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Aside from software development, no other feature shows how far smartphones have come quite like their cameras.
Not that long ago, you were lucky to capture a pixelated image that vaguely resembled what you were trying to photograph. Now, some smartphones are so good that they can rival dedicated cameras in various fields.
As the son of a professional photographer and a tech journalist myself, I’m particularly interested in seeing how mobile camera tech has developed over the years.
While there’s an argument to be made that it’s now tricky to find a phone with a bad set of sensors, there are still plenty of differences that separate the best camera phones, and you need to be aware of them before making a definitive purchase.
Whether you need a great selfie camera for group shots or sensors that can pull detail from low-light scenes, choosing the right handset depends on your priorities.
After taking countless photos to test their capabilities, I’ve found the best camera phones you can buy right now.
The best camera phones for 2026 are:Best overall – Oppo find X9 pro: £1,099, Currys.co.ukBest budget buy – CMF phone 2 pro: £208.93 , Amazon.co.ukBest for zoom – Samsung galaxy S25 ultra: £1,249, Amazon.co.ukBest for low-light photography – Honor magic 8 pro: £899, Amazon.co.uk
Read more: Best phones, reviewed by a tech expert
How I tested
I tested each camera in varying light conditions (Thomas Deehan/The Independent)
For this round-up, I’ve had to use a slightly different methodology for testing out the phones featured below. Because this list is interested solely in camera performance, the typical mobile trappings of display size and battery life don’t really apply here, with the focus being on how well the phones can handle various types of scenes that most people come up against. I tested each phone with day-time shots, portraits, low-light photography, selfies, and its camera app.
Read more: Best Samsung phones, tried and tested by a tech expert