—the Galaxy S23 and S23 Plus. With both models, you get a 50MP main camera with OIS, 12MP ultrawide with 120-degree FOV, and a 10MP telephoto sensor with 3x optical Zoom. Although you won’t see upgrades in camera hardware, there are many internal improvements. 

First, the updated image signal processor of the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 delivers improvements in image quality. Besides, both phones support shooting in High Resolution, Expert Raw, and using the Photo Remaster tool to enhance the captured images.

•  Google Pixel 6a

The Google Pixel 6a makes our list of the best camera phones because it provides a great photography experience at a modest budget. So, if you are looking for a phone with great cameras for under $500, then the Pixel 6a is for you. 

Talking about camera hardware, you get a 12.2MP dual-pixel main camera and a 12MP ultrawide, which don’t sound that impressive. However, the phone packs a lot of AI-based features that make using the Pixel 6a more fun. Including Google's AI scene enhancement that can modify images based on the setting to make them look more appealing.

Top 10 Best Camera Phones of 2023

Conclusion

To summarize, our handy smartphones have evolved to such a point that they can deliver truly impressive photos and videos. Yes, they are not yet at the level of DSLRs and mirrorless cameras. However, to have a device that's always in our pocket, which can also capture our precious moments with stunning details and clarity without requiring any photography skill, is a win. 

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) 

1. What will be the best phone in 2023?

- As usual, the iPhone 14 Pro Max and the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra are already in the running to be the best phone in 2023. 

2. Will a smartphone last for 4 years?

- Most high-end phones from the brands like Apple, Samsung, and Google get system and security updates for five to seven years after launch. So, if your phone doesn’t get physically damaged, then it should last for 4 years. 

3. What phone will come out in 2023?

- We’ll see many smartphones coming out in 2023. Some of our top picks are as follows: 

• Apple iPhone 15 Series 
• Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 and Flip 5
• Google Pixel 8 Series 
• Google Pixel Fold 

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