Sure, we already have the best smartphones in 2025, but that doesn’t mean we can’t make them shine a little.
Specifically, it’s time to talk about cameras. Apple, Samsung, Google, and others have released some great mobile devices in the past calendar year, but there’s a lot that goes into deciding whether or not a phone is right for you. Processing power, battery life, AI features, and a bunch of other small odds and ends factor into our reviews, but for most people, all those things are secondary to cameras.
So, with that in mind, let’s focus on cameras as we close out 2025. Here are our smartphone cameras of the year.
The best smartphones of 2025 include some amazing features
Best overall: iPhone 17 Pro/Pro Max
Big surprise here.
Credit: Stan Schroeder/Mashable
It almost sounds like a cop-out to give this award to the highest-end iPhone released in 2025, but the truth of the matter is that we didn’t test any phone cameras in 2025 that impressed us more than the iPhone 17 Pro models. If you don’t believe me, listen to what our reviewer Stan Schroeder has to say about it.
“The 48-megapixel triple camera system on this phone is the best I’ve ever tried. The main sensor captures rich and detailed images,” Schroeder wrote. “Low-light photography is so good that you can take a picture that’s close to dark and still get a picture that looks like it was taken during the day.”
Low light photography is impressive.
Credit: Stan Schroeder/Mashable
Schroeder said that the iPhone 17 Pro Max can take a good shot in many different conditions. Low-light photography was particularly impressive, as was the zoom capability. He said that photos taken at 8x zoom look great, which is no small feat. Apple always brings its A game when it comes to cameras, and the iPhone 17 Pro is no different.
It looks great!
Credit: Stan Schroeder/Mashable
Best cheap Android camera: Google Pixel 9a
No bump this time, though.
Credit: Joe Maldonado/Mashable
Google’s Pixel phones have always delivered on the camera front, and the Pixel 9a is no exception, especially considering its low $500 price point. As I noted in my Pixel 9 review, it’s now a budget phone to hit in 2025, thanks in large part to a capable camera.
In terms of numbers, it’s not surprising. The rear camera has a 48MP wide-angle lens and a 13MP ultra-wide-angle lens, which are standard smartphone megapixel counts, and come in below what you’ll find on the more expensive Pixel 9. Still, thanks to Google’s software smarts and other smart inputs, the Pixel 9a can produce many bright, vibrant colors.
It’s hard to tell that this is coming from a cheap phone.
Credit: Alex Perry/Mashable
I’d also like to give a shout out to Google for including Macro Focus on the Pixel 9a, which was missing from previous Pixel A series phones. This feature allows you to place the lens just an inch or two away from your subject and capture great detail. It’s really nice to have a $500 phone.
This is what Macro Focus can do.
Credit: Alex Perry/Mashable
Cheapest iOS camera: Apple iPhone 16e
Just one lens.
Credit: Stan Schroeder/Mashable
There hasn’t been a flagship iPhone release in 2025 yet (wait for September), so the only Apple product we can offer any use for right now is the iPhone 16e.
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Apple’s budget-focused $600 handset has only a single camera lens on the back, measuring in at 48MP. However, don’t let that description sell you short. As our reviewer Stan Schroeder pointed out, it can take great-looking photos with vivid details and natural colors.
No.
Credit: Stan Schroeder/Mashable
Schroeder also touts its low-power photography, which isn’t incredible, but it gets the job done for a phone of that price.
It looks good.
Credit: Stan Schroeder/Mashable
Best affordable flagship camera: OnePlus 15
It looks familiar, but that’s not the point.
Credit: Joe Maldonado/Mashable
At $899, the affordability of the OnePlus 15 is definitely relative. This isn’t the Pixel 9a in terms of price, or the iPhone 16e. That said, for less than $1,000, you get a trio of 50MP lenses on the back with 7x optical-quality zoom. That’s very close to the iPhone 17 Pro in terms of specs, and the results are also very satisfying.
Good.
Credit: Alex Perry/Mashable
Colors are vivid, image clarity is sharp, and you have all the options you could want, including a great option for large photos. OnePlus has a habit of making phones that just…do what you want the phone to do, without asking for much in return. I’d say the OnePlus 15’s camera fits that description pretty well, until there isn’t much else to say about it.
Macro is good.
Credit: Alex Perry/Mashable
