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Updated Jun 2026

Best Phones for Photography

Phones ranked by our camera sub-score — main lens detail, low-light, telephoto reach, computational pipeline, and video.

Ranked by the weighted Specdex score — 0-100 composite of real-world and synthetic benchmarks.

  1. #1
    Xiaomi

    Xiaomi 15 Ultra

    Snapdragon 8 Elite · Leica · 1-inch sensor

    Xiaomi’s photography flagship — a 1-inch main sensor and Leica processing redefine what a phone can capture.

    Editor’s Pick
    $1,499
    Read review →
  2. #2
    Apple

    iPhone 17 Pro Max 256GB (Natural Titanium)

    A19 Pro · 256GB · Natural Titanium

    Apple's iPhone 17 Pro Max (256GB, Natural Titanium) — September 2025 flagship with A19 Pro.

    Editor’s Pick
    $1,199
    Read review →
  3. #3
    Apple

    iPhone 17 Pro Max 256GB (Black)

    A19 Pro · 256GB · Black

    Apple's iPhone 17 Pro Max (256GB, Black) — September 2025 flagship with A19 Pro.

    Editor’s Pick
    $1,199
    Read review →
  4. #4
    Apple

    iPhone 17 Pro Max 256GB (White)

    A19 Pro · 256GB · White

    Apple's iPhone 17 Pro Max (256GB, White) — September 2025 flagship with A19 Pro.

    Editor’s Pick
    $1,199
    Read review →
  5. #5
    Apple

    iPhone 17 Pro Max 256GB (Deep Blue)

    A19 Pro · 256GB · Deep Blue

    Apple's iPhone 17 Pro Max (256GB, Deep Blue) — September 2025 flagship with A19 Pro.

    Editor’s Pick
    $1,199
    Read review →
  6. #6
    Apple

    iPhone 17 Pro Max 256GB (Cosmic Orange)

    A19 Pro · 256GB · Cosmic Orange

    Apple's iPhone 17 Pro Max (256GB, Cosmic Orange) — September 2025 flagship with A19 Pro.

    Editor’s Pick
    $1,199
    Read review →
  7. #7
    Apple

    iPhone 17 Pro Max 512GB (Natural Titanium)

    A19 Pro · 512GB · Natural Titanium

    Apple's iPhone 17 Pro Max (512GB, Natural Titanium) — September 2025 flagship with A19 Pro.

    Editor’s Pick
    $1,349
    Read review →
  8. #8
    Apple

    iPhone 17 Pro Max 512GB (Black)

    A19 Pro · 512GB · Black

    Apple's iPhone 17 Pro Max (512GB, Black) — September 2025 flagship with A19 Pro.

    Editor’s Pick
    $1,349
    Read review →
  9. #9
    Apple

    iPhone 17 Pro Max 512GB (White)

    A19 Pro · 512GB · White

    Apple's iPhone 17 Pro Max (512GB, White) — September 2025 flagship with A19 Pro.

    Editor’s Pick
    $1,349
    Read review →
  10. #10
    Apple

    iPhone 17 Pro Max 512GB (Deep Blue)

    A19 Pro · 512GB · Deep Blue

    Apple's iPhone 17 Pro Max (512GB, Deep Blue) — September 2025 flagship with A19 Pro.

    Editor’s Pick
    $1,349
    Read review →
  11. #11
    Apple

    iPhone 17 Pro Max 512GB (Cosmic Orange)

    A19 Pro · 512GB · Cosmic Orange

    Apple's iPhone 17 Pro Max (512GB, Cosmic Orange) — September 2025 flagship with A19 Pro.

    Editor’s Pick
    $1,349
    Read review →
  12. #12
    Apple

    iPhone 17 Pro Max 1TB (Natural Titanium)

    A19 Pro · 1TB · Natural Titanium

    Apple's iPhone 17 Pro Max (1TB, Natural Titanium) — September 2025 flagship with A19 Pro.

    Editor’s Pick
    $1,499
    Read review →
  13. #13
    Apple

    iPhone 17 Pro Max 1TB (Black)

    A19 Pro · 1TB · Black

    Apple's iPhone 17 Pro Max (1TB, Black) — September 2025 flagship with A19 Pro.

    Editor’s Pick
    $1,499
    Read review →
  14. #14
    Apple

    iPhone 17 Pro Max 1TB (White)

    A19 Pro · 1TB · White

    Apple's iPhone 17 Pro Max (1TB, White) — September 2025 flagship with A19 Pro.

    Editor’s Pick
    $1,499
    Read review →
  15. #15
    Apple

    iPhone 17 Pro Max 1TB (Deep Blue)

    A19 Pro · 1TB · Deep Blue

    Apple's iPhone 17 Pro Max (1TB, Deep Blue) — September 2025 flagship with A19 Pro.

    Editor’s Pick
    $1,499
    Read review →

Head-to-head

The two highest-ranked products compared side-by-side.

Xiaomi
Xiaomi 15 Ultra
Editor’s Pick
VS
Apple
iPhone 17 Pro Max 256GB (Natural Titanium)
Editor’s Pick
Full comparison →

Frequently asked

What is the best smartphone right now? +

Xiaomi 15 Ultra leads our Best Phones for Photography list. Xiaomi’s photography flagship — a 1-inch main sensor and Leica processing redefine what a phone can capture.

How does Specdex rank products? +

Specdex does not run benchmarks in-house. Rankings reflect editorial judgement based on manufacturer-published specs and public reviewer consensus. See the methodology page for sources and how the verdicts are formed.

How often is this list updated? +

The ranking is regenerated on every page load from our live D1 database. Scores re-calibrate whenever we add new products or firmware updates change benchmark results.