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Modern smartphones are increasingly looking to differentiate themselves with their camera arrays, with many brands cramming in as much photography and video-taking capabilities into their flagship handsets. With megapixel counts going up, zooms getting further and more AI integration, it's easy to see why the best camera phones in Australia are increasingly more favoured by many over investing in a 'real' camera.
For the discerning photographer or content creator, though, they would want their camera phone's performance from a premium handset with the best imaging specs, and that's reflected in the list below.
Aside from the raw specs, the best camera phones would also have to be reliable, consistent and able to capture unforgettable moments with minimal effort. Achieving this means having the right combination of a very capable camera array, a reliable battery life, an excellent display and a decent amount of storage. The native photos app should also be easy to use, although third-party options are plentiful, too.
We've tested several camera phone options over months and there was one clear winner, but it's not your only choice — your preference for iOS or Android will be what makes that decision for you, as well as your budget.
That said, the Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max remains our standout camera phone, but don't discount Google's flagships. Even Samsung keeps up, especially now with the Galaxy S26 Ultra now available.
We've tested a whole load of other handsets too, but the 6 models below are our picks for the best camera phone in Australia.
The best overall camera phone
Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max camera samples
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If it's the best you're after, Apple's iPhone 17 Pro Max is the way to go. It takes photos that are lifelike, rich in colour, nicely balanced and appealing to share. There are unique options to tweak the look of your photo or apply filters, but you won't need them. Photos look great straight out of the camera, better than we've seen on any previous iPhone we've tested (ie. all of them).
If you shoot video, you need an iPhone 17 Pro or iPhone 17 Pro Max. Other camera phones can claim to match the resolution and might come close to the same frame rate, but no other smartphone shoots video from start to finish that is so reliably smooth, with no hiccups or dropped frames. Other camera phones can record video, but the iPhone is the true videographer's tool.
There is, however, a distinct lack of shooting modes on the iPhone but, to be honest, we don't think that affects photos at all, but some of you might miss a Long Exposure mode, but keep in mind that those photo modes are usually AI tricks anyway. The iPhone 17 Pro Max doesn't need tricks. It just takes great photos.
Why the Pro Max? The iPhone 17 Pro has the exact same camera specs, so it will take equally amazing photos. If we're choosing between the two, you'd always want a larger viewfinder to help frame shots and see fine details. The bigger battery also helps.
Read our full Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max review
The best action camera phone
Galaxy S26 Ultra camera samples
The Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra is the camera phone for users who want the most versatility, from sharp high-resolution shots, to expansive ultra-wide photos and zoomed-in shots that are actually usable compared to other phones in this list.
Now while we've usually named the top Galaxy flagship phone as the best camera phone for influencers in previous versions of this guide, the new horizon lock feature makes the S26 Ultra the best handset to shoot action videos with.
As for the rest of the camera specs, the Galaxy S26 Ultra's main and periscope lenses have wider apertures compared to the S25 Ultra to bring in more light to the sensors, but otherwise, everything else is largely unchanged. In Samsung's defence, that array still boasts a class-leading 200MP wide camera, a 50MP ultrawide camera, a 50MP periscope telephoto lens and a 10MP telephoto lens.
Samsung has added a suite of AI-powered editing tools and features to further cement that influencer street cred or at least get the most out of your smartphone photography.
The combination of a versatile camera array and the horizon lock feature for video makes the Galaxy S26 Ultra not only great for influencers or anyone who wants to snap a range of photos, but also for those who like to capture action shots and video.
Read our full Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra review
The best AI camera
Google Pixel 10 Pro XL camera samples
The Google Pixel 10 Pro XL is the best AI camera, a mighty feat considering every smartphone today is using AI to improve its photography. If the idea of an AI camera is unappealing, it shouldn't be. The Pixel 10 Pro XL helps you become a better photographer, it doesn't use AI to create something fake.
The new Camera Coach is an AI helper than looks at the photo you're thinking of taking and offers real improvements. It doesn't take the photo for you, it teaches you how to improve your settings, your framing, and your camera position to get the shot you want. If you're not a photo pro, you might be after spending time with the Pixel 10 Pro XL.
The Pixel 10 Pro XL is also the best camera for AI photos like portraits. Most cameras fake the blurry background in portrait shots, but do a terrible job figuring out what should be sharp and what should be blurry. The Pixel creates portraits that look like real camera shots, with just the right amount of focus.
I was also very impressed with the digital zoom photos I took with the Pixel 10 Pro XL. All camera phones sharpen your photo past 4X or 5X zoom, and the Pixel does the best job creating a natural looking photograph that I might want to share. Other cameras zoom in and look blurry and smudged.
There's a big caveat, and that's the Pixel 10 Pro XL uses a slower Tensor G5 processor that causes some lag in the camera, especially if you use advanced settings like night mode or take high resolution photos. I missed a few shots because of the slow performance. The good news is the shots I took looked fantastic.
Read our full Google Pixel 10 Pro XL review
The best budget camera phone
Google Pixel 10a camera samples
The Google Pixel 10a is solid value, and even though it bears identical specs with the Pixel 9a, including the camera. That said, the photos taken from testing the Pixel 10a were fantastic. Google remains the best at tuning its bargain phone cameras to look almost identical to the Pixel Pro models, with the same accurate colour and balanced lighting.
Our reviewer praised the Pixel 10a's ability to take crisp, bright and well-balanced photos with some of the most natural colours from a camera phone. Some new AI features enhance the camera experience further, including Camera Coach. It uses AI and haptic feedback to nudge you into the right position to take what the phone believes makes for the best photo.
The biggest complaint about the Pixel 10a is that it was such a small upgrade from the 9a, that getting the phone is only worth getting if you're upgrading from something much older.
Still, this phone has great cameras, solid performance at this price, and a great display to help you take your shots. Google loves to offer discounts on the Pixel A-series phones, so if you can find it even cheaper, it's a no-brainer decision. But even at full price, it's a great budget camera phone.
Read our full Google Pixel 10a review
The best camera phone for zooming in
Honor Magic 8 Pro camera samples
The Honor Magic 8 Pro's headline camera feature is its 200MP telephoto shooter with 3.7x optical zoom and 100x digital zoom. While the handset's cameras perform excellently on the whole, some photography purists will inevitably spot that images tend to suffer from rather aggressive processing that sometimes leaves edges looking a little too smooth or even slightly smudged if you like to zoom in on captured photos.
That said, the results are bright and vibrant with strong colours and lots of detail. The optical zoom is fast-moving and effective, and you can get some great results from the 100x digital zoom, albeit with some visible AI processing. As for video, the Magic 8 pro supports 4K 120fps capture.
The main 50MP shooter has a wide aperture of f/1.6, making photos bright for low-light settings and can also handle motion shots reasonably well. The 50MP ultrawide is decent, but is nothing special in this market segment, proving to be the Magic 8 Pro's weakest camera spec.
On the software side, you get a few modes to play around with, including Harcourt-inspired portraits and a Stage mode that is optimised for taking photos and videos during concert events.
Another standout feature is the phone's massive 7,100mAh battery, which is rated to last two whole days before you need to charge. When you eventually run out of juice, the phone's 100W fast charging and 80W wireless charging should get you up and running in no time.
Read our full Honor Magic 8 Pro review
The best foldable camera phone
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 camera samples
The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 defies the foldable phone norm with a main camera ripped straight from the Galaxy S25 Ultra - a wide angle, 200MP shooter to complement the ultrawide and zoom lenses on this powerhouse phone. Any sensor can offer a ton of megapixels, but the Samsung ISOCELL HP2 sensor on the Galaxy Z Fold 7 is one of the best you can buy, and the Fold is the perfect phone to showcase it's prowess.
With such a big main camera, the Galaxy Z Fold 7 isn't just a great camera phone, it's instantly the best tablet you can buy for photography. Moreover, it offers an inner display that is just as big as an iPad mini, making it the tablet camera, er, phone of our dreams. It's incredibly easy to see every detail of your subject when you shoot with the Fold 7 open.
That big inner screen is also perfect for photo editing, whether you're using powerful tools like Adobe Lightroom or Samsung's own surprisingly adept Gallery app. The Gallery is where you'll find Samsung's special photo AI tools, and these editing options have gotten very good. If you delete somebody standing in front of vertical blinds, for instance, Galaxy AI is smart enough to redraw the blinds perfectly, matching the lines so it looks natural.
In our tests, the Galaxy Z Fold 7 really did produce images that rivalled the Galaxy S25 Ultra, at least on the main, wide camera. The zoom and ultrawide cameras took great photos, but they weren't quite as good or as detailed as the Ultra's shots, and the Fold 7 maxes out at 3X zoom, unlike the 5X zoom you'll find elsewhere. Still, this is by far the best foldable for photos, and it's images exceed my expectations of what a foldable phone can deliver.
Read our full Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 review
Best camera phones in Australia: FAQs
How we test camera phones
We've fully reviewed every phone on this list and that includes extensively testing all of their cameras, so we know exactly how they perform. This allows us to look beyond specs and create a ranking based on how these camera phones are in practice. We've also considered price, value and features when deciding on a ranking.
What should I look for when buying a camera phone?
When choosing a camera phone you should consider the types of photos that you want to take. If you want to photograph wildlife or other things you can't easily get close to then a telephoto lens is essential, with zoom a key factor to consider, while for landscapes a good ultra-wide is your friend.
But of course, still photography isn't the be all, end all. If your needs are more centred around video recording you will want to track assets like the resolution at which a camera phone shoots video, stabilisation features (for action video) and capture modes.
When you have at least a general idea of what you need from your phone's camera, you can get a better picture of which is the best camera phone for you, with the list above helping you to easily find which options tick the right boxes for what you might need.
Which phone has the best camera?
The best camera phone will depend on your needs, and the phone with the best camera will depend on how you measure what makes a camera powerful. In reality, the hardware of a camera isn't the only measure (or even the best) to determine how good a camera is for a smartphone.
That said, the iPhone 17 Pro Max manages to offer the most compelling and impressive balance of almost everything you could want from a camera phone to take our spot as the best overall.
Which phone is best for making YouTube videos?
If you're looking for a phone that will be best for filming YouTube videos or vlogging, there isn't a better option than the iPhone 17 Pro Max right now. Excelling at recording quality video in high resolutions and in a variety of settings, it's a truly impressive camera phone for shooting film.
Not far behind is the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra, which maintains the video prowess that Samsung's flagship handsets have boasted for years now. The handset even has a cool horizon lock feature to make it perfect for action shots, thanks to that guaranteed stability.
