What are the best smartphones with a great camera around $800?

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25

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72

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Recs.

Mar 12, 2019

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Updated

Here’s the Deal

15 Options Considered

Best smartphones with a great camera around $800	Price	OS	Display Size
53 LG V30	$829.99	Android	6.0''+
43 iPhone X	$999	iOS	-
-- iPhone 8	$699	iOS	-
-- iPhone 8 Plus	$949.00	iOS	-
-- LG G6	$699.99	Android	5.6''+

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score 13 · Answer 1

LG V30

Top Pro

The camera is capable of capturing excellent images, especially in low-light conditions

The 16MP primary camera offers an impressive f/1.6 aperture that on paper and somewhat in reality puts this phone's camera above most of the competition for pictures in low-lighting conditions. However, it does not provide the best results in low-light conditions, that title belongs to the S8 and Pixel phones. Where V30's camera truly shines though, is providing the correct balance for lighting and contrast for dim shots, like for example taking pictures at dusk. See More

Top Con

Some bloatware is loaded out of the box

The V30 comes with some pre-installed LG apps such as G Health, an FM radio application, QuickMemo+, and some other small additions. See More

Specs

OS:Android

Display Size:6.0''+

Top Pro

Phablet-sized display while still being small enough to be comfortable to use

LG have managed to increase the size of the screen by half an inch compared to the V20 without changing the overall size of the phone. They managed to do this by decreasing the size of the margins like so many other flagships nowadays. See More

Top Con

One of the most expensive Android smartphones on the market

At $829 it's one of the most expensive Android flagships on the market. See More

Top Pro

Great for watching videos or looking at pictures

The V30 has a gorgeous 6-inch OLED with a 1440p resolution. It displays rich, lifelike colours and the overall contrast offers a great degree of depth to the images displayed on the screen. See More

Top Pro

Offers excellent music listening experience

The V30 comes with a great QuadDAC connected to its 3.5mm headphone jack and with some clever software to bring the most out of it. Most of the time the built-in software intelligently deciphers the kind of headphones you are using in order to deliver the best sound possible to you, but if you want to, you can manually configure the sound settings in the software yourself as well. See More

Top Pro

Battery life can easily go for more than a day on a single charge with heavy use

The 3300mAh battery performs excellently. Watching a 90-minute HD movie only makes the battery drop to 87% (other smartphones drop by at least 20%). By the end a typical day you can expect the phone to have 40%-50% battery left. See More

Top Pro

Excellent performance

The 4GB of RAM paired with the Snapdragon 835 offer an excellent performance. There's virtually zero lag when switching apps or when playing games or doing any other heavy activities. See More

See All

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score 12 · Answer 2

iPhone X

Top Pro

Excellent design

As always, Apple does not disappoint in the design department. The iPhone X is a beautiful phone with round edges that make it easy to hold in your hand. The slippery metallic back portion from the iPhone 7 has been replaced by a glass section which makes it harder for the phone to slip from your hand. But it should be mentioned that the glass part in the back is like a fingerprint magnet. See More

Top Con

The most expensive smartphone to date

At a release starting price of $999, its price tag is on the higher end, even for flagship phones. See More

Specs

Top Pro

The most colorful screen on the market

The iPhone X is the first iPhone with an OLED screen. OLED is the best smartphone screen technology on the market at the moment and the jump to OLED screens was long overdue for the iPhone. The 5.8 inch screen has rich, vibrant colours and inky blacks due to the 2436 x 1125 resolution. It's quite bright as well so you won't have any issues using the phone under direct sunlight. See More

Top Con

All the added gestures to iOS 11 are hard to remember

With iOS 11 and the removal of the home button the iPhone relies on screen gestures much more than in the past. It may take some time to get used to the new gestures and while not extremely complicated, it adds some complexity which has not been present in old iOS versions and goes against the whole "just works" philosophy that has made the iPhone what it is today. For example: To go to the home screen you swipe up from the bottom of the display. To access the control center you swipe down from the top of the screen. To open notifications you swipe right. To open the camera you need to swipe left. See More

Top Pro

The display is very large, but still comfortable to use with one hand

At 5.8 inch the iPhone X has got the biggest display out of all iPhones, but due to the small bezel it managed to stay smaller than the iPhone 7 Plus and is quite easy to use with one hand. See More

Top Con

No fingerprint scanner

The removal of the home button unfortunately also brought the removal of TouchID. Apple has planned to replace the fingerprint reader with the new FaceID but it's not really an equivalent replacement since both of these security measures are completely different even if they both serve the same purpose. It would be similar to removing password locking when TouchID was first introduced. See More

Top Pro

Performance is considerably better than on previous iPhone versions

The new 6-core, 64bit, A11 Bionic chip inside the iPhone X (and iPhone 8) does not disappoint. Performance is smooth, as is expected from an iPhone, and, according to GeekBench, the iPhone X has 25% better performance on single core and 80% better performance on multi core compared to the iPhone 7. See More

Top Con

The fast charger needs to be bought separately

While the iPhone X supports fast charging (50% within 30 minutes), in order to use this feature, you will need to buy a USB-C cable separately. See More

Top Pro

Can be charged wirelessly

The iPhone X is the first iPhone to implement wireless charging. What's more, Apple decided to implement the Qi standard for wireless charging which, among other things, lets you monitor multiple devices charging wirelessly at the same time. See More

Top Con

Buying a cover for it is highly advisable

Since Apple decided to ditch their design with an aluminium back and return to the glass back, having a cover for the X is almost a necessity since dropping it means you risk breaking both sides of the phone (back and screen) at once. See More

Top Pro

No lag or stuttering

Since both the hardware and software are designed in-house, Apple can make their software much more efficient than other phone manufacturers that have no say in OS design. As such, the iPhone X (and older versions) works flawlessly and has virtually no lag or stuttering to speak of. See More

Top Con

With the removal of the home button, opening the home screen became rather awkward

In the past, to open the home screen that listed your apps, you just needed to press the physical home button. Since the iPhone X does not have a physical home button, you have to swipe the screen from the bottom up to go there. This can be a bit awkward since you can accidentally switch screens when scrolling through a web page for example. See More

Top Pro

The face recognition system works virtually everytime

The iPhone X's FaceID security system recognizes the user's face and uses the front-facing camera to unlock the phone. While it's true that other smartphones have had this technology for years, it's never been this secure. FaceID uses infrared technology to create a 3D map of the face, making it impossible to unlock the phone using a photography of the owner (like you can do with most other phones with a face recognition system). See More

See All

score 1 · Answer 3

iPhone 8

Top Pro

Can be charged wirelessly

The iPhone 8 (with the X) is the first iPhone to implement wireless charging. What's more, Apple decided to implement the Qi standard for wireless charging which is shared by multiple manufacturers, making it easy to find a third-party non-expensive wireless charger . See More

Top Con

No significant improvements in the display

The screen is the same LCD screen used in previous iPhones and it's almost identical to the one found in the iPhone 7. See More

Specs

OS:iOS

Size:4.0''+

Top Pro

Can be comfortably used a full day on a single charge

The iPhone 8 lasts 14 hours on a single charge in airplane mode while continuously streaming offline video. Even though it does not tell the whole story on how it would fare during real-world use, tests show that you can use it comfortably for a full day on a single charge without worrying about battery life. See More

Top Con

Can't use wired headphones without a dongle

Since it doesn't have a headphone jack, you are forced to use bluetooth headphones or use a lightning-to-3.5mm jack adapter. See More

Top Pro

The camera is able to shoot very high quality pictures and videos

The iPhone 8 is equipped with a camera that is significantly improved from predecessors. Both the rear and front cameras take amazing pictures, especially at low light. The shutter speed and focus have also been improved from the previous iPhone. The iPhone 8 can shoot 60fps, 4K video and 240fps, 1080p slow-mo which amounts to some serious video capturing capabilities. See More

Top Con

Buying a cover for it is highly advisable

Since Apple decided to ditch their design with an aluminium back and return to the glass back, having a cover for the 8 is almost a necessity since dropping it means you risk breaking both sides of the phone (back and screen) at once. See More

Top Pro

Performance is considerably better than on previous iPhone versions

The new 6-core, 64bit, A11 Bionic chip inside the iPhone 8 does not disappoint. Performance is smooth, as is expected from an iPhone, and, according to GeekBench, the iPhone 8 has 25% better performance on single core and 80% better performance on multi core compared to the iPhone 7. See More

See All

score 1 · Answer 4

iPhone 8 Plus

Top Pro

Can easily be used under direct sunlight

The display for the iPhone 8 Plus is incredibly bright which makes it easy to use under direct, bright sunlight. See More

Top Con

The camera module forms a bump on the back

Unfortunately the camera module for the iPhone still forms a bump a few millimetres wide on the back. It's quite annoying especially since that extra space could have been filled with extra battery. See More

Specs

OS:iOS

Size:5.3''+

For gaming:Yes

Top Pro

Can play sounds at very high volumes

The speakers have been improved by a lot compared to the iPhone 7 Plus which were quite loud and are about 25% louder on the iPhone 8 Plus now. See More

Top Con

Buying a cover for it is highly advisable

Since Apple decided to ditch their design with an aluminium back and return to the glass back, having a cover for the X is almost a necessity since dropping it means you risk breaking both sides of the phone (back and screen) at once. See More

Top Pro

Can be comfortably used a full day on a single charge

The iPhone 8 Plus lasts 14 hours on a single charge in airplane mode while continuously streaming offline video. Even though it does not tell the whole story on how it would fare during real-world use, tests show that you can use it comfortably for a full day on a single charge without worrying about battery life. See More

Top Con

Can't use wired headphones without a dongle

Since it doesn't have a headphone jack, you are forced to use bluetooth headphones or use a lightning-to-3.5mm jack adapter. See More

Top Pro

Can be charged wirelessly

The iPhone 8 plus (with the X) is the first iPhone to implement wireless charging. What's more, Apple decided to implement the Qi standard for wireless charging which is shared by multiple manufacturers, making it easy to find a third-party non-expensive wireless charger . See More

Top Con

The design is a bit outdated

The iPhone 8 plus uses the same design introduced by the iPhone 6, albeit with some small differences like the back being glass instead of metal. The biggest eyesore however are the relatively large bezels around the screen, bezels which the iPhone 8 does not have. Other than being aesthetically pleasing, edge-to-edge screen also serve a practical purpose: they let you have a larger screen without increasing the overall size of the phone and in this case the screen could have been a couple of inches larger. See More

Top Pro

The camera is able to shoot very high quality pictures and videos

The iPhone 8 plus is equipped with a camera that is significantly improved from predecessors. Both the rear and front cameras take amazing pictures, especially at low light. The shutter speed and focus have also been improved from the previous iPhone. The iPhone 8 plus can shoot 60fps, 4K video and 240fps, 1080p slow-mo which amounts to some serious video capturing capabilities. See More

Top Pro

Performance is considerably better than on previous iPhone versions

The new 6-core, 64bit, A11 Bionic chip inside the iPhone 8 Plus does not disappoint. Performance is smooth, as is expected from an iPhone, and, according to GeekBench, the iPhone 8 Plus has 25% better performance on single core and 80% better performance on multi core compared to the iPhone 7. See More

See All

score 2 · Answer 5

LG G6

Top Pro

The camera is capable of taking very high-quality pictures

Along with the iPhone 7 Plus and OnePlus 5, the LG G6 sports dual cameras, and does a great job of using them to their full potential. See More

Top Con

Battery might not last a full day

The G6 has an always-on display even though it's IPS, and this (along with its 3300mAh battery) makes the phone's battery life kinda disappointing. See More

Specs

OS:Android

Display Size:5.6''+

Top Pro

Light UI

The UI of the G6 isn't completely stock, but unlike many like HTC and Samsung, the interface still feels a lot like stock Android. It still feels unique, and a few nice features are added, but it doesn't depart too far from the Android experience. See More

Top Con

Rounded display

This phone literally cuts corners in that the G6's display isn't completely rectangular. See More

Top Pro

Great screen ratio for multitasking

Like the Galaxy S8, the LG G6 has a taller display than most phones: most have a 16:9 aspect ratio, the S8 has an 18.5:9, and the G6 has an 18:9, or 2:1. This is fantastic for Android's newer multitasking features, as well as just general use. The vast majority of apps support this new display, so you should have no problems with that. See More

Top Con

Not all features available in all markets

The LG G6 has market exclusives. The American version comes equipped with wireless charging, however other models get a 32-bit high quality DAC. See More

Top Pro

Can be used comfortably even though it has a relatively large screen

The LG G6 has a 5.7" QHD display, yet its overall size is smaller than the Galaxy S7 Edge, and significantly smaller than the iPhone 7 Plus, both of which have 5.5" screens. This means that you get a bigger display with a more manageable form factor which makes it easy to use even with one hand. See More

Top Con

Weak audio capabilities

Built-in audio is a weak point of this phone; while it does have a headphone jack, the built-in speaker is mediocre so you'll definitely want some earbuds or headphones. See More

See All

score 1 · Answer 6

Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus

For taking photos:Yes

score 1 · Answer 7

Samsung Galaxy Note 8

score 1 · Answer 8

Google Pixel 2 XL

Top Pro

The Android ecosystem is perfectly integrated with this phone

Google uses the Pixel line as a platform to show off their operating system instead of treating the software as a second-class citizen and it shows. The Android ecosystem, starting from Google Assistant is perfectly integrated with the hardware. By using the same technology as HTC which lets users squeeze the sides of their device, you can bring up the smart assistant at any point, even with a locked screen (of course, you have to unlock the phone to give the assistant any commands). This is a welcome change for people who disliked the "Ok Google" command. See More

Specs

OS:Android

Display Size:6.0''+

Top Pro

The screen displays colorful and bright pictures

The 1440p pOLED display does not disappoint and is probably one of the best hardware-related features for this phone. The colours are warm and true to life. The blacks are also very inky and quite nice. See More

Top Pro

Some of the best audio coming out of a smartphone

The Pixel 2 XL is one of the last flagship phones not to go with a completely bezel-less design. Instead, the top and bottom bezels are home to two front-facing speakers that produce excellent audio (for a smartphone). See More

Top Pro

Durable body without being too bulky

The Pixel 2 XL has a sturdy aluminium body that adds a lot of durability while still keeping the phone thin and comfortable to hold. See More

Top Pro

The software is always up to date

Since it's a Google phone and since it runs stock Android, it's the first device to get an update once a new Android version hits. See More

Top Pro

Takes some of the best pictures on a smartphone

The camera on the Pixel 2 is one of the best cameras on the market. It takes amazing pictures both on low and well-lit conditions. The camera software is where it truly shines though. It's able to automatically adjust the focus and lighting so you never end up with photos that are too lit or too dark. It also manages to find out where the edges of an object are and blur them accordingly. See More

See All

Answer 9

Google Pixel 2

Top Pro

The software is always up to date

Since it's a Google phone and since it runs stock Android, it's the first device to get an update once a new Android version hits. See More

Top Con

Can't use wired headphones without a dongle

Since it doesn't have a headphone jack, you are forced to use bluetooth headphones or use a lightning-to-3.5mm jack adapter. See More

Specs

OS:Android

Display Size:5.0''+

Top Pro

The Android ecosystem is perfectly integrated with this phone

Google uses the Pixel line as a platform to show off their operating system instead of treating the software as a second-class citizen and it shows. The Android ecosystem, starting from Google Assistant is perfectly integrated with the hardware. By using the same technology as HTC which lets users squeeze the sides of their device, you can bring up the smart assistant at any point, even with a locked screen (of course, you have to unlock the phone to give the assistant any commands). This is a welcome change for people who disliked the "Ok Google" command. See More

Top Con

Battery life might not last a full day of heavy use

Tests show that this phone's battery lasts an average of seven hours of relatively heavy use (using mobile data, sending messages, browsing the web and watching videos). See More

Top Pro

The screen displays colorful and bright pictures

The OLED display does not disappoint and is probably one of the best hardware-related features for this phone. The colors are warm and true to life. The blacks are also very inky and quite nice. See More

Top Pro

Durable body without being too bulky

The Pixel 2 has a sturdy aluminum body that adds a lot of durability while still keeping the phone thin and comfortable to hold. See More

Top Pro

Takes some of the best pictures on a smartphone

The camera on the Pixel 2 is one of the best cameras on the market. It takes amazing pictures both in low and well-lit conditions. The camera software is where it truly shines though. It's able to automatically adjust the focus and lighting so you never end up with photos that are too lit or too dark. It also manages to find out where the edges of an object are and blur them accordingly. See More

See All

score 1 · Answer 10

Sony Xperia XZ Premium

Top Pro

Displays the sharpest images out of any smartphone today

The Xperia XZ Premium has a 5.5inch 4K display. It roughly has around 807 pixels per inch, which is far more pixels than the competition manages to display on their phone. This results in the sharpest images ever seen on a smartphone display. See More

Top Con

Outdated design

The Xperia XZ Premium has not changed much on the design department compared to the Xperia XZ. It features a design with rounded corners and a large screen surrounded by large bezels, a design choice that has been falling out of favour lately. See More

Specs

OS:Android

Display Size:5.3''+

Top Pro

Can be comfortably used with one hand

The rounded corners found in the XZ Premium make it easy to use this phone with one hand, even though the large bezels might make it harder for people with small hands. See More

Top Con

The audio coming from the speakers feels rather flat

Even though it has stereo speakers the audio quality coming from them is rather poor. It feels flat and tinny even at the highest volume. See More

Top Pro

Manages to produce excellent headphone audio

The XZ Premium supports high-resolution audio with ALAC, DSD, FLAC, and LPCM file formats. Listening to music through headphones is a real treat with uniformly crisp highs, mids, and lows. See More

Top Pro

Can handle plenty of multitasking without lag or stutter

The 4GB of RAM and the Snapdragon 835 found in the XZ Premium are more than enough to provide some excellent performance with nary a stutter. See More

Top Pro

Manages to capture excellent photos

The 19MP primary camera is packed with features. For starters, it has same RGB and IR sensors that improve color reproduction and focus speed respectively. There's also a CMOS sensor with phase detection autofocus that helps with low-light shooting. Finally, there's Motion Eye: a memory-embedded sensor that immediately processes images to minimize distortion. All of this hardware packed together manages to capture some of the most detailed and high-quality photos a smartphone can take, coming extremely close to the quality of photos taken by the S8 which is considered to have the best camera for this generation of smartphones. See More

See All

score 1 · Answer 11

Samsung Galaxy S9

For taking photos:Yes

score 1 · Answer 12

HTC U11

score 1 · Answer 13

Huawei P10 Plus

Answer 14

Huawei Mate 10

Answer 15

Huawei Mate 10 Pro

score 16 · Answer 16

Samsung Galaxy S8

score 2 · Answer 17

Google Pixel

score 2 · Answer 18

15 Options Considered

My Recommendation for LG V30

My Recommendation for LG V30

The camera is capable of capturing excellent images, especially in low-light conditions

Some bloatware is loaded out of the box

Phablet-sized display while still being small enough to be comfortable to use

One of the most expensive Android smartphones on the market

Great for watching videos or looking at pictures

Offers excellent music listening experience

Battery life can easily go for more than a day on a single charge with heavy use

Excellent performance

My Recommendation for iPhone X

My Recommendation for iPhone X

Excellent design

The most expensive smartphone to date

The most colorful screen on the market

All the added gestures to iOS 11 are hard to remember

The display is very large, but still comfortable to use with one hand

No fingerprint scanner

Performance is considerably better than on previous iPhone versions

The fast charger needs to be bought separately

Can be charged wirelessly

Buying a cover for it is highly advisable

No lag or stuttering

With the removal of the home button, opening the home screen became rather awkward

The face recognition system works virtually everytime

My Recommendation for iPhone 8

My Recommendation for iPhone 8

Can be charged wirelessly

No significant improvements in the display

Can be comfortably used a full day on a single charge

Can't use wired headphones without a dongle

The camera is able to shoot very high quality pictures and videos

Buying a cover for it is highly advisable

Performance is considerably better than on previous iPhone versions

My Recommendation for iPhone 8 Plus

My Recommendation for iPhone 8 Plus

Can easily be used under direct sunlight

The camera module forms a bump on the back

Can play sounds at very high volumes

Buying a cover for it is highly advisable

Can be comfortably used a full day on a single charge

Can't use wired headphones without a dongle

Can be charged wirelessly

The design is a bit outdated

The camera is able to shoot very high quality pictures and videos

Performance is considerably better than on previous iPhone versions

My Recommendation for LG G6

My Recommendation for LG G6

The camera is capable of taking very high-quality pictures

Battery might not last a full day

Light UI

Rounded display

Great screen ratio for multitasking

Not all features available in all markets

Can be used comfortably even though it has a relatively large screen

Weak audio capabilities

My Recommendation for Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus

My Recommendation for Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus

My Recommendation for Samsung Galaxy Note 8

My Recommendation for Samsung Galaxy Note 8

My Recommendation for Google Pixel 2 XL

My Recommendation for Google Pixel 2 XL

The Android ecosystem is perfectly integrated with this phone

The screen displays colorful and bright pictures

Some of the best audio coming out of a smartphone

Durable body without being too bulky

The software is always up to date

Takes some of the best pictures on a smartphone

My Recommendation for Google Pixel 2

My Recommendation for Google Pixel 2

The software is always up to date

Can't use wired headphones without a dongle

The Android ecosystem is perfectly integrated with this phone

Battery life might not last a full day of heavy use

The screen displays colorful and bright pictures

Durable body without being too bulky

Takes some of the best pictures on a smartphone

My Recommendation for Sony Xperia XZ Premium

My Recommendation for Sony Xperia XZ Premium