I tested the best phone cameras of 2025 — these took the best pictures

Sure, we've already taken stock of the best overall smartphones in 2025, but that doesn't mean we can't give them a little more shine.

Specifically, it's time to talk cameras. Apple, Samsung, Google, and others released some excellent handsets in the past calendar year, but there's a lot that goes into deciding whether or not a phone is good. Processing power, battery life, AI features, and a bunch of other little odds and ends factor into our reviews, but for a lot of people, all of those things are secondary to the cameras.