Independent phone research and reviewsToday’s edition · 11 November 2026
What Is the Best PhonePhone reference Editor’s choice: iPhone Duo

What Is the Best Phone Which Phone Has the Best Camera?

Selection & fit

Which Phone Has the Best Camera?

Answer in brief

In the US, the phones with the best cameras are the iPhone 18 Pro ($1,199) and iPhone 18 Pro Max ($1,299), which add a variable-aperture camera and new Pro controls. On Android, the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra ($1,299) has the most versatile zoom. Outside the US, the Oppo Find X9 Ultra is the camera leader.

Updated . US launch prices; check before you buy.

Phones with the best camera, November 2026

Best camera, longest-lasting iPhone

Apple iPhone 18 Pro Max

$1,299

The best camera on any phone, and the longest-lasting iPhone ever. Its battery is the biggest Apple has made (5,567 mAh on the eSIM model): 18 hours 27 minutes in Tom's Guide's battery test, versus 16 hours 40 minutes for the Galaxy S26 Ultra. The camera adds a variable aperture and new Pro controls.

Read the iPhone 18 Pro Max entry

Pro camera in a smaller size

Apple iPhone 18 Pro

$1,199

The same Pro camera as the Pro Max in a smaller body. The iPhone 18 Pro shares the Pro Max's camera system, including the new variable aperture and Pro controls. BGR called it the best camera smartphone of 2026. It's $100 more than the iPhone 17 Pro was, and MacRumors' review roundup sees no big reason to upgrade from a 17 Pro.

Read the iPhone 18 Pro entry

Best Android flagship

Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra

$1,299

The most fully featured Android phone you can buy. Built-in S Pen, a flexible zoom camera system, and a privacy display that blocks side-angle viewing. TechRadar calls it the best Android phone ever, and Tom's Guide calls it easily the best Android phone you can buy.

Read the Galaxy S26 Ultra entry

Best camera outside the US

Oppo Find X9 Ultra

Not sold in US

Trusted Reviews names it the best camera phone of 2026. It isn't officially available in the US.

Questions

Is the iPhone or Samsung camera better?

For most photos and video, the iPhone 18 Pro. For long zoom, the Galaxy S26 Ultra.

Does the iPhone Duo have a good camera?

Good, not the best: it has 48MP main and ultrawide cameras but no telephoto lens, and reviewers say it's a step behind the iPhone 18 Pro.

More answers

Sources

  1. BGR: iPhone 18 Pro review
  2. MacRumors: iPhone 18 Pro review roundup
  3. Trusted Reviews: Best smartphone
  4. GSMArena: Galaxy S26 Ultra review
  5. TechRadar: Galaxy S26 Ultra review
  6. Macworld: iPhone Duo review roundup

Cite this entry

What Is the Best Phone. “Which Phone Has the Best Camera? (November 2026).” whatisthebestphone.com, updated November 11, 2026. https://whatisthebestphone.com/best-camera-phone