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Photography phones have come a long way! In comparison to the previous years, good quality photos were only obtainable through professional means.
Lighting, editing and image qualities were complicated matters and something we would never dabble in.
But as the years passed and technology advanced through time, we’ve seen the advancement of photography phones!
Now, many influencers, bloggers and even the odd professional photographer stand by their choices in good mobile photography options.
There used to be a time when most individuals would swear by the iPhone camera only however, in 2020; the options are endless with great mobile photography at your fingertips!
When it comes to choosing a camera phone, there are some things you want to keep in mind. It'll need to have a low-light photography setting for those night photography shots, an option for photo and video recording and a great portrait mode for top-notch selfies.
These are the basic asks for a smartphone camera, but some have additional features with 3x optical zoom (you can get up to 10x optical zoom), a magic eraser for those light touch-ups, and true to life image quality.
Our list of the best camera phones you can buy includes an option for all budgets. Every phone on this list, from Android phones to the IOS operating systems, is equipped with an amazing camera setup. It's just up to you to choose your main camera preferences!
The Samsung mobile phone range is no stranger to great camera quality! Before the likes of Huawei and their impressive range of camera phones, there was Samsung, setting the trends and giving you that perfect selfie!
The Samsung S20 Ultra brings back that feeling! Claiming a change in photography phones, the S20 Ultra boasts a whopping 108MP! The best count we’ve ever seen in mobile phone cameras!
The device is premium for a reason and offers 10x Hybrid Optic Zoom and 100x Super Resolution Zoom thanks to the fancy camera AI, allowing you to see the minute details in your image! You’ll never miss a thing!
Have a night out on the town with the new and improved Night Mode which has been optimised for a better night sensor allowing for more light and clearer images. The 5000mAh battery life gives you more time to get more images taken!
Huawei is no stranger to a beautiful camera system in their devices! Year on year, we wait in anticipation to see the improvements in the P series flagships and we’re never disappointed!
The Huawei P40 Pro was released in March of 2020, stunning audiences with its chic and sophisticated engineering in a mobile device.
Visionary Photography is the slogan for the Huawei P40 Pro and that’s exactly what we get! Introducing the Ultra Vision Leica Quad Camera supporting a 50MP Ultra Vision Camera, 12MP Telephoto Camera, 40MP Ultra-Wide Cine Camera and 3D Depth Sensing Camera.
So, what does this mean for you? Well! Better light and clarity are part of the deal along with precise detail and improved camera AI to get you the pictures of your dreams! Enjoy a full spectrum of colour to improve the finer details and get the feel of studio-quality images!
Take beautiful portraits that capture your focus’s good side with 45% better colour precision thanks to its Multi-Spectrum Colour Temperature Sensor with AI AWB Algorithm that also analyse surroundings to capture that perfect scenario, ensuring you get a natural element to your image that offers great colour, lighting and focus. Your camera will know what to do!
It’s hard to ignore the continually improving camera options that the Apple range awards each year, so we had to include the iPhone X to the ranks of great mobile photography devices!
The iPhone X brings a 12MP dual camera to the table. For anyone that knows iPhone camera quality, you’ll be impressed on hearing that the team has completely rebuilt a faster and larger sensor allowing for unimaginable colour, depth and great texture to your images!
The device’s telephoto lens has been optically stabilised allowing for better performance in low-light environments! The overall camera quality has seen a large improvement in colour saturation, light and greater depth to images compared to past camera options.
The iPhone X front 7MP camera vow better selfies for those portraits we love so much with increased light and less noise producing crispy clear pictures. Play around and enjoy some of Apple’s extra camera features like in-camera lighting and editing options in beta stages!
We couldn’t do a list of best photography phones in South Africa without mentioning the next big thing from Apple, the iPhone 13 Pro Max! Set for release later this year, we already know what to expect thanks to leaks and rumours…
The device sees improvements on its camera system with a new LiDAR Scanner allowing for impressive autofocus speeds and improved low-light performance. The iPhone 13 Pro Max also introduces in-device image processing allowing for improved image quality directly on the phone rather than needing external software or computer editing!
Overall, the iPhone 13 Pro Max will see improvements in colour saturation, light balance and better depth perception all thanks to a larger sensor size making it one of the top contenders in mobile photography devices.
Next, we have the Google Pixel 6 Pro! Google has been known to dominate in mobile photography thanks to their impressive software and AI capabilities, so it’s no surprise they’ve made the list once again.
The Google Pixel 6 Pro introduces a dual camera set-up with 12MP Wide and 16MP Ultra-Wide Cameras along with Dual Exposure Control for better light balance in your images. The device also boasts improved low-light performance thanks to its Night Sight Mode and Portrait Light feature allowing you to capture amazing portraits even in the dark.
The front camera sees an improvement as well with 8MP resolution and Shot Suggestions that offer tips on how to improve your photographs before you shoot them! Overall, the Google Pixel 6 Pro offers high-quality images with improved colour and depth perception.
Our last pick is a budget pick for all you “penny savers”! Although not on the premium side, the Huawei P30 Lite still captures our hearts and can capture great photography!
The device holds an Ultra-Wide Triple Camera which is quite impressive for a budget device! Released in March 2019, the device still holds a great presence among mobile lovers for its overall specs, but the camera holds a special place in our hearts!
Enjoy a 120-degree Ultra-Wide angle to get that full shot along with the Smart Camera Assistant allowing your phone to take over and photograph your life, identifying environments like food, pets and scenarios like snow and sunrises.
The front selfie camera AI highlights fewer scenarios but makes up with its AI selfie technology that beautifies your portrait and captures your face to highlight and accentuates your features in order to give you “your best side”
Now you know the best phone for low light performance, those that have ultrawide cameras and the phones that offer top-of-the-market camera hardware. Your selfies will never be boring again with what these phones offer.
The phones on our list are just the start though. Beyond the camera, capabilities, we still value smartphones that perform. From Android devices to iPhones and beyond, we're committed to bring your great phones and great service.
If you need more information about the camera department of phones, are stuck between two phone options or just want to learn more about our top picks for different needs — head over to our blog and website. You'll find a ton of information waiting for you.
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