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1. Overall: Google Pixel 7a
2. Affordable: Realme C35
3. Premium: Honor 50
4. Mid-range: Samsung Galaxy A53
5. Nightography: OnePlus Nord 2T
6. Best megapixel: Moto G200
7. Best display: Google Pixel 6a
8. Reliable: Apple iPhone SE (2022)
9. Best value: Oppo Find X3 Lite
10. Compact: Xiaomi Mi 11 Lite 5G
FAQs
The best budget camera phones are surprisingly reliable, with great low-light capabilities and high-resolution camera units. So despite them being less premium-oriented and more stripped down, you'll still be able to capture excellent photos and videos and make use of popular apps. These phones are commonly priced at around the $500/£450 mark but can sit just outside of this price range too.
Our experts have plenty of experience in testing camera phones, and we've also taken into account hands-on reviews by our sister sites at Future Publishing, plus customer reviews and value for money. So you can rest assured that these phones are up to scratch and make an informed decision on which one to buy.
Check out our guide to the best camera phones overall if money is no object, and see our top smartphone photography tips to transform your images to the next level. Alternatively, if you're an Apple fan then take a look at our picks of the best iPhones for photography plus the best iOS camera apps.
The quick list
Don't have much time? Here are our top 3 choices for the best budget camera phones on the market right now, but we recommend you see our full list to make a truly informed choice.
This is our pick of the best budget camera phone overall, it's not the cheapest - but the image quality and features are sublime and it makes photography fun again. 5 stars from us.
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This is the most affordable budget camera phone at a price tag as low as $180/£195 approximately. It has an impressive 50MP camera, and a high-resolution display that makes it worthwhile.
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The Honor 50 is the best premium budget camera phone on our list, and despite sitting at the higher end of the price range it's still extremely affordable. The star of the show is its selfie camera, which makes your portraits look super vibrant.
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The best budget camera phones
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The best budget camera phone overall
Released this May, the Google Pixel 7a is Google's latest entry into the budget smartphone space. It's a low-cost alternative to the Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro, but with an RRP below $500 / £500. Despite its low cost, the Pixel 7a is well-specced, with the same Tensor chipset that powers the bigger Pixel phones.
As for photos, there are only two cameras in its rear array, rather than the three as are common in smartphones nowadays. But Google's real strength is in software rather than hardware. The Google Pixel 7a is stuffed with clever little processing tricks, which means photos taken with the phone have comparable punch and vibrancy to those shot with phones that cost twice as much.
Whilst raw photos may seem lower quality, the phone will work magic using AI processing tech to really make them pop. Google's Magic Eraser tech is also present, so you'll be able to edit out unwanted objects or people from your photos for absolutely flawless shots.
Opting for the Pixel 7a over the Pixel 6 (number 4 on our list) will mean a smaller (albeit still generous) 5.9-inch OLED and slightly weaker battery life. But the Pixel 7a stands out for its top-tier photo processing and editing software, which proves you don't have to spend a lot for a quality camera phone.
The most affordable budget camera phone
The Realme C35 packs in a 50MP main camera that uses Sony's IMX766 sensor, which crops up in quite a few smartphones with higher price tags than this one. The rest of the camera array is nothing to write home about, with no ultra-wide array, but still, in most conditions you'll get imagery with this camera that punches well above the phone's weight.
Across the board, this phone does a good job at its price point. The battery life is excellent, and you can easily get a good couple of days of use out of the phone before needing to charge, which is not something you can say for more expensive smartphones.
Having a Full HD display is welcome too, as it makes watching Netflix or YouTube on the phone a much better experience. Some might quibble the maximum brightness of 600 nits, and it's definitely not ideal, but once again, is the kind of trade-off you'd expect to make at this price.
The most premium budget camera phone
Honor's latest smartphone technically comes just under the price limit – as long as you get the 128GB version – and has a 108MP main camera as well as an 8MP ultra-wide and two 2MP auxiliary cams.
The real star of the show, though, is the 32MP selfie camera, as self-portraits look bright and colourful. We found this great whether in standard or Portrait mode, with balanced highlights and shadows, great contrast, lovely-looking colour and realistic-looking Bokeh background blur. Even when we took night-time selfies, we found ourselves clearly detailed.
Elsewhere, we weren't as enthused by the cameras. It's not bad for photography, but about on par with other mobiles on this list. So it's really a choice for selfie fans. Beyond that, this is your standard mid-range Android phone with a medium-power processor, long-lasting battery and good-looking display. If you need a 108MP camera phone on a budget, it's a good choice, but the Redmi Note 10 Pro is better value for money.
The best mid-range budget camera phone
Samsung has really surprised us here, giving its budget-friendly Galaxy A53 phone four rear cameras that you wouldn't turn your nose up at. None of these are filler lenses like we see on many cameras.
The 64MP main camera takes great pictures, with the 12MP ultra-wide, 5MP depth-sensing and 5MP macro cameras all helping out in a pinch, but the star of the show is the software. Samsung's entire range of modes, including Food for adding focus and saturation to shots, or Single Take if you don't know what kind of picture would be best for the subject, are all present and accounted for.
This really is a great camera phone for the price, though it's lower on this list because that cost is a little higher than some of the other mobiles we've listed here. On the flip side, it's a good-looking phone with a solid display, though it's quite sluggish to use thanks to a weak chipset. Either way, Samsung phones are often solid, and the A53 is proof of that.
The best budget camera phone for low-light
OnePlus isn't the best known name in tech, but the Nord 2T is a very lovely camera phone. Its rear camera boasts a 50MP Sony IMX766 main sensor, an 8MP ultra-wide and 2MP depth sensor.
Combined with an updated Dimensity 1300 chipset, the Nord 2T especially excels in low-light photography, which means you'll be able to capture some gorgeous night shots with bold colours and crisp lines. The AI Highlight Video feature will aid in clear shots even amidst low or uneven lighting.
The front camera has a 32MP sensor, just like the flagship OnePlus 10 Pro. An AI deblurring algorithm will reduce any blur that may come from an unsteady hand so your self portraits will look stunning.
Beyond the cameras, the Nord 2T is a well-rounded mid-range phone with a fairly powerful processor, a good-looking 6.4-inch AMOLED and really fast charging. It's not a huge upgrade over its predecessor, but to be fair there wasn't much that needed changing – and now these features can be yours for even less than before.
The best megapixel budget camera phone
Members of Moto's affordable G series of smartphones haven't always deserved a place on lists with 'best camera phone' in the title, but in 2021, that started to change, and the Moto G200 is the best example of this.
The phone has three rear cameras including a super-high-res main snapper, but its real power comes from the AI scene optimisation, as Motorola's software has been coming on leaps and bounds in that department. Low-light photography is good for a budget phone, and selfies look vibrant too.
As budget phones go, this is a solid all-rounder, and in our tests we found it performed admirably across the board. It's great as a 'jack of all trades', though it doesn't stand out in any particular department like the Realme or OnePlus do. Some may find the phone too big to be comfortable to use, and that's a valid criticism, but if you're on a budget, this is the best Moto mobile for you.
The best big-screen budget camera phone
Another Google Pixel offering, this time the slightly older and smaller Pixel 6a. One of the best cheap camera phones that you can buy right now, the PIxel 6a is a great choice for creatives on a budget.
Although this is an older offering now thanks to the release of the Google Pixel 7a, it's still a fantastic contender that deserves a place on this list. The great news is that this affordable phone is seeing frequent price cuts now that the 7a is out. In sales, we've seen it dip as low as $300/£300!
Much like the 7a, the Google Pixel 6a offers wonderful camera software that will really make your photos and video pop. This phone can record videos on the main camera in 4k, which is incredibly impressive considering the price point. However, one drawback that we frequently reported is the battery. This phone charges slowly and the battery life isn't as long-lasting as other phones.
The best reliable budget camera phone
Apple's iPhone SE is a great value camera phone, although if we're being honest, it's not very "budget" compared with other picks in this guide, but it's definitely budget for Apple. It combines good performance with water resistance and wireless charging – all flagship features. The design looks very familiar to older iPhones, but we found performance to be on-point when we reviewed it.
The camera only has one lens on the back, but the single 12MP snapper can grab high-resolution, portrait mode photos and even shoots 4K video. You don't get all of the features of the iPhone 14, like Night mode or Dolby Vision HDR and Cinematic Mode for video, but you do get the vital tools that make the pictures better, including Portrait Mode for people.
Photos don't have the vibrant colours and dynamic range of as those on the iPhone 14 Pro either, but they do have a lot of detail. Add to that the price, and Apple’s beating many Android smartphones at the game they normally dominate: value for money. Read our iPhone SE (2022) review.
The best value for money budget camera phone
This offering from Oppo is a fantastic choice for those on a budget, and while it might not be equipped with the best camera compared with other options in this guide, it certainly has value for money at a price of less than £200 / $450 in the US (where it's a little harder to come by).
If you truly want one of the best smartphone cameras and can afford to jump a few upgrades, then we'd highly recommend the Oppo Find X5 Pro as this camera is unmatched in a lot of ways and can without a doubt rival the likes of flagship Samsung and Apple releases.
As for the Find X3, this phone can still hold its own, and again, for such a low price in the UK, there's really not much to complain about. It has a large 6.43-inch AMOLED screen and 65W fast charging, plus the night mode for shooting in the dark is pretty great too.
The smallest budget camera phone
The Xiaomi Mi 11 Lite 5G takes some of the key features from the Mi 11 and cuts some corners (and lots of the body) to make a smaller, cheaper phone. Note, though, that this handset isn't available in the US.
It boasts the same fantastic macro camera we saw on the Mi 11 along with a high-megapixel main camera with an ultra-wide snapper. Once the cameras were pointed at the subject, we found that the Mi 11 Lite acted pretty similar to the Redmi, but with a much smaller form factor. It was easy for us to pull the Mi 11 Lite out of our pocket when we spotted a great scene, which is something we can't say about lots of the other mobiles on this list.
Beyond the cameras, this is a fashionable phone, with a slim body and a range of colours to pick from. It's not got much staying power in terms of battery life, but it'll be enough for most people.
FAQs
How do I choose the best budget camera phone?
You've got three important things to consider in buying a budget camera phone. What do you wish to spend? What do you need from the camera? And what do you need from the rest of the phone?
While our list above caps off at $500 / £450, some people won't be willing to spend that much. So ask yourself how much money you've got to play with, and find a device that fits within this flexibility. What features do you need beyond the cameras itself? A camera phone is for daily life too, not just for the photoshoot, so think about what's important.
Do you need a large battery capacity? A big screen? Fast charging? A powerful chipset for gaming? Think about your lifestyle to determine which smartphone is best for you. The information included in each of the listings above caters to all these factors to help you make an informed choice.
What makes a good smartphone camera?
Consider your photography habits and preferences. Do you want a phone that will edit the images for you and apply filters? This isn't always a good thing, and some budget smartphones will spew AI-saturated pictures that are way too vibrant. You might decide that you prefer one that captures natural-looking images, or doesn't use AI at all.
Do you need zoom lenses? Macro features for photographing bugs and flowers? How about some novelty extras? Check out the specs we've listed for each phone to make sure your boxes are ticked on that front. Knowing your preferences can help you find the best phone for you.
It's also important not to be fooled by megapixels. Some newer smartphone cameras will have a host of features including large 200-megapixel cameras. But this isn't as great as it sounds, due to a process known as pixel binning, which in simple terms means that phone sensors will group pixels together to form one singular pixel, so really 200MP is actually close to 50MP and so forth - and these aren't as sharp as full-frame camera pixels.
Our sister site, Digital Camera World, has a helpful explainer on pixel binning for those who want to learn more.
• Once you've picked up one of the above best budget camera phones, why not check out some other creative inspiration? We have detailed guides to the best memory cards for your camera, as well as a list of the best cameras for kids.
