The best camera smartphones of 2023 reviewed – Samsung makes progress, Sony redeems itself

After taking a look at a wide range of flagship smartphones released in 2023 – you can find part 1 and part 2 of our camera tests here and here – it has become clear to us that all the high-end smartphones performed similarly well and we could at no point identify a clear overall winner. This can be said for the main cameras, in which personal preference should be the deciding factor for many potential buyers, as well as their zoom and ultra-wide angle lenses.

If you enjoy taking photos using your smartphone, then you will likely have a great time with all of our test candidates.

Samsung has definitely taken a step in the right direction with its big camera update – especially its 50-MPix mode has shown some improvements. Although, the Galaxy S23 Ultra really has to do more when it comes to its 4-to-1 pixel binning technology in order for its photos to have the same quality as those taken using the phone’s “normal” 12.5-MPix mode. We also see some room for improvement when it comes to details and sharpness – the competition’s main cameras have a lot more to offer at times. On the flip side, the Samsung flagship proves to be a good allrounder and generally performs competitively on every level – especially in low-light conditions.

In the past, low-light qualities used to be a big strength of Huawei’s flagships. The P60 Pro does still achieve strong images at night with its RYYB sensor, but we can’t say that the Huawei phone delivers any above-average results. In total, the P60 Pro doesn’t have many weaknesses and every one of its installed lenses does a great job, without showing much of a difference compared to its high-end competitors.

We were positively surprised by the Xperia 1 V during our test. The Sony flagship captures subjects very naturally and contours aren’t as artificially sharpened as on some of the other rivals. In addition, the phone features extensive software with lots of customization options – however, without an extra mode which offers you the chance to use its full resolution. Its ultra-wide angle camera does really well, too – although, in comparison to the Honor Magic5 Pro, it does feel a little more like a wide-angle lens.

The Honor flagship struggled a little bit with selfie shots compared to the competition, but apart from that, it can definitely keep up with the best of the best in the area of photography. If you can forgive the Magic5 Pro for not always having the best color accuracy, then this phone definitely offers a great total camera package.

Please note: Based on the findings from our camera tests, we have corrected the camera rating for the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra (in the single test) to be slightly lower, and have upgraded the rating for the Sony Xperia 1 V by a small amount.  

Haven’t found your perfect smartphone? But you’re still on the hunt for a good camera phone? Then take a closer look at our list of the best camera smartphones. This article includes a regularly updated list of the 10 best camera phones taken from our reviews.