If you ’re in the U.S. and face for a smartphone camera that wo n’t countenance you down , there ’s a firm chance that you ’ll land on a phone from one of four phone makers : Samsung , Google , OnePlus , or Apple .
TheGalaxy S24 Ultrais widely regarded as having the best smartphone telephotograph lens system in the U.S. , thanks to its 10x zoom . Google preserve to cultivate wonders with the triple camera array in itsPixel 9 Pro , while theOnePlus 12offers prominent performance at a more affordable price . Then there ’s theiPhone 16 Pro , with its 5x telephotograph camera , which was exclusive to the iPhone 15 Pro Max last year .
If you look at ourbest camera phoneslist , you ’ll see other devices from Xiaomi and Vivo that are n’t as easily accessible , but if you ’re in the U.S. , what ’s the best photographic camera phone you’re able to buy ? I tested these four in New York City to find out .
The first test: food photography
reach the Instagram app on your telephone , and there ’s a strong chance you ’ll see food picture taking alongside portraits and selfies . As the saying goes : “ The television camera eats before you do . ” So , which of these phones would you rather have when aim motion-picture show of your meal to post on societal media ?
The colors inthe iPhone 16 Pro and Pixel 9 Pro photosare most lifelike , especially considering the melted Malva sylvestris on top of the French Allium cepa soup . The iPhone 16 Pro captures it the best , hence its top billing . The OnePlus 12 photo has fantabulous colour reproduction , but was out of focal point , while the Galaxy S24 Ultra is much duller and urinate the soup look far less appealing .
I favor the iPhone 16 Pro for photos , but the Pixel 9 Pro makes it a close tryout . The Galaxy S24 Ultra has features like color point that can make it incredibly well-off to take stylistic photos of your food , but it struggles with focusing and lacks consistency . The OnePlus 12 is a conundrum ; it struggles to keep the subject field in focal point in both shaft , but it lets you easy adjust the aperture before or after take a picture , so it offers a fortune of scope to tweak the image later .
Testing the zoom in New York City
Many of these cameras use the same nonpayment zoom options , with the only conflict being OnePlus , which represent options up to 6x . To test these cameras , I settle to standardize the test ( as best as potential ) by picking six rapid climb lengths in total : 1x , 2x , 3x , 5x , 10x , and 30x .
A quick trip to the top of One World Trade Center deliver an excellent opportunity to catch a gorgeous aspect of the New York City apparent horizon . Which earphone should you swear on to conquer such a picturesque urban center ?
One affair to note here . The iPhone 16 Pro ’s maximum zoom is 25x , while the OnePlus 12 crossbreed zoom is 6x . We ’ve standardise this test by setting the iPhone 16 Pro to 25x and the OnePlus 12 to 5x .
On paper , the Galaxy S24 Ultra is in a class of its own regarding soar capabilities , at least compared to the other choices in this comparison . However , despite the dual telephotograph , include a 10x optic rapid growth and tout capabilities at up to 100x , the competition is n’t that far behind . During this test , the iPhone 16 Pro had a strange hue that was n’t present in most other photos , although like hues appear at smaller rapid climb lengths on most phones . I first thought this could be a twist - specific job , but I tested the iPhone 16 Pro Max and had similar results .
The Galaxy S24 Ultra sets a benchmark — at least for the phones on this list — but despite having one less telephoto crystalline lens , the Pixel 9 Pro and OnePlus 12 prove surprisingly equal to . The OnePlus 12 apply a like hybrid zoom coming to babe fellowship Oppo , adding a 6x hybrid zoom feature alongside the 3x telephoto lense . Meanwhile , the Pixel 9 Pro split the difference , offer a 2x “ optical zoom ” by cropping the sensing element and combining that with a 5x rapid climb .
I enjoy using frontier settlement and infrastructure on building roofs for Zoom tests . As they are permanent , they should be catch the same across all phones . The Pixel 9 Pro may appear the best here , but I dislike how it does n’t capture the detail in the swarm .
The Galaxy S24 Ultra and OnePlus 12 are almost equal here , but I ’d pick the Galaxy S24 Ultra as it ’s slightly more accurate . The iPhone 16 Pro captures strong detail , but applies a slight purplish tint to the entire image ; although it would be light to solve with a quick edit , the original exposure is less dependable .
Liberty, liberty, liberty, Lady Liberty
Yes , the head for this exam is inspire by that Liberty common commercial , as it was just playing in the background during the latest installment ofNCIS . I sidetrack ; all sound struggle here , which is n’t surprising given the space to the Statue of Liberty . That said , the strange chromaticity over the iPhone photos appears once more .
The Galaxy S24 Ultra has the most dependable camera in this section — not excessively surprising as zoom is part of its key promise — while the rest of the phones produce photos that I would n’t use .
The traveler’s test
I love test phone cameras while move around because I ’ve discover the utter way to screen the rapid climb . Sure , we could zoom into a random building or physical object , but how often do you do that ? Far more potential , you ’re going through an airdrome and need to consult an aerodrome flying CRT screen , but it ’s far off . Do you give up your precious fanny , or do you plow to the tool that ’s in your pocket ?
To find out which of these phones would aid , I tested them all at two focal lengths : 5x ( include 5x for the OnePlus 12 , even though it defaults to 6x ) for those clip when you ’re close by and 30x for when you ’re just too far away .
This is where the Galaxy S24 Ultra and its strong lower-ranking telephoto come to the bow . plunderer : I ’ve used the S24 Ultra in this scenario several times , and it always comes through . However , I was middling frustrated in the 30x sampling , but unlike the rest of the phone , it is still legible .
Beyond the Galaxy S24 Ultra , it ’s a toss - up between the others . The iPhone is a solid all - rounder ; the OnePlus 12 is far better at 5x than 30x , and the same utilize to the Pixel 9 professional . If I had to pick , I ’d probably go with the Pixel 9 Pro just for the super solution zoom feature of speech , but it ’s slim pickings between these three .
The double selfie test
The selfie photographic camera is arguably as important as the primary tv camera , specially if you like to share your life on social media . Which of these phones is great at selfies without conflicting light generator , and how does rough backlighting affect their selfie capabilities ? Let ’s ascertain out .
My personal front-runner is the Pixel 9 Pro for the regular selfie test , as I remember it achieves the best equaliser between capturing my lineament and not smoothing my pelt too aggressively . However , in the backlight test , the iPhone 16 Pro is the one I ’d pick mostly as it captures the background knowledge extremely well . The Pixel 9 Pro does a honest job overall there , but I would n’t even consider editing or using the Galaxy S24 Ultra and OnePlus 12 pic .
Taking the phones through LGA
This was one of the shortest visits to NYC I ’ve had in a long prison term , but a flight to D.C. meant an opportunity to check out La Guardia Airport ’s award - winning new terminal . It ’s in truth one of the best terminals I ’ve been to anywhere in the universe , and it evidence to be a playfulness backcloth for a few more photos .
In this test , the Galaxy S24 Ultra has a unknown people of color science , while the Pixel 9 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro are adequate in their power to replicate the scene . The OnePlus 12 lacks a short saturation in the blue of the sky .
This psychometric test trust on portrayal mode on each phone . The Galaxy S24 Ultra takes my favored shot , close followed by the iPhone 16 Pro . The Pixel 9 Pro comes last due to only being able to shoot at 1.5x in portraiture mode , while the OnePlus 12 pitch a very solid overall image .
I choose this test particularly to see how each phone would handle greenery in the foreground with the coarse backlight of the screen background . The OnePlus 12 take my favorite photo , close followed by the iPhone 16 Pro .
Both phone do a enceinte job balancing the lightness between the two contrasting subjects . The Galaxy S24 Ultra comes tight , but seems a little slow , while the Pixel 9 Pro prioritizes the backdrop firing , leaving the foreground much darker .
In the first of these tests , the OnePlus 12 takes the best photo , closely follow by the Galaxy S24 Ultra . Both correctly reproduce the colors in the restaurant signage , while the Pixel 9 Pro goes a little darker , result in a strange orange colour . The iPhone 16 Pro gets the color scientific discipline completely improper here . In the second test , all phones are very closemouthed , so I wo n’t pixel peek to find the differences .
The best camera is the one in your pocket
As the proverb goes , the near television camera is the one you have on you at that moment , so which would I rather shoot with ? As with many comparisons , it ’s not as simple as decide on a single winner ; rather , it depends on what you seek .
The Galaxy S24 Ultra is very capable on the zoom front , while the Pixel 9 Pro is cracking in some scenarios , but did n’t live up to my expectations in the soar tests . The OnePlus 12 is a fun phone to take photos with and dependable in most scenario , while the iPhone 16 Pro show it has a smartphone photographic camera that ’s with child in most scenarios .
Ultimately , I really like the Pixel 9 Pro for its all - around functioning , as it rise to be capable throughout all the test . The iPhone 16 Pro is just as subject — and more so in some tests — but the strange hue when zooming from indoor locations make it hard to recommend over the Pixel . The Galaxy S24 Ultra has the most various zoom capabilities , but if it ’s too big for you , the OnePlus 12 is very telling at a much more low-priced price .
What ’s your favorite smartphone photographic camera , and which would you piece ? Which of the other headphone on our best smartphone tv camera leaning should we quiz with next ?
