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Today, voice communication is practically an afterthought when deciding on the right flagship device for you. In its place, camera quality has risen to become of the biggest factors in buying a phone. Manufacturers go to great lengths to stuff advanced sensors into seemingly impossibly-sized handsets, and back them up with not just competent, but novel and even cutting-edge imaging algorithms and software features.
How to use your phone's manual camera settings
Got a specific photo look in mind? Manual camera settings might be the way to go
The best camera phones offer a similar photography experience to many dedicated cameras. But they can fail to capture a scene the way you would expect. Many Android devices allow you to dial in the look of your photos with manual camera settings. You can adjust the aperture and shutter speed or play with white balance and focal length to capture the perfect shot. We walk you through a list of common manual camera settings, what they do, and how to use them.
Best phones for ultrawide photography in 2024
Looking for a phone that handles excellent ultrawide shots?
You can now find ultrawide cameras on all kinds of smartphones. These extra-large rear cameras snap to an enormous field of view and capture unique looks at landscapes. Ultrawides bring in more surrounding detail. They also give photos a magnified look that can be corrected via editing and modes or used as a stylistic choice on your latest nature hike.
Vivo just set the telephoto standard — can the S24 Ultra keep up?
The Vivo X100 Pro's telephoto camera is the best I've ever tried
The launch of the Galaxy S24 series is now just days away, and with it the arrival of the S24 Ultra, Samsung’s all-singing, all-dancing flagship phone for 2024. It’s all but guaranteed to pack Samsung’s best camera yet, and should be the chief competition for Google’s Pixel 8 Pro in that department.
What features are in Google's camera app and how do you use them?
Google's camera app has features to help you take the best photo or video for any situation
Google's Pixel phones are some of the best Android phones available and are well-known for their advanced camera technology. With each new release, Google pushed its camera app into new territory. In 2017, Google's computational photography changed how smartphone cameras process images. Since the Pixel 8 and Google Pixel 8 Pro launch, you have professional levels of control over how images are captured. Let's look at the modes and features Google's camera app offers.
Phone cameras are better than ever, so why don't I care?
Nobody wants to use garbage, but phone cameras often get too much attention
Few things irk me more than sitting down to watch an introduction of a new smartphone only to have 30 minutes of a 45-minute presentation dedicated to cameras. We’ve seen videos shot by Ridley Scott, documentaries on the Sahara, and any number of other over-the-top demonstrations of what a new device’s camera can do. Unfortunately, unless the new phone also comes with tuition for four years of film school, I won’t get anywhere near the same results. However, it’s not the companies that deserve all the blame; consumers are also responsible for this trend.
Take your photography game to the next level with this Luminar Neo lifetime bundle at nearly 75% off
Includes editing software with Ai tools, a how-to course, and more
If you enjoy taking photos with your phone or dedicated camera, here is your sign to take the next step and try your hand at editing. Right now Stack Social is running an insane deal on the award-winning Luminar Neo app, which is a photo editor similar to Photoshop, except it's easier to use and has a lifetime purchase option. This would typically cost you $270, but for a very limited time, you can get a lifetime Luminar Neo license, a creative photo editing course showing you how to use the software, and 5 add-on packs for just $200.
Best phone tripods in 2024
Make shaky videos and unfocused images a thing of the past with a phone tripod.
For years, we relied on hefty cameras for anything related to photography and videography. Then, the smartphone came along, and the tides shifted a bit, allowing us more portability. Of course, that flooded the Internet with shaky-cam videos and fuzzy photos, products of unsteady hands and no real stabilization. Both of those ails, however, are manageable with a smartphone-compatible tripod.
How to take a good photo on a cheap phone
108 megapixels surely looks tempting, but you can make do with your current phone
A flagship phone with 108 megapixels is nice to have for capturing moments with family and friends. But unless you plan to sell your photos as stock images or start a career in mobile photography, it's not worth splurging on a phone that's only used for occasional selfies. Sometimes, simplicity is key. While your phone's megapixel count matters, you won't see its full potential if you don't know how to take pictures.
Everything you need to know about OIS vs. EIS on your smartphone's camera module
Look for OIS and EIS in your next smartphone purchase
With an almost identical specs sheet among the top budget Android phones, smartphone companies look at software and cameras to differentiate their offerings from rivals. Instead of glancing over how many cameras and megapixels the company has packed, check for important details like the type of stabilization on the main shooter. Terms like OIS, EIS, sensor-shift stabilization, and gimbal camera may sound similar on paper, but they differ in cost, function, and overall impact on smartphone photography.
How to take and edit RAW photos on Android
Ever felt like making mobile photography more complicated?
Smartphone cameras are tuned to help you take the best photos you can without a fuss: just point and shoot. But if you're really into photography, you may be familiar with the concept of shooting in RAW. RAW format images contain more of the information your camera sensor collects when you press the shutter button than the JPEG files you get by default, providing greater editing flexibility. If you want to try mobile RAW photography on your Google Pixel or top Samsung phone, here's what you'll do.
Samsung Galaxy S22: Our top 5 cameras tips you'll want to try today
Including a whole second camera app!
Samsung's smartphone cameras are up there with the best in the business; the company's flagships are always jockeying with the likes of the Google Pixel 7 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro for best smartphone camera honors. Modern Samsung phones have a lot of camera features that aren't entirely obvious at first blush — some squirreled away in a whole second camera app. Looking to make the most of your phone's camera lenses? Here are our top five tips
What is pixel binning, and what does it mean for your mobile photography?
Megapixels aren't just about resolution
A few years ago, smartphone cameras were different. In 2017, the Google Pixel 2, Samsung Galaxy Note 8, and Apple iPhone 8 had 12(ish)-megapixel sensors powering their rear cameras. Fast-forward to today, and most phones, from the Google Pixel 7 Pro to the Samsung Galaxy S23 and Galaxy 23+, have 50-megapixel primary sensors, and the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra features a 200-megapixel shooter. Apple even got wise, sticking a 48-megapixel primary camera in its newest iPhone 14 Pro.
This smartphone sensor wants to fix bad white balance permanently
Meet Real Tone's hardware-level equivalent
Smartphone cameras are all about convenience and ease of use, but despite improving by leaps and bounds in recent years, most shooters are still imperfect. One of the most prominent issues remains dialing the white balance just right. Image processing software funnel solutions exist but a hardware-level solution would be more desirable. CES 2023 has shown us all sorts of exciting tech, including a new multispectral image sensor from Spectricity that promises to fix the issue for good.
If you open Reddit and scroll through your feed, chances are that you'll see a food post trending on the website. Food is one of the hottest trending topics on the internet, and carefully captured shots of beautiful dishes can do wonders in earning internet brownie points. The best part about food photography is that you don't need any fancy camera to become successful. Any good Android smartphone with decent cameras can get the job done.
There was a point in the late 80s and 90s when disposable cameras and one-hour film development dominated the world of photography. Although this put the medium in the hands of the masses in an accessible manner, the mass production that made this possible meant that the cameras were built to the lowest common denominator. But now that smartphones are in the pockets of billions of people worldwide, everyone has a high-quality camera that rivals all but the high-end DSLR cameras.
The Google Pixel 7 will unblur all your old pictures
The feature is slated to come to Google Photos on more devices later
Google is taking its unique Face Unblur feature from the Pixel 6 series and expanding the canvas — both on where that "unblurring" applies and how many people can use it. While Photo Unblur will be exclusive to the Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro at the beginning, everyone who uses Google Photos will be able to sharpen their old pictures soon enough.
Beginner's tips to smartphone photo editing
Taking professional-caliber photos is possible with a smartphone, you just have to know how
Are you a novice when it comes to smartphone photography? Whether you've opened the settings menu of your camera app or not, getting professional-caliber photos with your smartphone isn't as difficult as some would have you believe. With a few handy tips, an editing tool here and there, a bit of confidence, and one of the best Android smartphones, you can impress friends and family with some of the best pictures they've ever seen.
Weekend poll: How important is camera performance when buying a phone?
An essential part of any purchase or an afterthought?
We're just wrapping up Mobile Photography Week at Android Police, where we've covered everything from tips and tricks for improving your shots to our favorite accessories and more. Mobile photography has proven itself to be the dominant way most of us capture the world around us, making it easier to leave the DSLR in the hotel room and step out into a foreign city with only the gadget in your pocket. There's only one question remaining: how important is camera performance to you, dear reader?
Your phone and tablet are now your best filmmaking and photography accessories
Professionals are putting all the power of our common gadgets to use
Smartphone cameras may be making impressive progress thanks to computational photography and plenty of innovation in sensor technology, but they're still not usually chosen for shooting professional photos and videos like we see in the movies we rent and stream. Dedicated cameras with large sensors and top-tier lenses remain the obvious choice at that level, but smartphones and tablets have been creeping into the production process. Gear makers are regularly inventing new ways to turn our pocket-sized gadgets into indispensable accessories for photography and filmmaking.