I love the convenience of having my smartphone also be my primary camera. Advances in digital technology mean I can take an endless number of amazing, high quality pictures using just my smartphone—something I never could have imagined back when I was still buying flash bulbs and rolls of film at the drugstore!
These days, if you’re shopping for a new smartphone, it means you’re also shopping for a new camera. Here are a few key smartphone camera features to look for to make sure you’re getting everything you need to take memorable photos.
Megapixels are the unit of measurement for a camera’s graphic resolution. While lower megapixels may be fine for some basic shots, the image will appear “pixelated”—that is, blocky and fuzzy—if you print or enlarge it. You will find a huge difference among smartphone cameras. Some basic models, for instance, offer 5MP cameras, while premium models like the iPhone 11 or Samsung Galaxy Note10 come with 12MP cameras.
One of the features you’ll want to pay close attention to is the rear-facing camera, which may come with multiple lenses. In recent years, manufacturers have added more and more lenses to the back camera, spawning designations such as “dual-lens” and “triple-lens.” This gives you more versatility, with specific lenses for directing light and a sensor for capturing it, both of which affect the quality of the finished shot.
While multiple lenses don’t always guarantee better photos, they each have a specific purpose. Wide, or ultra-wide-angle lenses fit more in the shot, whether it’s a sweeping landscape or a row of friends’ faces. They’re the equivalent of taking a few paces back with a standard camera so you get more in the frame. Ultra or super-wide lenses, of course, let you take more figurative steps back.
There are additional features that will improve your camera quality, as well. Many models now include a panorama setting, which creates sweeping, unbroken images of a large area or scene. iPhone models come with the live photo option, to convert still pictures into short animations. You’ll also find a wide variety of built-in photo editing software, including filters, which let you digitally alter the appearance of your photo in a few quick steps.
Any modern smartphone camera is truly wonderful for letting you easily capture photos whenever and wherever you want. But the features discussed here provide the tools you need to go from simply taking good pictures to taking great ones.
I am interested in a one line smart phone
Hi Erna, thanks for your post! It can definitely seem like a huge decision to make when selecting a phone, one phone I would recommend that I’ve seen have great reviews and is a midrange price is our Motorola Moto E6 that is priced at $80 plus tax. If you’d like, you can find out some more details on this phone by going to our website here. Be sure to let us know if you have any other questions about our phones though! You can reach us by giving us a call at 888-548-6490 or you can also chat with a live agent here.
will shop in person soon
I was interested in the Samsung Galaxy J7 smart phone, but now jumped to J20 phone. I was interested in most of specs of J7 like hearing aide compatibility voice recognition instead of typing, dual ,camera, 32GB internal storage, 1280 x 720 pixel HD display, long battery life, etc. Is 32GB too much storage for me. I mostly use e-mail, much research on internet, etc.?
What other Consumer Cellular smart phone would be very comparable to the J7 one?? or are there too many/or few features for me??
Hi Rita, thanks for your post! The Samsung A20 is actually close in terms of the specs as to what the Samsung J7 was, if not a bit better because it’s an updated model. 32GB is a great amount of storage because this will allow the phone and apps to continue to update even as you take photos or download anything for the phone that you want to use on it. The Samsung J3 would also be a model that is similar to what the Samsung J7 and is on a great sale as well.
I’m currently intrested in purchasing a plan thru Consummer Celular. Just need to contact my previous plan and cancel before making up my mind as to what plan I want. I’ll give myself more time but will get in contact with you soon.
What will I need to do to replace my present phone with a hand me down I will be getting soon?
Hi Bob, thanks for posting! You’ll want to move the SIM card from the old phone into the new phone before powering the device off and back on again. If you need any assistance with this process though feel free to give us a call at 888-548-6490 or you can also chat with a live agent here.
What’s the simplest most inexpensive phone with the best camera(12MP, able to capture images at night)?
Hi Ki, thanks for your question! We do offer some great, inexpensive phones that take great pictures. One example is our Moto E6 that is available for $80 plus tax. However, these simpler phone cameras are not the best when it comes to low light photos and you’d mainly be using flash for them. The phones that are the best options for low light photography currently would be our newer Apple and Samsung models.
Can CC add my new Apple Watch to my cellular plan? Does it matter if it is version 3 or version 5?
That’s a great question, Ralph! Since we do not offer eSIM support, which is required for the Cellular function on the Apple Watches 3 or newer, you would not be able to add it to your account. However, you can still connect an Apple Watch to one of our iPhones via Bluetooth.
I have the Galaxay A20. What upgrade do you suggest to get great photos when I travel in Nov on a European River cruise? Would like to use cell phone instead of a separate camera. Hoping to not exceed $300. Thanks!!
Hi Ramona, thanks for your question! Based on your budget, I would recommend our Motorola G Stylus. You can take a look at the specs and more details for the phone by going to our website here. If you have any questions about the phone at all, just let us know!