(Best Camera Phones)Why Long-Zoom Matters More Than Megapixels in 2025
(Best Camera Phones)Why Long-Zoom Matters More Than Megapixels in 2025Social video shifted to 10-second hyper-punch B-roll—tight crops sell.
Smartphone sensors grew to 1 inch; optics, not pixels, now limit reach.
Travel is back; you can’t cross safety barriers at concerts or zoos.
And let’s be honest: flexing a clear 50× moon pic still impresses Aunt Linda.
Methodology: Lab Gear & Real-World Rules (Best Camera Phones)
| Tool | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Leica Distagon 50 mm f/2 reference lens (Sony α7CR) | Ground-truth sharpness & colour |
| Datacolor Spyder Checkr 24 | Calibrate white balance in RAW apps |
| Insta360 Flow Tripod | Standardise shooting height & shake |
| Luxi G-Pro Light Meter | Ensure daylight scenes ±0.2 EV |
Field protocol
Shoot JPG + RAW (where available) at 1×, 5×, 10×, 30×, 100×.
Use each phone’s default camera app; AI modes ON (real-user scenario).
For fairness, no third-party gimbals except the base tripod seat.
Blind polls
I uploaded anonymized 10× and 30× images to X/Twitter. I received 5,100 votes in 24 hours to find out people’s preferences.
Best Zoom Phone 2025 ( Best Camera Phones)
Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra 100× sample
200 MP 1-inch GN3 main, 50 MP 10× periscope (240 mm equiv).
Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 for Galaxy ISP, Astro-Zoom AI.
12 GB RAM / 144 Hz AMOLED.
Xiaomi 15 Ultra variable aperture camera
1-inch LYT-900 50 MP main, 120 mm 5× periscope ƒ/1.8–ƒ/4 variable aperture.
HyperOS imaging pipeline, 120 W HyperCharge.
GPixel 9 Pro XL Super-Res zoom test
50 MP 1/1.12″ main, 48 MP 160 mm periscope, Tensor G4 + Super-Res Zoom V4.
AI fusion promises “lossless” 20× via stacking.
iPhone 16 Pro Max tetraprism review
48 MP stacked-sensor main, 48 MP 120 mm tetraprism 5×, 48 MP crop-zoom to 25×.
A18 Pro ISP + Photonic Engine 3.
Read Also iPhone 16 Pro vs Galaxy S25 Ultra: Camera Champions Compared
1 – Daylight Skyline (Midtown → One WTC)
5× (≈ 120 mm): The Colour & Micro-Contrast Game
Galaxy S25U punched crisp lines on skyscraper windows; vivid but not garish.
iPhone 16PM delivered the most neutral whites; edges softened slightly from tetraprism optics.
Xiaomi 15U variable aperture auto-chose ƒ/4 for corner sharpness—stellar micro-contrast.
Pixel 9PXL leaned magenta, but Google’s HDR stacked cloud details better than all rivals.
Winner @ 5×: Xiaomi 15 Ultra—sharp front-to-back, accurate hues.
10× (≈ 240 mm)
Pixel’s optical path stops at 160 mm, so 10× is hybrid. Samsung’s 10× native lens outperformed others. It measured 2,090 lines. In comparison, Xiaomi’s digital zoom measured 1,350 lines. The Pixel’s hybrid lens measured 1,180 lines.
Blind poll: 78 % chose Galaxy at 10×.
30× Crop
Galaxy’s AI “Detail-Enhancer” kept window frames readable. Xiaomi smeared a bit; Pixel’s Super-Res closed the gap impressively, landing second. iPhone fell to last—25× max optical crop, beyond that processing couldn’t rescue softness.
2 – Night-Time Clocktower (10 p.m., Tripod)
ISO locked 800, shutter 1/5 s, tripod.
| Phone | Centre MTF10 | Shadow Noise (dB) | White Balance (Kelvin) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Galaxy S25U | 1 720 LPH | –38 | 4 050 K |
| Xiaomi 15U | 1 650 | –41 (cleanest) | 4 200 K |
| Pixel 9PXL | 1 580 | –39 | 4 000 K (closest) |
| iPhone 16PM | 1 430 | –37 | 4 350 K |
Galaxy edges close-up sharpness; Xiaomi wins low-noise thanks to ƒ/1.8 periscope. Pixel nails colour temp. iPhone lags in pure reach.
3 – Indoor Concert Stage (LED + Spotlights, Hand-Held)
A 90-minute indie-club set pushes every stabilisation system to the limit. I shot at 5× and 20× while weaving through the crowd.
| Phone | Keeper Rate* @ 5× | Keeper Rate @ 20× | AF Lock Speed | Colour Cast |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Galaxy S25 Ultra | 92 % | 76 % | 0.18 s | Slight red boost |
| Xiaomi 15 Ultra | 88 % | 68 % | 0.15 s | Neutral |
| Pixel 9 Pro XL | 85 % | 65 % | 0.21 s | Magenta |
| iPhone 16 Pro Max | 79 % | 42 % | 0.20 s | Warm yellow |
*Sharp, blur-free frames, judged on a 27-inch 5 K monitor.
Take-away: Samsung’s dual-pixel autofocus on the periscope works well even in flashing lights. Pixel’s Super-Res captures detail but takes a moment to process, so subjects need to stay still.
4 – Wildlife Reserve (Hand-Held 30×–100× Tracking)
Panning with a giraffe at 70 m is the ultimate handshake test. I shot bursts at 30×, 50×, and each phone’s max.
Stabilisation Results (Standard Deviation of Pixel Drift)
| Zoom Level | S25 Ultra | Xiaomi 15U | Pixel 9PXL | iPhone 16PM |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 30× | 1.2 px | 1.7 px | 1.4 px | 2.3 px |
| 50× | 1.9 px | 2.6 px | 2.2 px | 3.8 px |
| 100× / Max | 3.8 px | 4.5 px | 4.1 px (Super-Res 100×) | — (25× limit) |
Samsung’s adaptive VDIS + AI Subject Lock kept frames centred. Xiaomi’s bigger aperture let in light but increased blur if my elbows sagged.
Colour Science & White-Balance Consistency (Best Camera Phones)
Under overcast daylight, I shot a Spyder Checkr. ΔE (lower = better):
Pixel 9 Pro XL: 1.7
iPhone 16 PM: 1.9
Galaxy S25 U: 2.1
Xiaomi 15 U: 2.3
Google still rules neutral colour, but Samsung’s punchy palette looks social-media ready without edits.
Video Zoom – 4 K60 and 8 K30
Only Samsung and Xiaomi support 8 K30 on the periscope.
| Phone | 8 K30 Crop Reach | Rolling-Shutter (ms) | Audio Zoom Quality |
|---|---|---|---|
| S25 Ultra | 10× native | 9.2 | Directional, rich |
| Xiaomi 15 U | 5× native, 10× digital | 8.8 | Good |
| Pixel 9PXL | 4 K60 20× hybrid | 11.1 | Fair |
| iPhone 16PM | 4 K60 15× crop | 7.4 | Spatial Audio |
Samsung again leads for pure reach; Apple wins least wobble.
Battery Drain & Thermals While Zooming (30 min 8 K Loop)
| Phone | % Battery Used | Peak Temp (°C) |
|---|---|---|
| Galaxy S25 Ultra | 12 % | 43 |
| Xiaomi 15 Ultra | 10 % | 42 |
| Pixel 9 Pro XL | 15 % | 46 |
| iPhone 16 Pro Max | 11 % | 44 |
Xiaomi’s vapour-chamber shines in heat control; Pixel throttled after 22 min, dropping fps.
RAW Workflow: Dynamic-Range Headroom
Bright-to-dark EV spread pushed sensors:
Xiaomi 15 Ultra (14.7 EV) edged Samsung (14.4 EV).
Pixel pulled 14.2 EV via stacked RAW, impressive for smaller glass.
iPhone logged 13.9 EV but recovered shadows cleanly with ProRAW XDR.
Landscape shooters may lean Xiaomi for ISO 50 golden-hour flexibility.
Verdict – And the Long-Range Zoom Champion Is…
🥇 Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra – Optical 10× lens, class-leading stabilization, usable 100× moon shots. If zoom is your top priority, stop here.
🥈 Xiaomi 15 Ultra – The best for night zoom and RAW dynamic range. It’s perfect for photographers who take portraits (ƒ/1.4) and wildlife photos.
🥉 Google Pixel 9 Pro XL – Best colour science and clever AI upscaling; sacrifices pure reach beyond 20×.
Honorable Mention: iPhone 16 Pro Max – Consistent, but 5× ceiling limits true telephoto adventures.
Read Also Miniature Triple‑Camera Phones: Oppo Find X8 Mini
Conclusion – Pick the Right Zoom Rig for Your Travels (Best Camera Phones)
Safari or air shows? Samsung’s 240 mm lens + 100× digital wins.
City nightscapes & RAW edits? Xiaomi fights noise with big glass.
Family events & colour accuracy? Pixel’s neutral rendering shines.
Apple ecosystem? iPhone’s tetraprism suffices to 120 mm; carry binoculars beyond that.
Whichever you choose, pair it with a mini-tripod and remember: stable elbows beat spec sheets.
FAQs: Four Best Camera Phones
1. Does shooting at 100× damage sensor longevity?
No—digital crop, not mechanical stress.
2. Can I use Pro mode with Samsung’s 10× lens?
Yes, Expert RAW now supports periscope control up to ISO 6400.
3. Which phone captures astro photos best?
Galaxy’s Astro-Zoom stacks sky frames at 30×; Pixel’s Astrophotography tops wide-angle star fields.
4. Does Xiaomi’s variable aperture switch sounds audible on video?
The iris click is inaudible unless filming in dead-silent rooms.
5. Will Pixel’s Super-Res update improve beyond 20×?
Google hints at 30× “lossless” in Android 19, but hardware optics still cap detail.
Sample Galleries & Resources (Four Best Camera Phones)
Full-res originals (Google Drive)
DXOMARK test charts
Tripod recommendation – Insta360 Flow
Now load that camera app, zoom past the crowd, and capture moments no one else can reach. Happy shooting!
