Smartphone cameras have been the most rapidly evolving aspect of the market since its inception, and I think most folks will agree with me (though an argument can be made for the chipsets as well). As it is now, we’ve reached a point where you’re bound to get excellent photography out of any flagship.
However, when buying a phone and finding yourself caught between multiple options, it is very important that you’re able to fully understand as many aspects as possible, especially when it comes to the cameras. Those numbers you see can be confusing, but you’re about to understand what they mean.
Megapixel Counts Have Been The Average Person’s Marker Of A Camera’s Quality
When mobile phones first got cameras, you’d see 0.3MP units being a reason to boast. Of course, as with all tech, work began on increasing those numbers, and now, we can look at smartphones with 200MP sensors. The only problem with this is that it is easy to feel like a 50MP camera is instantly superior to a 12MP camera. That’s not the case (as the rest of this article will hopefully prove to you).
A megapixel count simply refers to the resolution of the camera’s sensor and the pictures that it outputs. A 50MP image has 50 million pixels in it and that’s all that tells you. A good way to demonstrate that it doesn’t “predict” a camera’s quality is how a 50MP DSLR will blow a 108MP smartphone camera out of the water most of the time.
A massive megapixel count is beneficial because it lets you crop into a photo further without losing detail and is also useful if you want to make large prints.
The Aperture Refers To How Large Your Camera’s “Hole” Is
On your camera’s spec sheet, you’ll find a number preceded by an “f”, such as f/2.2 or f/1.3. Those numbers are called “f-stops” and that refers to the aperture of that camera unit. Think of the aperture of your camera as a pupil; it can be dilated or constricted. When dilated, it lets in more light, and when constricted, it lets in less.
A low f-stop, like f/1.6, means a wide aperture (yes, a little confusing), and that means more light is let in. It also provides a shallower depth of field and more bokeh, like in portrait shots. A high f-stop, like f/3.2, means a narrow aperture, which lets in less light and keeps more of the image in focus. This is better when not focusing on a specific subject, such as shooting landscapes and architecture.
Generally speaking, manufacturers are aiming for wider apertures on primary cameras. You’ll also see some very high-end phones rocking variable apertures, similar to some professional camera lenses.
Focal Length Lets You Know The Scope Of Your Images
The focal length of your camera refers to how far the actual lens is from the sensor. Focal length is measured in millimeters (mm). As you might expect, a telephoto camera tends to have a longer focal length (hence why we’ve started using periscope telephoto lenses since no one wants a 100mm camera bump).
A long focal length is basically a telephoto camera and a short focal length is used for ultrawide cameras. In the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra, the primary camera has a 24mm focal length. However, the ultrawide has a 13mm focal length and the 5x periscope telephoto has a 111mm focal length.
One-Inch Sensors Are The Gold Standard; Sensor Size Plays A Big Role
Sensor size isn’t always stated by manufacturers but when it is, it is usually because the sensor is large. You can tell the sensor spec because the manufacturer will usually include it in the format of 1/2.5″ or so. Smartphones like the Xiaomi 14 Ultra boast one-inch sensors. Big sensors are generally preferable because photography is all about light, and the bigger it is, the more light it can pick up.
It also ties into pixel size (born from the relationship between the sensor size and megapixel count). Not all pixels are born equal, and bigger pixels gather more light. With two 1-inch sensors: a 50MP and a 200MP; you might have better images in low light from the 50MP one since each of its pixels is larger. Pixel size is measured in micrometers, such as 0.8µm.
