Bucking this trend, it’s been an eventful year for cameraphones. Some manufacturers have made huge strides when it comes to cameras, while others have decided to focus on polishing their products. But at the end of the day, almost all manufacturers have something to show when it comes to cameras.
Probably, Vivo was at the forefront of this group. The company released the Vivo X200 Ultra only in China in early 2025, while the X300 and The Vivo X300 Pro may not bring as many improvements in camera hardware, but it remains one of the most desirable cameraphones in the market. It has a powerful camera setup, and an improved selfie camera has been added this year for a more complete experience.
Vivo X200 Ultra Review
Vivo X300 Pro Review
Oppo’s contribution to this list is equally impressive. We have the Chinese Find X8 Ultra as the company’s best shooter, while the Find X9 Pro is a toned-down version of the next-generation flagship series that was released recently. So if you are looking for a proper flagship camera experience from Oppo and you are outside China, the Find X9 Pro is the best option for you. Needless to mention, it offers substantial upgrades over its predecessor, the Find X8 Pro, upgrading the main, telephoto and selfie cameras with bigger and better sensors.
Oppo Find X8 Ultra review
Oppo Find X9 Pro review
Xiaomi had the 15 Ultra and made it global unlike Vivo and Oppo (we haven’t yet reviewed the 17 Ultra that came out last week). It’s also probably one of the most versatile. It has two telephoto cameras instead of just one, while the main 1-inch sensor and 200MP telephoto camera are among the best in the industry.
Xiaomi 15 Ultra review
And while we wait for the next-generation Honor Magic8 Pro to be officially released next year, this year’s Magic7 Pro will take its place on this year’s list. It has the best camera system that Honor can offer and not surprisingly it has Samsung’s infamous 200MP sensor. This is paired with a 3x telephoto lens, resulting in excellent images.
Honor Magic7 Pro Review
This year one of the underdogs impressed with an interesting camera setup that revolves around portrait photography as the focal length of the main sensor is equal to 35mm, making it ideal for portraits. This is the Nubia Z80 Ultra, and the rest of the camera hardware isn’t too shabby.
nubia z80 ultra review
Another favorite of ours is the Realme GT 8 Pro. Realme’s flagships have always focused more on performance, design, display, charging and everything except the camera. In fact, we can even say that the camera experience on flagship Realme phones has always felt like an afterthought. However, this time, the GT8 Pro felt like it could challenge the big boys. The ultrawide unit is much improved, while the telephoto camera hopped on the 200MP trend train and delivered solid performance.
realme gt8 pro review
Huawei’s innovative telephoto camera on the Pura 80 Ultra earns the phone a special place on this list. The zoom sensor is probably the largest we’ve seen used for a telephoto shooter and it houses not one, but two lenses. One offers 3.7x optical zoom while the other stops at 9.4x. Additionally, both the main 1-inch sensor and ultrawide snapper complement the excellent telephoto system.
Huawei Pura 80 Ultra Review
Last but not least, we have the iPhone 17 Pro and 17 Pro Max as well as Samsung’s Galaxy S25 Ultra and the Pixel 10 Pro and 10 Pro XL as more traditional options, especially in markets where the Chinese manufacturer is not present. These phones won’t impress with exceptional camera performance or any innovations, but they remain consistent and still deliver excellent pictures and videos.
apple iphone 17 pro review
Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max Review
Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra review
Speaking of video, the iPhone 17 Pro and 17 Pro Max are probably the most video-feature-packed smartphones on the market and rarely have rivals in terms of overall video quality.
And as far as 2026 is concerned, we’d like to see Samsung and Apple compete better, while Chinese smartphone makers continue to lead the market.