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I tested the best phone cameras of 2025 — which took the best pictures?
The best phone cameras of 2025 will likely launch in the back half of the calendar, but there are a few worth celebrating now.
Much like the best smartphones of 2025, any list of the best smartphone cameras of the year needs to lead off with one fact: We're still waiting on the really good stuff.
Samsung's Unpacked event is coming in July, and that's when we expect to see the new Z Fold 7 and Z Flip 7. And then we don't expect the iPhone 17 (and hopefully the iPhone 17 Air) until the fall.
Flagship phone releases tend to be concentrated in the back half of the calendar, with one major exception that we'll get to in a minute. That means this lineup will look very different in six months. Still, there have been a few handset shooters worthy of our praise in the first half of 2025. From budget devices that produce surprisingly nice results, a bona fide flagship, and another one that sits in between, here are the four best smartphone cameras of 2025 so far.
Best overall: Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra
Samsung's Galaxy S25 Ultra is the one true, traditional flagship on this list, so it's no surprise that it has the best camera of the group. This phone does cost $1,299, after all.
Still, the results speak for themselves, as you can see in my Galaxy S25 Ultra review. You get a whopping 200MP wide lens, a 50MP ultra-wide lens, and a 50MP telephoto lens. Ultra-wide shots have an impressive level of clarity, for example.
Beyond that, the zoom lens is the best you'll find on a new phone from the first half of the year, at least in my experience. Going up to 30x zoom still produces clear shots that don't look faked at all.
There are plenty of other example pictures I could show you from my camera roll, but you get the idea. From specs to results, Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra has the best phone camera of the year...so far. We'll see how that holds up as we approach the latter half of the year.
Best cheap Android camera: Google Pixel 9a
Google's Pixel phones have always delivered on the camera front, and the Pixel 9a is no exception, especially considering its lean $500 price point. As I noted in my Pixel 9a review, it's now the budget smartphone to beat in 2025, thanks in large part to the competent camera array.
By the numbers, it's nothing spectacular. The rear camera array consists of a 48MP wide lens and a 13MP ultra-wide lens, which are fairly standard smartphone megapixel counts, and come in below what you'd get on a more expensive Pixel 9. Still, thanks to Google's software wizardry and some smart feature inclusions, the Pixel 9a can produce plenty of gorgeous shots with vibrant, bright colors.
I'd also like to shout out Google for including Macro Focus in the Pixel 9a, which wasn't in the previous Pixel A-series phones. This feature lets you place the lens just an inch or two away from your subject and capture fine details. It's a really nice thing to have on a $500 phone.
Best cheap iOS camera: Apple iPhone 16e
There hasn't been a flagship iPhone release in 2025 yet (wait for September), so the only Apple product we can give any props to right now is the iPhone 16e.
Apple's $600 budget-minded handset has just one solitary camera lens on the back, measuring in at 48MP. However, don't let that description sell it short. As our reviewer Stan Schroeder demonstrated, it can take very nice-looking shots with clear details and natural colors.
Schroeder also shouted out its competent low-light photography, which isn't incredible, but gets the job done for a phone of that price.
Best affordable flagship camera: OnePlus 13
Before we get to the really pricey stuff, let's talk about OnePlus 13. This Chinese brand has always released phones that sit in a nice middle-ground price-wise while still offering flagship-like specs, and at $599.99, the OnePlus 13 is no different. In fact, it squeaked into our guide to the best budget smartphones of 2025 despite its more premium features.
OnePlus 13's rear camera array was made in conjunction with Swedish camera company Hasselblad and is by far the most interesting-looking camera array of the bunch listed here. It's got a wide, ultra-wide, and telephoto lens on the rear, all coming in at an even 50MP. Photos can come in looking a little more vibrant than they do in real life, but by and large, the OnePlus 13 produces quality results. In particular, the zoom lens can produce clear results from very far away.
Not to be outdone by Pixel 9a, the OnePlus 13 also has a solid macro mode, for good measure.
