A close-up shot of the multi-lens camera module on a 2025 flagship smartphone.

The Best Camera Phones of 2025: An In-Depth Photographic Showdown

There was a time, not so long ago, when the term “camera phone” was almost an insult—a synonym for grainy, poorly lit photos that were a pale imitation of what a “real” camera could do. As someone who has been obsessively testing and analyzing these devices for over a decade, I can tell you that in 2025, that era is definitively over. The smartphone has not only caught up to dedicated cameras for most people’s needs; it has, in many ways, surpassed them. ...