Best camera phones in 2024 - Which compact phone has the best camera?
After evaluating the best camera phone on the market now, priced above US$1,000, in our in-depth comparison, we are now turning our attention to upper mid-range Android smartphones. These devices not only help users save some money but also offer the benefit of a compact design, which is useful because not everyone wants to lug around a big and hefty phone with them in their pocket.
The devices in our comparison have varying camera setups. Whilst the Google Pixel 8 features only two rear cameras, the OnePlus 12, Xiaomi 14 and Galaxy S24 all boast three lenses on the back. But resolution is one thing they have in common – at least when it comes to their 50MP main shooters.
Using various photo subjects and lighting situations, we’ll take a closer look at how these Android phones differ in their image quality during everyday use. The table below provides a quick overview of the technical specifications of the camera modules.
| OnePlus 12 | Samsung Galaxy S24 | Xiaomi 14 | Google Pixel 8 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Main camera | 50 MPix (f/1.6, OIS, 1/1.4") | 50 MPix (f/1.8, OIS, 1/1.56") | 50 MPix (f/1.6, OIS, 1/1.31") | 50 MPix (ƒ/1.68, OIS; 1/1.31") |
| Telephoto camera(s) | 64 MPix (f/2.6, OIS, 3x optical, 6x in sensor crop) | 10 MPix (f/2.4, OIS, 3x optical) | 50 MPix (f/2.0, OIS, 3.2x optical zoom) | - |
| Ultrawide camera | 48 MPix (f/2.2) | 12 MPix (f/2.2) | 50 MPix (f/2.2) | 12 MPix (ƒ/2.2) |
| Front camera | 32 MPix (f/2.4, FF) | 12 MPix (f/2.2, AF) | 32 MPix (f2.0, FF) | 10.5 MPix (ƒ/2.2, FF) |
| Software version | CPH2581_14_0.0.604 | UP1A231005.007.5921BXXSAXD6 | 1.0.11UNCMIXM | AP1A_250505.005 |
All the phones featured in this article are priced under US$1,000. The Galaxy S24 and Pixel 8 start at US$799 (€899) and US$699 (€799) respectively, whilst the Xiaomi 14 has a recommended retail price (RRP) of US$999 (€999). The largest device in this comparison, the OnePlus 12, likewise has an official suggested price of €999 (US$899), but the import version with OxygenOS can be had for much cheaper, starting at around US$645 (€600).
For our test shots, we used the factory settings in the camera software of all our candidates. By default, photos don’t end up having the same resolution as the camera sensors. Instead, data from the sensors is processed into images with fewer pixels using a method called pixel binning. This technique, employed by all the phones in this comparison, involves combining several smaller pixels into a larger one for improved low-light performance. For example, a 50MP sensor will produce photos with a resolution of 12MP using a standard 4-in-1 binning process.
Note: In order to help you better compare the image details across the devices, we have included image files for all test shots. You can click on the individual photos in the comparison box to view them at their full resolution.
Main camera on the upper mid-range phones
In excellent lighting conditions, the four upper mid-range phones didn’t exhibit any major shortcomings. We don’t have a clear favourite for daylight photography, as image quality is slightly too consistent across the devices. None of the phones consistently delivered sharp images. For instance, the Pixel 8 still has much room for improvement in the scene with the unicorn, but produced one of the best photos of our frog plushie.
The Galaxy S24 and, in particular, the OnePlus 12 delivered images with marked blurriness towards the edges. As we’ve observed in the Ultra model, Samsung's attempt at artificial image sharpening is well-intentioned but not without its flaws. The main shooter on the Pixel 8 occasionally also suffers from very noticeable chromatic aberration, which is not an issue that plagues the main cameras on the other devices. However, the competitors' images also showed noticeable artefacts. For example, the Samsung phone exhibited slight graininess even in daylight due to its relatively small image sensor, whilst the OnePlus struggled with exposure. Looking at the level of bokeh, it is also evident that the Galaxy S24 has a smaller 1/1.56-inch main sensor. For the frog plushie scene, the other three phones produced much more blur than the Samsung in the out-of-focus areas.
The Xiaomi 14 produced softer images than its rivals, but it is able to harness its sharpness consistently and delivered a highly detailed image of our unicorn toy with impressive dynamic range, despite the challenging lighting conditions. That said, as with the Ultra model, the Xiaomi tends to oversaturate red hues. In terms of colour accuracy, Google too really missed the mark in the scene with our toy horse.
The differences between the devices become more pronounced in low-light conditions. The Pixel 8 and OnePlus 12 have the best HDR processing and don’t make light sources look overexposed. In the street scene, both smartphones also managed to capture details that the Xiaomi 14 and Galaxy S24 missed, such as the structure of the window blinds. Moreover, the Samsung phone produced some grainy areas in the photos and only offers average performance in low-light conditions as a whole.
Ultrawide cameras on the upper mid-range phones
The photos taken the wide-angle lens on all the phones show a huge reduction in image quality. Equipped with a 50MP ultrawide camera that supports pixel binning, the upper mid-range Xiaomi underlines the fact that more megapixels doesn’t necessarily mean superior imaging performance. Despite having a much lower resolution of 12MP, the Pixel 8's ultrawide sensor managed to retain details in the photos fairly well, such as the texture of the toy horse, and has good colour reproduction to boot.
The OnePlus 12 offers a somewhat low sharpness level. Coupled with poor exposure performance, this results in the phone trailing slightly behind the Pixel 8 in image quality. The Xiaomi 14 and Galaxy S24 tend to oversaturate colours. Both phones are not great at resolving fine details; photos from the Samsung phone also appear a little unnatural due to excessive sharpening.
However, the OnePlus 12 massively catches up with the Google Pixel in low-light conditions. Its ultrawide camera is the least noisy whilst still staying relatively sharp. Even so, the photos are poorly lit and preserve very little details. In this regard, the Pixel 8 is probably the weakest smartphone of the bunch, despite having superb performance in daylight.
Image Comparison
Choose a scene and navigate within the first image. One click changes the position on touchscreens. One click on the zoomed-in image opens the original in a new window. The first image shows the scaled photograph of the test device.
HorseHouseDollLow light - streetLow light - House
Macro shots from the upper mid-range phones
Although low-performance 2MP macro sensors are still used in budget mid-range phones, such solutions are no longer found in current upper mid-range offerings. In the case of the Galaxy S24, however, including a similar sensor wouldn’t have been a bad idea, considering that the device needs to resort to using the main camera’s minimum focus distance. This approach expectedly didn’t work well for our test photos, which were shot from a distance of 3 to 5 cm (around 1.2 to 2 in).
As with the rest of the devices in this comparison, most phones nowadays switch to their ultrawide lens for close-up photography, provided the camera is equipped with autofocus. But this isn’t possible on the Galaxy S24 due to its fixed-focus camera. The Xiaomi 14 rendered our subjects fairly well overall. By contrast, sharpness isn't always optimal in images captured with the Pixel 8 and OnePlus 12.
Zoom shots from the upper mid-range phones
There are considerable differences between the telephoto lenses on these upper mid-range phones. The OnePlus 12's periscope lenses can achieve up to 6x lossless zoom, whilst the Pixel 8 needs to rely on the main sensor due to the absence of a telephoto camera. For 2x lossless zoom, the Google phone disables pixel binning and crops to a smaller section of the sensor. But this method results in more noise due to the sensor’s small pixels, especially in low-light situations.
Because of hardware limitations, the Google Pixel 8 visibly lags behind the three other contenders when it comes to image quality, even at a modest zoom level of 3x. In well-lit conditions, the OnePlus 12 and Xiaomi 14 can capture attractive images at 3x zoom, with good sharpness and a wealth of details. However, image quality on the Xiaomi phone goes downhill rapidly beyond 3x zoom. In this regard, the OnePlus maintains an edge up to 6x zoom. Performance is similar across the board in low light.
The OnePlus also stands out with its 120x maximum zoom length, whereas the Xiaomi and Samsung only offer 60x and 30x zoom respectively. The Pixel 8 is at the bottom of the pile, with just an 8x zoom. Overall, image stabilisation on all the devices can’t match what flagship phones offer, often resulting in blurry photos without the use of a tripod.
comparison of the phones' maximum zoom levels
Image Comparison
Choose a scene and navigate within the first image. One click changes the position on touchscreens. One click on the zoomed-in image opens the original in a new window. The first image shows the scaled photograph of the test device.
2x Low Light3x Low Light6x Low Light3x Low Light
Front cameras on the upper mid-range phones
The selfie photos were taken with the respective cameras app at default settings. We always used the same hand to capture the selfies in order to demonstrate whether each phone mirrors the image, though this setting can be manually adjusted. The four upper mid-range phones are very close in terms of quality. It mostly boils down to personal preference. Nevertheless, the Samsung Galaxy S24 has a technical advantage because its front camera features autofocus, unlike the fixed-focus cameras on the competitors.
The Pixel 8 has a slight advantage in terms of HDR processing. That said, all four phones do their job very well. Even in portrait mode, none of the selfies have an overexposed background.
Verdict of our upper mid-range camera phone comparison
This group of smartphones priced under €1,000 (US$1,075) are largely comparable in terms of their main cameras' imaging performance. Despite sometimes appearing a little limited due to its rather small image sensor, the compact Samsung Galaxy S24 is still capable of capturing beautiful photos. In low-light situations, the photos taken with the Pixel 8 and OnePlus 12 are slightly more appealing to us. Similar to what we saw during our flagship smartphone camera test, the Xiaomi 14 tends to produce softer images than its competitors. However, the phone can harness its sharpness consistently in daylight and also boasts an impressive dynamic range.
The phones diverge more when we look at their other lenses. Not only do they vary in their camera setup (e.g. triple- vs. dual-camera), but there are also discernible quality differences between them. Nevertheless, lighting conditions are likewise a crucial factor in determining how well each phone performs.
Whilst the upper mid-range phones certainly didn’t deliver top-tier performance in our test shots, the quality of their main cameras is still highly respectable.
For ultrawide shots, we prefer the Pixel 8's photos the most, but only if there is adequate lighting. In darker settings, the Google phone may even be the worst performer in this comparison. Equipped with a 12MP ultrawide camera, the OnePlus 12 has proved to be a solid allrounder in this aspect.
The OnePlus also cuts a good figure when we look at the telephoto lenses. In a well-lit scene, both the OnePlus 12 and Xiaomi 14 can deliver nice-looking photos at 3x zoom. Those keen on zoom photography may not be as well served by the Pixel 8 and Galaxy S24.
Can’t find the right smartphone in this article? Still searching for a great camera phone? Then you should take a closer look at our list of best camera phones. The list is regularly updated and features the current top ten camera phones from our reviews.
