10 Best Camera Phones for All Budgets

Looking for the smartphone with the best camera around? One with the right price and specs? You've come to the right place. Here we'll give you the top ten camera phones currently on the market.

It's no news that progress in smartphone cameras signed the near-death of compact cameras. Because while mirrorless cameras and DSLRs still have advantages that smartphones won't be rivalling any time soon, the best camera phones today take pictures equivalent to a digital compact's when the lighting is right. Not to mention the fact that your phone is basically right there in your pocket at all times and has all kinds of additional apps for photo editing and instantaneous online sharing that a camera traditionally does not.

But the world of smartphone cameras is as vast as the world of smartphone prices, and it can be hard to tell which phone will get you the best picture quality for your money. So we put together this list to help you find your way through the jungle that is the mobile snapper business. Below you'll find the best camera phones for every budget. Scroll on... 

High-end camera phones Panasonic Lumix CM1Let's start with the camera phone that practically puts all the others to shame: the Panasonic Lumix CM1. This Android phone boasts a full frame image sensor (the same one found in the Sony RX100 Mark III) with 20 Megapixels, a 28mm f/2.8 lens and sensitivity up to 12800 ISO. You could even call it more of a "phone camera" than a camera phone because on one hand, it has all the manual settings and options found on an ordinary expert compact, and on the other, it's somewhat lacking in the "smartphone" department, at least compared to most of this year's top-of-the-range models. This is a handset for the most avid mobile photographers who are willing to make some concessions with their smartphoning needs.

Samsung Galaxy S6 & S6 EdgeTo date, the Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge are the best camera phones the average consumer can buy (assuming they aren't willing to make the jump to the Lumix CM1). With it, Samsung introduced a number of innovations, such as optical image stabilization, QHD 2560 x 1440 resolution and slower slow-mo of 340 fps, at a time when 120 fps was the highest frame rate on a smartphone. The difference in picture quality compared to the GS5 is palpable. Pictures are sharper, warmer, more natural and the advanced settings allow you to adjust the depth of field. It performs particularly well in low light. The Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge are highly versatile camera phones with ultra-fast shooting. 

LG G4The G4 was a first for LG in that it was the first time the brand made its own 16 Mpx sensor with optical image stabilization. It has lightning-fast shooting speeds thanks to its use of laser focusing. The G4 shoots high-quality pictures, but there's also some digital noise you could do without. The sensor uses larger photosites than average and an f/1.8 aperture, which allows it glean more light in dark conditions than most. And the camera app has a wide range of manual settings including focusing, shutter speed, ISO sensitivity, white balance and RAW file format.

LG G4 Store Available Price £ Amazon ✔ 369.99 See offer  

iPhone 6 & 6 PlusDespite the fact that they have almost ridiculously lower camera resolution (8 Mpx) than their rivals (as high as 20 Mpx), the iPhones 6 and 6 Plus are still among the top three camera phones right now. They snap pictures quickly and take photos that are sharp all across the frame. The 6 Plus naturally performs better in low light than the 6 thanks to its optical image stabilization. Most users will be perfectly happy with the new iPhone's picture quality, both others will be let down by the lower resolution when they try to crop images or simply zoom in to the photos they've taken. 

  Mid-range camera phones LG G3Some may think it's unfair to call the G3 a "mid-range" phone, but at a current price as low as $350, it most certainly is. And there's nothing unfair about it for the consumer, who can enjoy a 13 Mpx camera that films 4K/UHD video (3840 x 2160 px) and uses laser autofocus for fast, precise shooting. Pictures look good on the whole and contain a good deal of light and detail and not too much digital noise. It also has optical stabilization for sharper images and video.

HTC Desire 820While nowadays there are many 13 Mpx mid-range phones on the market, the HTC Desire 820 is one of the only models that actually delivers on its promises of picture quality. Its photos have faithful colors, good contrast and a decent dynamic range.

Huawei Ascend G7The Ascend G7's 13 Mpx camera provides a hearty amount of detail and accurate colors. The only downsides are low-light pictures and the shutter release, which doesn't always wait for the AF to do its work before snapping your photo, sometimes resulting in blurry pictures. But, to get around this, all you have to do is focus manually by tapping the screen. Problem solved!   Entry-level camera phones Alcatel OneTouch Idol 3 (4.7")The 4.7" version of the Idol 3 may not look like much compared to its 5.5" cousin, but it's got the same 13 Mpx image sensor for a lower price, with identical picture quality. Images contain a good amount of detail in the center of the frame (less so around the edges), as long they're taken in good light. And its shooting speed and AF precision are simply astounding at this price. Low-light conditions aren't its specialty, but on the whole this is quite a decent camera phone that doesn't suffer from much digital noise. Honor 3CGiven its low launch price, many wouldn't expect much from the Honor 3C, photographically speaking. And yet its 8 Mpx pictures are surprisingly good, especially in terms of color fidelity and detail. Like so many camera phones, however, low-light conditions are not its cup of tea. Fortunately, it has a well-calibrated flash that can get you out of a bind, all while not over-exposing close subjects. 
Source: 10 Best Camera Phones for All Budgets