Best Camera Phones of 2027
The phones in our smartphones ranking that scored highest for camera quality, from official specs and the consensus of the reviews we trust most.
Apple iPhone 18 Pro Max Tested Sep 2026 by Team RankingRight
- Longest-lasting iPhone battery ever measured by Tom's Guide
- Same flagship A20 Pro chip and variable-aperture camera as the Pro
- Fastest charging yet on an iPhone
OnePlus 15 CPH2749 North America 512GB 16GB Infinite Black Tested Sep 2026 by Team RankingRight
- Largest-in-class battery with very fast charging
- Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 handles anything
- 165Hz display excels for gaming
Apple iPhone 18 Pro Tested Sep 2026 by Team RankingRight
- First 2nm chip in a smartphone, no throttling under load
- Variable-aperture camera adds real optical control
- 35% smaller Dynamic Island
Apple iPhone 17 Tested Sep 2026 by Team RankingRight
- A19 chip delivers flagship-class performance
- Noticeably better low-light photos and selfies than the iPhone 16
- All-day battery life, improved over the prior generation
OnePlus 12 CPH2583 North America 512GB 16GB Flowy Emerald US Tested Sep 2026 by Team RankingRight
- Excellent all-round camera, strong in low light
- 80W wired + 50W wireless charging
- Flagship performance well below flagship price
Google Pixel 10 Tested Sep 2026 by Team RankingRight
- 5x optical zoom on a non-Pro phone for the first time
- Comfortably lasts a full day of mixed use
- 7 years of promised software updates
Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra Tested Sep 2026 by Team RankingRight
- New 50MP ultrawide is a real, measurable upgrade
- Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy handles multitasking smoothly
- Excellent display
More to consider
These 5 come from retailer catalogs. We have not scored them, so they carry no score and sit below the scored picks.
OnePlus Nord N30 5G
A budget 5G phone with a 108 MP camera system for people who want capable photography at a lower price. View at OnePlus Technology (Shenzhen) Co., Ltd. →
OnePlus 15 CPH2749 North America 512GB 16GB Ultra Violet
A flagship phone with a large AMOLED display and Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 processor for high-end performance. View at OnePlus Technology (Shenzhen) Co., Ltd. →
OnePlus Open North America 512GB 16GB Emerald Dusk US
A foldable phone with a Hasselblad Camera System for users who want a large screen and camera versatility. View at OnePlus Technology (Shenzhen) Co., Ltd. →
OnePlus 12R CPH2611 North America 256GB 16GB Cool Blue US
A phone with a long-lasting 5500 mAh battery and fast charging for all-day use. View at OnePlus Technology (Shenzhen) Co., Ltd. →
OnePlus 11 5G CPH2451 North America 256GB 16GB Titan Black US
A flagship phone built around extreme hardware for users wanting strong overall performance. View at OnePlus Technology (Shenzhen) Co., Ltd. →
What separates the top camera phones on this page?
The scores here run from 9.1 down to 8.2, and the spread comes mostly from how each phone balances camera quality against everything else. Camera is 20 of the total score, so a phone can win on photos and still sit lower overall if battery or value drags it down.
Apple's iPhone 18 Pro Max and the OnePlus 15 CPH2749 North America 512GB 16GB Infinite Black both score 9.1. The iPhone 18 Pro follows at 9. The iPhone 17 and the OnePlus 12 CPH2583 North America 512GB 16GB Flowy Emerald US tie at 8.6. The Google Pixel 10 sits at 8.3, and the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra at 8.2.
That ordering is worth reading carefully. The Pixel 10 and Galaxy S25 Ultra land at the bottom of this list, but both are known camera-first phones, so their placement reflects the whole package rather than the lens alone.
What should you check before buying a camera phone?
Look at the scoring criteria first: Performance 25, Battery 25, Camera 20, Display 15, Value 15. Camera is the second-smallest slice, which means a phone with a great sensor can still lose ground on battery life or price.
- Battery (25): the heaviest single factor. If you shoot video all day, this matters more than a marginal camera gain.
- Performance (25): equal weight to battery. It affects how fast photos process and how smoothly the camera app runs.
- Camera (20): the reason you're here, but not the whole score.
- Display (15): you'll frame and review shots on it, so check it in person.
- Value (15): the two OnePlus models carry 512GB and 16GB of memory, which is worth weighing against the Apple and Google options.
Apple iPhone 18 Pro Max and iPhone 18 Pro
Both sit at the top of the list, at 9.1 and 9. If you want the highest-scoring camera phone here and you're already in Apple's ecosystem, the Pro Max is the pick. The iPhone 18 Pro gives you nearly the same score in a smaller body.
OnePlus 15 CPH2749 and OnePlus 12 CPH2583
The OnePlus 15 matches the top score at 9.1, and the OnePlus 12 holds 8.6. Both list 512GB of storage and 16GB of memory, so they suit anyone who shoots a lot of photos and video and doesn't want to manage space.
Apple iPhone 17
At 8.6, it matches the OnePlus 12. A reasonable choice if you want Apple's camera processing without paying for the Pro tier.
Google Pixel 10 and Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra
The Pixel 10 scores 8.3 and the Galaxy S25 Ultra 8.2. Both are camera-focused phones that rank lower here on the full criteria, so check battery and value before deciding.
If you want the highest score on this page, the Apple iPhone 18 Pro Max and the OnePlus 15 CPH2749 North America 512GB 16GB Infinite Black both sit at 9.1. The OnePlus 12 CPH2583 North America 512GB 16GB Flowy Emerald US and the Apple iPhone 17 suit buyers who want strong camera performance with 512GB and 16GB of memory or a lower Apple tier. The Google Pixel 10 and Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra are the camera-first picks to weigh carefully against the battery and value criteria.
*Scores: Performance 25 · Battery 25 · Camera 20 · Display 15 · Value 15; score = Σ ÷ 10. Prices shown were checked on the date beside each and may change. Affiliate links are added only after a score is locked and can never change it. How we rank.