Best 50MP camera smartphones to buy | Smartprix

Camera quality is one of the most sought-after features one looks for in any smartphone these days. Smartphones now have cameras that can sometimes give the professional camera hardware a run for their money, all thanks to cutting-edge engineering, and mature computational algorithms. Yes, the software does play a major role, but still camera specs like the sensor, lens, and pixels matter. And speaking of pixels, we come to the topic at hand — 50-megapixel camera phones.

Now the megapixel count isn’t the be-all-end-all of smartphone camera quality, but that isn’t stopping both phone makers and customers from hopping on this bandwagon. Be that as it may, to help you the buyer choose a 50MP camera smartphone within your budget, we have listed the 12 best options on the market.

Although 50MP lenses are slowly becoming common in smartphones, there are still a handful of companies that make 50MP sensors for smartphone cameras. These include Sony, Samsung, and OmniVision. While Sony announced its 50 MP IMX766 image sensor for premium and high-end smartphones that launched in 2021, OmniVision rolled out a 50MP OV50A image sensor for flagship devices.

The last one was Samsung, which announced an update to its high-resolution sensor portfolio with the 50MP ISCOCELL GN2 image sensor for top-tier smartphones.

All these 50MP image sensors from Sony, Samsung, and OmniVision promise superior smartphone photography experiences, especially in high-end and premium smartphones.

1. Google Pixel 6 Pro

Google smartphones are known for their camera features and this has continued with the Pixel 6 series too. On paper, the camera technology in Pixel 6 Pro looks like the best from Google to date with a 50MP wide camera, a 12MP ultrawide camera, and a 48MP telephoto shooter.

The 50MP main shooter, which has an f/1.9 aperture and 1.2 μm pixels is the camera that one will use the most. It can take high-res photos with good detail and true-to-life colors. Night Sight enables you to get good pictures in darker settings. The telephoto camera is capable of up to 4x optical zoom and gives good clicks of distant subjects. There is 20x digital zoom too, but image quality might dip if you use this.

Pixel 6 Pro’s zoom features are not as good as some other smartphones but would be suitable for maximum tasks. The ultrawide camera gives you a 114-degree field of view for getting more people in the frame. On the front is an 11.1MP selfie camera with an f/2.2 aperture. It gives decent portrait shots, good quality during video calls, and natural skin tones in selfies.

There is up to 4k video recording. Motion mode is a new element that is designed for taking long exposure shots such as creatively blurred images of moving subjects. Real Tone enables the cameras to capture more natural-looking skin tones in photos of people of color. Magic Eraser is a new upgrade that lets you remove the subjects that you don’t want to be included in your phones, i.e., photobombers.

The software tweaks along with the manufacturer’s already impressive camera app and hardware promise a good photography experience. Google doesn’t have any plans to launch the Pixel 6 Series in India as of now but if and when it comes to India, it is expected to come in 3 colors- Cloudy White, Sorta Sunny, and Stormy Black and be priced around Rs. 64,990.

Google Pixel 6 Pro Specs

2. Vivo X70 Pro+ 5G

Vivo X70 Pro+ has a 48MP ultra-wide camera and a 50MP camera which relies on Samsung’s GN1 Sensor. Both have gimbal stabilization. Also, there is a 12MP portrait camera and an 8MP periscope camera. The camera setup in X70 Pro+ comes with a Zeiss T* coating certification for better transmission of light and improved image quality.

There are 4 Zeiss-enabled portrait filters and Vivo’s V1 imaging chip enhances photo quality at night. The smartphone has a high transmittance glass lens, which Vivo claims is used by top-end DSLR cameras. The camera’s portrait mode gives excellent results, especially when used indoors where lighting can be tricky. The camera offers up to 60x zoom though good results are obtained even with 5x zoom. There is a 32MP selfie camera with an f/2.5 aperture 26mm wide which helps you capture memories wherever you go.

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In low light, the camera doesn’t disappoint. The colors feel real and Super Moon mode works well too. The video quality shot at 1080p is impressive too. Vivo X70 Pro+ starts at Rs. 79,990 in India and is available in Enigma Black color variant.

Vivo X70 Pro+ 5G Specs

3. OnePlus 9RT 5G

The camera is one of the biggest upgrades on the OnePlus 9RT. The main camera has been upgraded from IMX586 to IMX766. The main camera has a HI-RES Mode which can take 100MP photos with AI interpolation. Ultrawide camera has a dynamic range and works well in dark lighting at night. It has a 16MP selfie snapper for selfies and video calls too.

The performance of the 2MP macro lens is the same as other budget phones but the video recording features are good. The main and ultrawide cameras allow 4k 60fps recording but you can switch between the main and ultrawide angle cameras during recording at 4k 30Fps. It is expected to start at around Rs. 37,990 in India with 3 color options- Blue, Black, and Silver.

OnePlus 9RT 5G Specs

4. OnePlus Nord 2 5G

The Oneplus Nord 2 5G offers a flagship-grade 50MP primary camera on the back with a new Sony sensor and optical image stabilization. It is a part of a tri-eyed setup with an 8MP ultrawide shooter and a 2MP depth sensor. A dual-LED dual-tone flash is also around.

The front camera for selfies is a 32MP Sony imager. 50MP primary camera is a Sony IMX 766 1/1.56-inch Quad-Bayer sensor with 23mm f/1.88 optically stabilized lens, 1.0 μm pixels, and PDAF. Night mode is available on this camera. 8MP ultrawide snapper is the Sony IMX 355 sensor behind the f/2.25 lens. There is no autofocus on this one, though Night Mode works on this one too. The monochrome depth camera uses a 2MP Galaxy Core GC02M1 sensor with an f/2.5 aperture.

The Oxygen camera app offers AI Scene Enhancement which may stack several images to offer higher color saturation in images. Expert mode is available on the main camera and it allows you to tweak exposure, white balance, manual focus, and exposure compensation. Night Mode has an Ultra-Night Mode which triggers extreme low-light conditions and there’s a switch for Tripod Night mode, which uses up to 45s shutter speed to make a sharper, more detailed, and noise-free photo. Oneplus Nord 2 starts at Rs. 29,999 and is available in Blue Haze, Gray Sierra, and Green-Wood color variants.

OnePlus Nord 2 5G Specs

 5. Vivo Y33s

In this price range, Vivo Y33s gives a decent camera setup. At the back, it has a 50MP main sensor accompanied by a macro sensor and a portrait sensor, both being 2MP. In front, it has a 16MP portrait camera in the notch with an aperture of f/2.0. The quality of clicks is good and videos are above average too.

The price of Vivo Y33s starts at Rs. 17,990 and it is available in 2 colors- Midday Dream and Mirror Black.

Vivo Y33s Specs

6. Moto G51 5G

Recently launched, Motorola’s G51 features a triple camera setup with a 50MP S5JKN1 primary sensor. It has an 8MP and an additional 2MP sensor as well. It has a 13MP front camera for selfies and videos. Nothing can be said about the performance of the camera setup as the smartphone has just launched for the China market. We will know more about it when it comes to India. Currently, it is priced at Rs. 17,500 for the single 8GB RAM and 128GB storage option in China. It comes in 2 colors- Blue and Gray.

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Moto G51 5G Specs

7. Oppo A55 4G

The rear camera of Oppo A55 is a 50MP unit that supports pixel binning. This feature reduces noise and improves image quality in dim lighting. The clarity of photos is good even in low-light situations. A 2MP bokeh camera and a 2MP macro camera for support to the primary rear camera. The bokeh technology allows the 50MP camera to provide the best portraits with the cutest bokeh allowing a smooth transition between visual and background.

The Night Mode of this smartphone challenges premium phones by providing blue-free long exposures. HDR in night mode allows you to look at your face and background in a very vibrant unique way to show off its natural light portraits. 16MP selfie camera comes with many filters and modes featured in social media to give a variety of colors and unique image styles. Oppo A55 starts at Rs. 15,390 in India and comes in Rainbow Blue and Starry Black colors.

Oppo A55 4G Specs

8. Redmi 10 Prime

The Redmi 10 Prime packs a quad-camera setup having a 50MP primary camera, an 8MP ultra-wide-angle camera, a 2MP macro camera, and a 2MP depth sensor. There are quick toggles for HDR as well as AI, and there is a Pro mode that gives complete control over settings.

Photos shot in daylight but in overcast conditions come out to be average as they are over-sharpened with the edges being grainy. Close-up shots are detailed and colors are accurate. You also get an option to set the level of blur before taking a shot. Low light performance is ok while the Night Mode produces brighter images but without the best details.

Selfies are decent while Video recording tops at 1080p for the primary camera as well as the selfie shooter. The footage is not well stabilized while shooting in daylight or during the night. The price for Redmi 10 Prime starts at Rs. 12,499 in India. It comes in 3 color options-Bifrost Blue, Astral White, and Phantom Black.

Redmi 10 Prime Specs

9. Realme 8i

Realme 8i looks like it has a quad-camera setup though it has only 3 sensors. The primary sensor is 50MP with an f/1,8 aperture. The other 2 are a 2MP B&W camera and a 2MP macro camera. The realme camera app has different shooting modes laid out at the bottom of the viewfinder making it easy to switch between them.

The smartphone uses pixel binning to deliver 12.5MP output from its 50MP sensor. The phone sharpens images and details are well highlighted. Close-ups are good and add a soft depth to the background. Low light camera performance is not the best, but then you can’t expect that in the under 15k price range.

Night Mode helps capture details in shadows better and images are bright as well. For video recording, there is an ultra-steady mode but that doesn’t work very well. Realme 8i starts at Rs. 13,900 and is available in Space Black and Space Purple color variants.

Realme 8i Specs

10. Narzo 50A

Realme has introduced a 50MP camera with Narzo 50A and the photo quality from this camera is decent. The edges are sharp and the colors are accurate too. Night Mode claims to give good photos in low light. Ultrawide camera lens gives good group selfies and landscapes. Recording videos on this phone is very easy. 1080p videos can be recorded with good light and have an additional flashlight feature for extra brightness that you need.

Narzo 50A also has a 2MP portrait lens and a 2MP macro camera both of which work ok, but don’t have much of use if you want your photographs to be too accurate. Realme Narzo 50A starts at Rs. 11, 499 and comes in 2 color options-Oxygen Blue and Oxygen Green.

Narzo 50A Specs

11. Realme C25y

Realme is one such brand, which always focuses on its camera department. Realme C25Y offers a triple camera setup that offers a dynamic range of images. Primary 50MP camera with the 2MP macro and 2MP depth sensors give you a broader scope to use your imagination through photos. The absence of OIS can be frustrating at times and there is an 8MP selfie camera which is decent as per price level.

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The primary camera allows video recording of 1080p videos maximum, while the selfie camera is capable of recording videos of 720p maximum. Realme C25y comes in 2 color variants- Glacier Blue and Metal Gray and is priced at Rs. 11,999 in India.

Realme C25y Specs

12. Infinix Hot 11S

The camera of the Infinix Hot 11S has been upgraded to 50MP with a wide aperture of f/1.6. The camera performance of this smartphone has improved over Hot 10S, especially in low-light conditions, though more consistency in human skin tone and white balance accuracy is needed.

Selfies with an 8MP shooter are decent and the details go for a toss if the lighting conditions are anything but optimal. The dedicated LED flash upfront helps you capture slightly better selfies than the screen flash selfies of the other phones in this price segment. Video recording is capped at 2k 30fps but doesn’t have any stabilization, which is a downside.

The other 2 cameras on the back, an AI lens, and a depth sensor are just given to make it a triple camera setup, instead, a 2MP macro lens would have been a better choice. Infinix Hot 11S begins at Rs. 10,999 in India and is available in 3 colors- 7 Degrees Purple, Green Wave, and Polar Black.

Infinix Hot 11S Specs

Here’s a quick summary of the top 12 phones with a 50MP camera:

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