Phone makers promise varying lengths of long-term software and security support ranging from just one year to as many as seven. These updates not only ensure you get many of the latest features but also keep your phone secure.
Phone cameras have gotten better over the past five years. Don’t be fooled by how many cameras a phone has ot the number of megapixels; more is not necessarily better.
Phones are large in general with the smallest ones having a 6.1-inch screen and large models topping out at 6.8 inches. That makes visiting a store and trying a phone out before you buy it quite important so that you can see what size phone works best for you.
If your family and friends are on Apple services like iMessage and FaceTime, stick with an iPhone. If you’ve been deep on Samsung, stay on Android. But know that switching between the two has never been easier.
CNET staff -- not advertisers, partners or business interests -- determine how we review products and services. If you buy through our links, we may earn a commission.
We tested dozens and dozens of smartphones over the past year and this list has the best camera phones that you can buy in 2025. Nearly all phones can take a decent photo. But for consistently great images, even in low-light settings, you need a phone with a top camera setup. For example, the Galaxy S25 Ultra, the Pixel 9 Pro and the iPhone 16 Pro all have amazing cameras with features that even professional photographers can appreciate. Even the new Galaxy Z Fold 7 made the list thanks to its S25 Ultra-like camera. Every phone on this list includes pro-level tools for shooting RAW images, recording log video and manually controlling camera settings.
What is the best camera phone?
It's important to keep in mind that there isn't a best camera phone for everyone. Even among CNET's phone reviewers, there isn't a "perfect" phone that suits all our needs. We look at how these cameras perform in real-life situations: How they balance exposures, how they handle colors and how easy they are to use. Read our guide to help find the best phone camera for your needs.
We thoroughly tested and compared dozens of phones and found that one with more lenses or megapixels isn't necessarily any better at taking great shots. Top phones, like the iPhone 16 Pro and Pixel 9 Pro, tend to have a variety of lenses, including an ultrawide and a telephoto with 5x optical zoom, and use larger image sensors and camera features for AI-powered computational photography. Then there's the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra's camera, which has 3x and 5x optical zoom lenses and can take some of the best zoom photos that you can possibly get from a phone.
This was taken with the iPhone 16 Pro's 5x telephoto camera. Patrick Holland/CNET
... continue reading