Best Camera Phone 2021_Based on 1,285,329 Blind Tests | P&P RANK

Feb-5-2021 updated

Are you looking for the best camera phone recommendations? In addition to the DXOMARK scores, you now have another reliable second opinion- the P&P RANK.

The P&P RANK is a fair and honest measure that consumers can refer to before deciding which best smartphone to buy. It aggregates the votes from thousands of blind tests by comparing photos taken from different smartphones at the Phone & Photo site.

What's the difference between the P&P RANK and DXOMARK?

The DXOMARK score is more like Michelin as it is based on the professional judgments of a small group of experts. By contrast, the P&P Rank is more like Yelp (one of the most popular restaurants and local business review services in the world) as it reflects the preferences and opinions of the masses.

The P&P RANK also aims to include mid-range and budget phones. Nowadays, phone makers consider the best cameras to be not just flagship phones but also budget phones owing to their business strategy. Take the Pixel 5 for example; it costs less than $500 yet it’s a camera that is really kicking the asses of other expensive phones. This is definitely a great trend and good news for people. As this trend continues, we believe you will find more mind-blowing results using the P&P RANK.

How does the P&P RANK work?

The P&P RANK is based on tens of thousands of blind tests on the Phone & Photo site. Phone & Photo create standard studio scenes and compile photos from different smartphones for these tests. By comparing mobile phone images taken under the same light conditions and with the same camera settings, people can vote for the picture they prefer in each scene and, hopefully, will find their ideal camera phone.
By aggregating votes of a certain duration, we can find the Best Camera Phone of the Year, Best Camera Phone of the Month, Best Selfie Camera of the year, and Best Selfie Camera of the Month.

We collect votes from all test scenes to decide the Best Camera Phone 2019 and Best Camera Phone of the Month. For the Best Selfie Camera categories, only front camera test scenes are included.

YOU MAY ALSO LIKE  Best Selfie Camera 2021 

1, 285, 329 Blind Tests 

2020/02/01- 2021/01/31

(Votes from all test scenes at Phone&Photo)

Top 10 Best Camera Phones 2021 Above $500 USD

No.10 Black Shark 3

 Rear Camera 
Triple

64 MP 4 in 1, f/1.8, 26mm (wide), 1/1.72", 0.8µm, PDAF, 6P lens

13 MP, f/2.25, (ultrawide), 6P lens

5 MP, f/2.2, (depth)

Feature

PDAF / Low-Light Enhancement Technology / HDR / Portrait photography

Panorama / AI camera

 Camera samples  BlackShark 3 

No.9 ASUS Zenfone 7Pro

 Rear Camera 

Triple

64 MP, f/1.8, 26.6mm (wide), 1/1.73", 0.8µm, FOV:78.3°, Laser/PDAF, 6P

12 MP, f/2.2, 14.3mm,1/ 2.55" (ultrawide), 1.4µm

8 MP, 80mm (tele)

Feature

Quad Bayer technology - 16 MP, 1.6 µm large effective pixel size/

2x1 On-chip-lens phase detection autofocus/ Supports 4 cm Macro shot/

3x optical zoom, up to 12x total zoom/ Laser autofocus/ Dual LED flash/

Instant cameras switching/ Portrait/

Beauty: Skin Tone, Soften Skin, Brighten Skin, Enhance Eyes, Thin Cheeks/

(Auto) Panorama/ Night

 Camera samples  ASUS Zenfone 7Pro 

No.8 Huawei P30

 Rear Camera 

Triple

40 MP, F/1.8, 27mm (Wide angel), OIS, PDAF

16 MP, F/2.2, 17mm (Ultra Wide Angle), PDAF

8 MP, F/2.4, 80mm (Telephoto), OIS, PDAF, OIS, 3x Optical Zoom 

Feature
Leica Quad Camera/ AIS (HUAWEI AI Image Stabilization)
Optical zoom at 3x/ Apeture- 0.95- 16
Portrait: Beauty level 0-10/ Night / Pro/ Color: standard, vivid, smooth
Underwater/ Supermacro

 Camera samples  Huawei P30 

No.7 Google Pixel 5 

 Rear Camera 

Dual

12.2 MP, f/1.7, 27mm (wide), FOV 77°, 1/2.55", 1.4µm, dual pixel PDAF, OIS

16 MP, f/2.2, FOV 107°(ultrawide), 1.0µm

Feature

Motion/ Portrait/ Face retouching: Off, Natural, Soft/ Night Sight

Photo Sphere/ Playground/ Gestures/ Raw+JPG/ Panorama

 Camera samples  Pixel 5  

No.6 iPhone 12 mini

 Rear Camera 

Dual

12 MP, f/1.6, 26mm (wide), 1.4µm, dual pixel PDAF, OIS
12 MP, f/2.4, 13mm (ultrawide), FOV 120°

Feature

2x optical zoom out/ digital zoom up to 5x / Portrait mode with advanced bokeh and Depth Control (f16 to f1.4) / Portrait Lighting with six effects (Natural, Studio, Contour, Stage, Stage Mono, High-Key Mono) / Optical image stabilization (Wide) / Five‑element lens (Ultra Wide); six‑element lens (Wide) / Brighter True Tone flash with Slow Sync / Panorama (up to 63MP) / Sapphire crystal lens cover / 100% Focus Pixels (Wide) / Night mode ( Ultra wide, Wide) / Deep Fusion  ( Ultra wide, Wide) / Wide color capture for photos and Live Photos / Advanced red‑eye correction / Auto image stabilization / Burst mode / Photo geotagging / Image formats captured: HEIF and JPEG 

 Camera samples iPhone 12 mini 

No.5 Apple iPhone 11

 Rear Camera 

Dual

12 MP, f/1.8, 26mm (wide), 1/2.55", 1.4µm, dual pixel PDAF, OIS
12 MP, f/2.4, 13mm (ultrawide), FOV 120°

Feature

2x optical zoom out; digital zoom up to 5x / Portrait mode with advanced bokeh and Depth Control (f16 to f1.4) / Portrait Lighting with six effects (Natural, Studio, Contour, Stage, Stage Mono, High-Key Mono) / Optical image stabilization (Wide) / Five‑element lens (Ultra Wide); six‑element lens (Wide) / Brighter True Tone flash with Slow Sync / Panorama (up to 63MP) / Sapphire crystal lens cover / 100% Focus Pixels (Wide) / Night mode / Auto Adjustments / Next-generation Smart HDR for photos / Wide color capture for photos and Live Photos / Advanced red‑eye correction / Auto image stabilization / Burst mode / Photo geotagging / Image formats captured: HEIF and JPEG 

 Camera samples  iPhone 11 

No.4 Samsung S10+

 Rear Camera 

Triple

12 MP, Dual Aperture:F1.5 /F2.4, 26mm (wide), 1/2.55", 1.4µm, FOV: 77˚,Super Speed Dual Pixel AF, OIS
12 MP, f/2.4, 52mm (telephoto), 1/3.6", 1.0µm, FOV: 45˚, 2x optical zoom, PDAF, OIS
16 MP, f/2.2, 12mm (ultrawide), 1.0µm,FOV: 123˚

Feature

Dual OIS (Optical Image Stabilization) / Optical zoom at 2x / Digital zoom up to 10x / Live focus with bokeh filters (background blur effect) / Beauty mode: level 0-3 / Tracking AF / Intelligent features: Scene Optimizer, Shot suggestions, Flaw Detection
Modes: Food, Panorama, Pro, Super Slow-mo, Night, Hyperlapse / AR Emoji / Grid lines / HDR (High Dynamic Range) / Motion photo / Location tags / Full view / Filters
/ Timer / Floating camera button / Stamps / Quick launch
 Camera samples  Samsung S10+ 

No.3 OPPO FIND X2

 Rear Camera 

Triple

48 MP,( Wide Angle) Sony IMX586, 1/2", f/1.7, 6P 

12MP (Ultra Wide Angle) Sony IMX708, ½.4", f/2.2, 6P, 120°

13MP (Telephoto) f/2.4 aperture, 5P 

Feature

All Pixel Omni-Directional PDAF/ Image Stabilization: dual optical image stabilization (OIS)+electronic image stabilization (EIS)/ Focusing Method: contrast detection auto focus (CDAF)+phase detection auto focus (PDAF)+laser auto focus (LAF)/ Dual Native ISO/ 12-bit True Capture/ Ultra Night Mode 3.0

3cm ultra macro shooting/ Second-generation 5x hybrid zoom, up to 20x digital zoom/ Support up to 8000*6000 resolution (48MP mode) and 4000*3000 resolution (ordinary mode)

LED flash/ Fill light/ HDR/ Portrait/ AI Beauty / Stickers / Panorama/ Expert 

 Camera samples  OPPO FIND X2 

No.2 iPhone 12 ProMax

 Rear Camera 

Dual

12 MP, f/1.6, 26mm (wide), 1.4µm, dual pixel PDAF, OIS

12 MP, f/2.2, 65mm (telephoto), PDAF, OIS
12 MP, f/2.4, 13mm (ultrawide), FOV 120°

Feature

2.5x optical zoom in/ 5x optical zoom range/ 2x optical zoom out/ digital zoom up to 12x / Portrait mode with advanced bokeh and Depth Control (f16 to f1.4) / Portrait Lighting with six effects (Natural, Studio, Contour, Stage, Stage Mono, High-Key Mono) / Optical image stabilization (Wide) / Five‑element lens (Ultra Wide); six‑element lens (Wide) / Brighter True Tone flash with Slow Sync / Panorama (up to 63MP) / Sapphire crystal lens cover / 100% Focus Pixels (Wide) / Night mode ( Ultra wide, Wide) / Deep Fusion  ( Ultra wide, Wide) / Wide color capture for photos and Live Photos / Advanced red‑eye correction / Auto image stabilization / Burst mode / Photo geotagging / Image formats captured: HEIF and JPEG 

 Camera samples iPhone 12 Pro Max 

No.1 Samsung Note20 Ultra

 Rear Camera 

Triple

108 MP, F1.8  (wide), 1/1.33" ,0.8µm (12MP 2.4μm), FOV: 79˚ ,OIS, PDAF

12 MP, f/3.0, (telephoto), 1 µm (12MP 1.6μm), FOV: 20˚

12 MP, f/2.2, (ultrawide), 1.4µm, FOV: 120˚

Laser AF Sensor

Feature

5x Optical Zoom/ Super Resolution Zoom up to 50x/ 108 MP/ Night mode

OIS (Optical Image Stabilization)/ Beauty mode-Auto: Intensity level 0-3/ Beauty mode-Manual: Smoothness 0-8, Tone -4-4, Jawline 0-8, Eyes 0-8/ Tracking AF/

Intelligent features: Scene Optimizer, Shot suggestions, Flaw Detection

Modes: Food, Panorama, Pro, Super Slow-mo, Night, Hyperlapse

Live focus with bokeh filters (background blur effect 0-7)

 Camera samples  Samsung Note20 Ultra 

Top 10 Best Camera Phones 2021 Under $500 USD

No.10 Mi Redmi Note8 Pro

 Rear Camera 
Quad

64 MP, f/1.89, 26mm (wide), 1/1.7", 1.6μm 4-in-1 Super Pixel, PDAF

8 MP, f/2.2, 13mm (ultrawide), FOV 120°, 1/4", 1.12µm

2 MP, f/2.4, 1/5", 1.75µm (dedicated macro camera)

2 MP, f/2.4, 1/5", 1.75µm, depth sensor

Feature

Zoom: 10x digital zoom/ Contrast detection focus/ Photo resolution: up to 9248 x 6936 pixels*

Dual LED flash/ 64MP HD/ Smart ultra-wide angle mode/ AI Portrait mode - background blurring

AI Scene detection/ AI Beautify/ Night mode/ Auto HDR/ Burst mode/ Panorama mode

Face recognition/ 3D Lighting/ Tilt-shift

 Camera samples  Xiaomi Redmi Note 8 Pro

No.9 VIVO V17

 Rear Camera 
Quad

48 MP, f/1.8, (wide), 1/2.0", 0.8µm, PDAF

8 MP, f/2.2, 13mm (ultrawide), 1/4.0", 1.12µm

2 MP, f/2.4, (macro)

2 MP, f/2.4, (depth)

Feature
Super night mode/ Super night mode/ Ultra Stable Video

Portrait bokeh/ Portrait light effects/ AR stickers/ Pose Master

AI Makeup/ Super EIS for videos/ Super wide-angle/ Super macro

Portrait framing/ AI HDR/ Burst/ SLO-MO/ PRO Mode/ Panorama

AI Scene Recognition

 Camera samples  VIVO V17

No.8 Realme X50

 Rear Camera 

Quad

48MP Ultra High-resolution Primary Camera, f/1.8, 6P lens
8MP Ultra Wide-angle Lens, FOV 119°, f/2.3, 5P lens

B&W Portrait Lens, f/2.4, 3P lens

2MP Macro lens, 4cm focus, f/2.4, 3P lens

Feature

Ultra 48MP Mode/ Suger NightScape/ Panoramic view

Expert Mode/ Timelapse/ Portrait Mode/ HDR/ Ultra-wide Mode

Ultra Macro Mode / AI Beauty/ Filter/ Chroma Boost

 Camera samples Realme X50

No.7 VIVO V17Pro

 Rear Camera 
Quad
48 MP, f/1.8, 26mm (wide), 0.8µm, PDAF
8 MP, f/2.2, 16mm (ultrawide), 1.12µm
13 MP, f/2.5, (telephoto), 1.12µm, PDAF, 2X optical zoom
2 MP, f/2.4, 1.75µm, depth sensor

Feature

AI Super Wide-Angle Camera / AI Body Shaping: Whole body, head, shoulders, waist, taller, legs, hips / Face beauty: Buffing, skin tone, whitening, thin face, face reshaping, jaw, (eyes) enlarging, eye span, forehead, nose reshaping, thin nose, nose, mouth shape / PDAF Fast Focusing / AI scene recognition / 48 MP / HDR / Portrait / Super Night Mode / Super Macro / 2× Optical Zoom, 10x Digital Zoom / Professional Filter / PRO / Camera Filter / Live Photo / Panorama / Touch to shutter / Voice Control / Palm Gesture / AR Sticker / Jovi Image Recognizer
 Camera samples  VIVO V17 Pro 

No.6 Realme 7

 Rear Camera 

Quad

48MP Ultra High-resolution Primary Camera, f/1.8, 6P lens
8MP Ultra Wide-angle Lens, FOV 119°, 5P lens

2MP B&W Portrait Lens, f/2.4

2MP Macro lens, 4cm focus, f/2.4, 3P lens

Feature

Ultra 48MP Mode/ Suger NightScape/ Panoramic view

Expert Mode/ Timelapse/ Portrait Mode/ HDR/ Ultra-wide Mode

Ultra Macro Mode / AI Beauty/ Filter/ Chroma Boost

No.5 VIVO X50 

 Rear Camera 
Quad

48 MP, f/1.6, (wide), PDAF, OIS

13 MP, f/2.5, 50mm (portrait), 1/2.8"

8 MP, f/2.2, 120˚, 16mm (ultrawide), 1/4.0", 1.12µm

5 MP, f/2.5, (macro)

Feature

SONY IMX598 sensor/ AI denoise algorithm/ AI Super Wide-Angle Camera 120-degree

Super Night Mode/ PDAF Fast Focusing/ AI scene recognition/ HDR

Portrait(Art Portrait, AI Makeup, Filters, etc.)/ PROFESSIONAL/ Filter

AR Stickers/ DOC/ Panorama

 Camera samples  VIVO X50

No.4 Samsung A51

 Rear Camera 

Quad

48MP, f/2.0, 26mm (wide), FOV 80°, PDAF
12 MP, f/2.2, 12mm (ultrawide), FOV 123°
5 MP, f/2.4, 25mm (macro cam), 1/5.0", 1.12µm
5 MP, f/2.2, 40mm (depth sensor)

Feature

Wide-Angle Lens: 123° / Beauty mode: level 0-3 / Live Focus ( Blur effect) 0-7 / Filter Effect / AR emoji / Macro / HDR / Scene optimizer / Night mode / Panorama / Pro / Food mode

 Camera samples Samsung A51

No.3 Google Pixel 4a 

Rear Camera 

Single

12.2 MP, f/1.7, 27mm (wide), 1/2.55", 1.4µm, FOV: 77°, dual pixel PDAF, OIS

Feature

Light: Auto, Cloudy, Sunny, Fluorescent, Tungsten/ Motion/ Portrait/

Face retouching: Off, Natural, Soft/ Night Sight/ Photo Sphere/ Playground

Gestures/ Raw+JPG/ Panorama

 Camera samples  Pixel 4a 

No.2 OPPO Reno 4 5G 

 Rear Camera 

Triple

48 MP, f/1.7, 26mm (wide), 1/2.0", 0.8µm, PDAF, 5P lens

8 MP, f/2.2, 119˚ (ultrawide), 1/4.0", 1.12µm, 6P lens

2 MP, f/2.4, (mono), 3P lens

Feature

Ultra Dark Mode/ Ultrawide mode/ LED flash/ HDR portrait / Portrait mode 2.0

AI Beauty:0-100/ Dazzle color / Panorama/ Expert / Filter

support up to 8000*6000 resolution (HD mode) and 4000*3000 resolution (ordinary mode)

 Camera samples OPPO Reno 4 5G

No.1 Samsung A71

 Rear Camera 
Quad
64 MP, f/1.8, 26mm (wide), 1/1.7", 0.8µm, PDAF
12 MP, f/2.2, 12mm (ultrawide), FOV 123°
5 MP, f/2.4, 25mm (macro cam), 1/5.0", 1.12µm
5 MP, f/2.2, (depth sensor)

Feature

Beauty mode: 0-3 / Live Focus ( Blur effect) :0-7 / Filter Effect / AR emoji / HDR / Scene optimizer / Panorama / Pro / Macro / Night mode / Food mode

 Camera samples  Samsung A71 

👀Check the winners' image samples shot under controlled conditions 

👇👇👇

Why not take a blind test at Phone & Photo right now and find your true-love camera phone?

But why should you take a blind test before buying a phone?

Specification comparisons and those dazzling advertisements don’t mean much, and an expensive phone won’t guarantee outstanding camera performance. In our limited testing experience, we have been amazed many times by the test results. It is frequently the case that budget phones easily beat flagship phones.

Which camera phone is good for you? Let the honest test speak for itself and then, believe me, you will definitely find your ideal phone

READ MORE 
Best Selfie Camera 2021 (Feb. 2021 updated)
Camera Comparison: iPhone 11 Pro vs Google Pixel 4 (XL)  
Camera Comparison: Samsung S10e vs ASUS ROG Phone 2  
Camera Review: Samsung A51 better than Samsung A71? 

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