Positive, we have already taken inventory of the finest general smartphones in 2025, however that does not imply we will not give them a little bit extra shine.
Particularly, it is time to discuss cameras. Apple, Samsung, Google, and others launched some glorious handsets previously calendar 12 months, however there’s lots that goes into deciding whether or not or not a telephone is nice. Processing energy, battery life, AI options, and a bunch of different little odds and ends issue into our evaluations, however for lots of people, all of these issues are secondary to the cameras.
So, with that in thoughts, let’s give attention to cameras as we shut out 2025. Listed here are our favourite smartphone cameras of the 12 months.
Greatest general: iPhone 17 Professional/Professional Max
Large shock right here.
Credit score: Stan Schroeder/Mashable
It nearly looks like a cop-out to offer this award to the highest-end iPhone launched in 2025, however the reality of the matter is that we did not take a look at out any telephone cameras in 2025 that impressed us greater than the iPhone 17 Professional fashions. When you do not belief me, take heed to what our reviewer Stan Schroeder needed to say about it.
“The triple 48-megapixel digicam system on this telephone is the perfect I’ve ever tried. The primary sensor captures wealthy and detailed images,” Schroeder wrote. “Low mild pictures is so good which you could snap a shot in near-total darkness and get a photograph that appears prefer it was taken in the course of the day.”
The low mild pictures is spectacular.
Credit score: Stan Schroeder/Mashable
Schroeder mentioned the iPhone 17 Professional Max was able to taking good photographs below plenty of totally different situations. Low mild pictures was spectacular, particularly, as have been the zoom capabilities. He mentioned that images taken at as much as 8x zoom seemed crisp, which isn’t any small feat. Apple all the time brings its A-game with regards to cameras, and the iPhone 17 Professional isn’t any totally different.
Seems to be good!
Credit score: Stan Schroeder/Mashable
Greatest low-cost Android digicam: Google Pixel 9a
No bump this time, although.
Credit score: Joe Maldonado/Mashable
Google’s Pixel telephones have all the time delivered on the digicam entrance, and the Pixel 9a isn’t any exception, particularly contemplating its lean $500 value level. As I famous in my Pixel 9a overview, it is now the price range smartphone to beat in 2025, thanks largely to the competent digicam array.
By the numbers, it is nothing spectacular. The rear digicam array consists of a 48MP broad lens and a 13MP ultra-wide lens, that are pretty normal smartphone megapixel counts, and are available under what you’d get on a dearer Pixel 9. Nonetheless, because of Google’s software program wizardry and a few sensible characteristic inclusions, the Pixel 9a can produce loads of beautiful photographs with vibrant, shiny colours.
Laborious to inform this got here from an affordable telephone.
Credit score: Alex Perry/Mashable
I might additionally wish to shout out Google for together with Macro Focus within the Pixel 9a, which wasn’t within the earlier Pixel A-series telephones. This characteristic allows you to place the lens simply an inch or two away out of your topic and seize nice particulars. It is a very nice factor to have on a $500 telephone.
That is what Macro Focus can do.
Credit score: Alex Perry/Mashable
Greatest low-cost iOS digicam: Apple iPhone 16e
Only one lens.
Credit score: Stan Schroeder/Mashable
There hasn’t been a flagship iPhone launch in 2025 but (look ahead to September), so the one Apple product we can provide any props to proper now could be the iPhone 16e.
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Apple’s $600 budget-minded handset has only one solitary digicam lens on the again, measuring in at 48MP. Nevertheless, do not let that description promote it quick. As our reviewer Stan Schroeder demonstrated, it may well take very nice-looking photographs with clear particulars and pure colours.
Ahoy.
Credit score: Stan Schroeder/Mashable
Schroeder additionally shouted out its competent low-light pictures, which is not unbelievable, however will get the job performed for a telephone of that value.
Seems to be good.
Credit score: Stan Schroeder/Mashable
Greatest inexpensive flagship digicam: OnePlus 15
Kinda generic trying, however that is not the purpose.
Credit score: Joe Maldonado/Mashable
At $899, the OnePlus 15‘s affordability is certainly relative. This isn’t a Pixel 9a by way of value, and even an iPhone 16e. That mentioned, for lower than $1,000, you get a trio of 50MP lenses on the again with 7x optical-quality zoom. That is shockingly near the iPhone 17 Professional by way of specs, and the outcomes are additionally fairly passable.
Good.
Credit score: Alex Perry/Mashable
Colours are vivid, picture readability is sharp, and you have got just about all the modes you’d need, together with a pleasant macro pictures choice. OnePlus has a behavior of creating telephones that simply…do what you need a telephone to do, with out asking for an excessive amount of in return. I’d say the OnePlus 15’s digicam array matches that description fairly properly, to the purpose the place there is not a lot else to say about it.
Macro is nice.
Credit score: Alex Perry/Mashable
