The Best Camera Phones 2022

For anyone getting started in photography, camera phones are a great place to start as smartphones already have decent cameras built into them. These cellphones use computational photography to get the best pictures despite having smaller sensors compared to professional cameras (whether DSLRs or Mirrorless Cameras). For 2022, the best smartphone cameras include the Apple Iphone 13, Sony Xperia and the Samsung Galaxy Ultra. Check out the comparison for more details

Sony Xperia PRO-I

The Sony Xperia PRO-I is a professional photographer's phone, with full manual controls and dedicated shutter button. It uses the 1-inch sensor from the highly rated Sony RX100 VII, specifically an Exmor RS CMOS image sensor with phase detection autofocus. It also has triple Zeiss Tessar lenses which help to deliver outstanding 12MP images. Below are the camera and video specs:

Sony Xperia Camera Specifications:

• Triple 12MP lenses calibrated specifically for Xperia PRO-I, with ZEISS® Tessar Optics with T* coating
• F2.0/F4.0 aperture
• Up to 20fps AF/AE
• Up to 60 times per second continuous AF/AE calculation
• Real-time Eye AF(Human, Animal)
• Real-time Tracking
• AI super resolution zoom
• HDR (High Dynamic Range) photo

Sony Xperia Video Specifications:

• Cinematography Pro "powered by CineAlta" 
• Videography Pro
• 4K HDR Video recording 24, 25, 30, 60, and 120fps
• OIS and EIS Video
• Optical SteadyShot™ with FlawlessEye™
• SteadyShot™ with Intelligent Active Mode (5-axis stabilization)
• Slow motion (720p 120fps)
• Intelligent wind filter

If this is too expensive, there is also the more affordable Sony Xperia 1 III and the more compact Sony Xperia 5 III, both of which utilize Zeiss lenses to capture great photos. Somewhat related is the Sony RX100 VII compact camera which gives you the full experience of manual photography.

• Get the Sony Xperia Pro-I here 
• Get the Sony Xperia 1 III here
• Get the Sony Xperia 5 III here

Apple iPhone 13

By far, the best camera phone for 2022 is Apple's iPhone 13. The iPhone's 12MP dual cameras sport a new ultra-wide camera that captures 47% more light, and the new sensor-shift optical image stabilization keeps images tack sharp.

There's also the cinematic mode which emulates the depth-of-field and automatic shift focus when subjects enter and leave the frame. See some of the camera and video specs below:

iPhone 13 Camera Specifications

• Dual 12MP camera system: Wide and Ultra Wide cameras
• Wide: ƒ/1.6 aperture
• Ultra Wide: ƒ/2.4 aperture and 120° field of view
• 2x optical zoom out
• Digital zoom up to 5x
• Portrait mode with advanced bokeh and Depth Control
• Portrait Lighting with six effects (Natural, Studio, Contour, Stage, Stage Mono, High‑Key Mono)
• Sensor‑shift optical image stabilization (Wide)
• Panorama (up to 63MP)
• Wide color capture for photos and Live Photos
• Lens correction (Ultra Wide)

iPhone 13 Video Specifications

• Cinematic mode for recording videos with shallow depth of field (in 1080p at 30 fps)
• HDR video recording with Dolby Vision up to 4K at 60 fps
• 4K video recording at 24 fps, 25 fps, 30 fps, or 60 fps
• 1080p HD video recording at 25 fps, 30 fps, or 60 fps
• 720p HD video recording at 30 fps
• Sensor-shift optical image stabilization for video (Wide)
• 2x optical zoom out
• Digital zoom up to 3x
• Slo‑mo video support for 1080p at 120 fps or 240 fps
• Time‑lapse video with stabilization
• Night mode Time-lapse
• Cinematic video stabilization (4K, 1080p, and 720p)

Just like the Sony Xperia, the iPhone 13 has a few variants, including the iPhone 13 mini which is only 5.4 inches in size, and the same sized iPhone 13 Max at 6.inches but boasts better. Finally there's the largest option iPhone 13 Max Pro at 6.4 inches. 

• Get the iPhone 13 here
• Get the iPhone 13 mini here
• Get the iPhone 13 Pro here
• Get the iPhone 13 Pro Max here

Samsung Galaxy S22

Another one of the best camera phones for Android users is the Samsung Galaxy S22. The Galaxy phone boasts an impressive 4-camera system, with a 12MP Ultra-Wide and an amazing 108MP Wide-Angle camera. It also has two 10MP telephoto cameras. The top of the line Galaxy S22 Ultra also has a 40MP Selfie Camera which is impressive for a flagship camera phone. Below are the camera and video specs:

Samsung Galaxy S22 Camera Specifications

• Quad camera system (12MP Ultra Wide Camera, 108MP Wide-angle Camera, 2x 10MP Telephoto Camera)
• Dual Pixel AF
• Up to 10x Optical Zoom with AI Super Resolution technology
• OIS (Optical Image Stabilization)
• Laser AF for low light environments
• Scene Optimizer
• Auto HDR
• Auto FPS

Samsung Galaxy S22 Camera and Video Specifications

• 8K video recording at 24 fps (7680x4320)
• 4K UHD video recording at 60 fps (3840x2160)
• 1080p FHD video recording at 60 fps (1920x1080)
• 720p HD video recording at 30 fps (1280x720)
• Super Steady 1080p video support at 60 fps
• Super Slow-mo 720p video support at 960 fps
• Slow motion 1080p video support at 240 fps
• Hyperlapse 4K video support at 30 fps
• Advanced recording options (HEVC/HDR10+/Zoom-in MIC)
• Video Stabilization (VDIS)

The Samsung Galaxy S22 is the smallest of the 3 Samsung Galaxy models, coming in at 6.1 inches. The Samsung Galaxy S22+ is 5-inches larger at 6.6 inches, and the flagship Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra is the largest at 6.8 inches.

• Get the Samsung Galaxy S22 here
• Get the Samsung Galaxy S22+ here
• Get the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra here

To see related articles on camera gear, check out these posts:

• The Best Camera Phones of 2022
• The Best Compact Cameras of 2022
• The Best Beginner Cameras of 2022

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