Top phones of 2025: Camera

"Arguably, vivo ended up leading the pack. The company released the China-only vivo X200 Ultra in early 2025, while the X300 and X300 Pro arrived a couple of months before the end of the year, but made it to global stage. The vivo X300 Pro, didn't bring that many improvements to the camera hardware, but it remains one of the most desirable cameraphones on the market. It has a potent camera setup, and adds an improved selfie camera for a more complete experience this year."

"We have the Chinese Find X8 Ultra as the best shooter from the company, while the Find X9 Pro is a toned-down version of the next-generation flagship series that was released recently. So if you are looking for a proper flagship camera experience from Oppo and you are outside of China, the Find X9 Pro is your best bet. Not to mention it offers a substantial upgrade over its predecessor, the Find X8 Pro, and upgrades the main, telephoto and selfie cameras."

"Xiaomi had the 15 Ultra and unlike vivo and Oppo made it global (we are yet to review the 17 Ultra that arrived last week). It's perhaps one of the most versatile ones, too. It has two telephoto cameras instead of only one, while the main 1-inch sensor and the 200MP telephoto camera remain among the best in the industry."

An eventful year produced notable cameraphone improvements across manufacturers, with some making big hardware strides and others polishing existing designs. vivo released the China-only X200 Ultra and global X300/X300 Pro; the X300 Pro kept largely the same camera hardware while adding an improved selfie camera and a potent camera setup. Oppo provided the Find X8 Ultra (China) and the global Find X9 Pro, with the X9 Pro upgrading main, telephoto, and selfie sensors over its predecessor. Xiaomi shipped the global 15 Ultra with two telephoto cameras, a 1-inch main sensor, and a 200MP telephoto camera. Honor's Magic7 Pro represents the brand's top camera system, led by a 200MP Samsung sensor paired with a 3x telephoto.

Read at GSMArena.com