GoKawiilToday's best phone cameras are astonishingly capable when it comes to taking pictures. With large sensors, wide apertures and a wealth of extra software features, they can take images that rival what you'd expect from pro-level mirrorless cameras.
I've thoroughly tested all of today's best camera phones, including the iPhone 17 Pro, Galaxy S26 Ultra and Leica Leitzphone in my time as both phone reviewer and professional photographer.
But I still wouldn't ever want to fully replace my camera with just a phone. I have a few key reasons why.
Ergonomics
While cameras have come in all shapes and sizes over the last few decades, they're designed to be held the same way, with your fingers naturally resting in the same places when pressing the shutter button. They feel like a natural fit and even smaller compact cameras such as the Fujifilm X100VI or my own Leica Q3 43 still allow you to hold them up to take your shot in a typically comfortable way.
Phones aren't built to be cameras first, so they naturally force a different way of holding them. The big touchscreens mean you have to delicately hold the phone by its edges to avoid accidentally touching something on screen, and with no viewfinder, there's no option to hold them up to your eye, as you would with most regular cameras.
When holding a phone like a camera, it can feel like you have to be exceptionally delicate with it, especially if you're quickly shooting one-handed. I often worry I'm going to drop it. Andrew Lanxon/CNET
Phones are small and thin (at least compared to most cameras), making it difficult to get a firm grip, and tapping an on-screen button to take a photo always feels awkward. I worry about dropping the phone as I shuffle my fingers around into the right position. Even those phones that offer physical shutter buttons on the edge (or let you use the volume key as a shutter) still feel like you're holding them in a way they were never truly designed for.
Sure, you can get camera grips or cases that help bulk out the phone to give you something to hold onto and some of those even offer shutter buttons and settings wheels to let you use them like a compact camera. I've tried many of them, but none feel as good as holding an actual camera.
Image quality
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