Grab one of the best smartphone cameras and you might find your point-and-shoot collecting dust. From Selfies to Portraits Your is the camera you always carry. And if you haven't upgraded it in a few years, you'll be pleasantly surprised by how much phone camera performance particularly low-light image quality has improved. In fact, we've pretty much reached the point that you can leave your old at home as long as you've got a good camera phone in your pocket. But not all phone cameras are created equal. We put every phone we review though a rigorous series of camera evaluations in our test lab to determine which are the best shooters on the market. We've gathered the top ten camera phones here. Not only will you not have to worry about carrying a separate camera if you've got one of these in your pocket, each is a stellar smartphone in its own right. We gave the two best-selling camera phone lineups special treatment, with our camera analyst Jim Fisher looking even more deeply than usual. Take a look at his to see which one comes out on top there. Forget the Specs Phone makers like to tout specs, but spec sheets are largely meaningless nowadays. Manufacturers will go on about megapixels, pixel size, and low-light performance, and while all of these factors are important, we've found that spec sheet promises rarely measure up in real-life performance. Optical image stabilization is another hot buzzword: It's supposed to improve low-light performance, but doesn't always, because the image-processing software has to cooperate properly. You have to read the reviews and check out comparison photos like the one below to get an idea of the difference in camera quality between phones. Almost all phones have both front and rear cameras nowadays. The front cameras, designed for selfies, often have some extra triggering mechanism. The trend among Android manufacturers to have a dozen confusing camera modes has died down. Trends and Accessories The latest trend in camera phones is the dual-lens main camera. It's a bit of a throwback; there was a 2011 fad with dual-lens cameras being used for 3D capture see the , but now they're being used for a range of different functions. The Honor 6X just uses them for bokeh. The Honor 8 uses them for wider gamut color capture, and the LG V30 uses them for an ultra-wide angle option. Who has the best dual-camera idea, here? Zoom seems to be the most popular, and the most in demand. On the front, we're seeing some selfie cameras experiment with bokeh portrait mode. Google's Pixels do it all in software, while the iPhone X uses both its standard front-facing camera and its Face ID infrared camera to silhouette your face and blur the background. If you're a serious shooter, you may also want to think about accessories and photography apps. The iPhone platform still leads there, with the broadest range of extra lenses, cases, clips, and pro-level apps. But Samsung also has a good ecosystem of cases and accessories. Do You Need a Standalone Camera? For the ultimate in image quality, the best possible low-light performance, or killer optical zoom, you'll still want a DSLR or mirrorless dedicated camera. Our list of the is a great place to start. And be sure to check out our. With that in mind, these are our favorite camera phones available today. We've stocked this list with a range of phones at different price points. Also note that this list is in order of overall rating of the phone itself, and not how good the cameras are. Best processor and modem available. Cons: Awkward fingerprint scanner placement. Bottom Line: The Samsung Galaxy S8 is a gorgeous big-screen phone with a comfortable single-handed feel, and it's packed with top-notch components and promising new software. Cons: Not the fastest LTE connections. Still a relatively low-res screen with a big bezel for the price. Bottom Line: The iPhone 8 Plus may promise better augmented reality experiences than its smaller counterpart thanks to its dual cameras, making it the one you should buy. Terrific low-light camera performance. Cons: No headphone jack or microSD card slot. Lacks Band 71 for expanded T-Mobile coverage. Screen quality has caused drama. Bottom Line: The Pixel 2 XL combines elegant Google software and a great camera for a smooth Android experience. Improved S Pen stylus. Modem supports emerging networks. Too big to work with current Gear VR headset. Bottom Line: Representing the current pinnacle of smartphone technology, the Samsung Galaxy Note 8 phone has everything that's great about the Galaxy S8, plus dual cameras and an S Pen stylus. First-of-its-kind augmented reality front camera. Animoji are really fun. Apps need to be reprogrammed to take advantage of display. Not the fastest modem. Bottom Line: The iPhone X sets the stage for Apple's next decade, with a sharp new design and a future focus on augmented reality. Lots of unique features and customization options. Cons: Low-light camera performance could be better. Bottom Line: The Asus ZenFone 3 Zoom stands out from the crowd of unlocked phones thanks to stellar battery life, dual-camera optical zoom, and a slew of unique features. Multiple built-in voice assistants. Cons: Average battery life. Bottom Line: The unlocked U11 Life takes its design cues and many features from HTC's flagship phone and offers them for a midrange price. Sleek metal unibody build. Solid camera with bokeh control. Fingerprint sensor, dual SIM slots, and expandable storage. Cons: Heavy UI layer. No NFC or dual-band Wi-Fi. Bottom Line: The unlocked Huawei Honor 6X phone offers a lot of Android bang for your buck, besting last year's model in just about every way. First phone for T-Mobile's new 600MHz network. Cons: Applies too much noise reduction in low-light photos. Battery life isn't great. Bottom Line: LG's big-screen V30 lets you roam farther and capture wider images than other smartphones. He's the head of our Fastest Mobile Networks project, hosts our One Cool Thing daily Web show, and writes opinions on tech and society. Segan is also a multiple award-winning travel writer.
