Cameras in smartphones have come a long way since their introduction. The first-generation camera phones had VGA sensors, which might seem underwhelming by today’s standards, but they sparked the ‘camera phone’ trend while also setting the stage for future camera smartphones. The advances in the field of imaging and optics has also transformed the mobile camera experience, and the current-generation smartphones go beyond the regular point-and-shoot imaging.
Business Standard lists the best five camera-centric smartphones based on their imaging capabilities:
#1. Huawei P30 Pro
In the past couple of years, Chinese smartphone manufacturer Huawei has been at the forefront of imaging-related innovations. The company’s 2019 P-series flagship, the Huawei P30 Pro, is an imaging powerhouse that cuts no corners in providing the best photography and videography experience. For starters, the phone has a quad-camera module on the back tuned by imaging experts at Leica. It is this phone that introduced 5x optical, 10x hybrid lossless and 50x zoom (digital) capabilities to smartphones. And these remain unmatched by any smartphone at present — except the Oppo Reno’s 10x Zoom. Besides, the phone’s camera is an efficient performer in all lighting conditions, and its multiple sensor-based quad-camera module is a versatile set-up ideal for capturing any scene.
Key specifications
Display: 6.47-inch AMOLED | Processor: Kirin 980 | RAM: 8GB | Storage: 256GB | Rear camera: 40MP+20MP+8MP+ToF | Front camera: 32MP | Battery: 4,200 mAh
Price: Rs 71,990
#2. Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus
This phone is a first in Samsung’s Galaxy S-series to boast a triple-camera module on the back, and a dual camera set-up on the front. The phone’s primary camera in the rear triple-camera module boasts a variable aperture lens (1.5-2.4) which proves useful to those who like tinkering around with phones’ profession mode for granular control over camera settings. Also, the rear camera features a telephoto lens for 2x zoom and an ultra-wide lens for landscape photography. What’s more, if you wonder, the phone is an industry-first product capable of recording videos in HDR10+ format which optimises contrast and colour of each scene for dynamic HDR meta detailing.
Key specifications
Display: 6.4-inch dynamic AMOLED | Processor: Exynos 9820 | RAM: up to 12GB | Storage: up to 1TB | Rear camera: 12MP+12MP+16MP | Front camera: 10MP+8MP | Battery: 4,100 mAh
Price: Starts at Rs 73,900
#3. Oppo Reno 10x Zoom
This is the only smartphone other than the Huawei P30 Pro to have a periscope telephoto lens capable of 5x optical zoom, 10x lossless zoom and 50x digital zoom. Besides, its triple-camera set-up on the back features a high-resolution sensor with quad Bayer technology and optically stabilised lenses, besides an ultra-wide angle lens for landscape photography. Other than that, the phone also has a shark-fin-inspired front camera module (featuring a 16MP sensor of f/2.0 aperture) which comes out from the top.
Key specifications
Display: 6.6-inch AMOLED | Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 | RAM: up to 8GB | Storage: up to 256GB | Rear camera: 48MP+8MP+13MP | Front camera: 16MP | Battery: 4,065 mAh
Price: Starts at Rs 39,990
#4. Google Pixel 3
This phone does not have a multiple-sensor camera module, but its single-sensor camera is powered by Google’s imaging algorithms, which make photography convenient and fun. This is one of the camera phones that take perfect portraits with enhanced bokeh effect (background blur) for a clear distinction between background and the object. The camera also boasts a dedicated night mode that turns under-lit frames into bright and clear shots.
Key specifications
Display: 5.5-inch OLED | Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 | RAM: 4GB | Storage: up to 128GB | Rear camera: 12MP | Front camera: 8MP+8MP | Battery: 2,915 mAh
Price: Starts at Rs 49,999
ALSO READ: Google Pixel 3 review
#5. OnePlus 7 Pro
OnePlus’ first premium offering, the OnePlus 7 Pro, has a triple-camera module on the back and a motorised pop-up selfie camera module accommodating the front camera. Since its launch, the phone has received several firmware upgrades to improve its overall performance and also enhance it imaging. Now, the phone’s rear camera module seems to be a capable unit that delivers consistently, irrespective of scene demands or lighting conditions.
Key specifications
Display: 6.67-inch AMOLED | Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 | RAM: up to 12GB | Storage: up to 256GB | Rear camera: 48MP+8MP+16MP | Front camera: 16MP | Battery: 4,000 mAh
Price: Starts at Rs 48,999
