#camera-and-battery-comparisons

#camera-and-battery-comparisons

The new camera features, on the other hand, are neither of those things. They're something worse. Something scarier. On this episode of The Vergecast, Nilay and David discuss the new phones, then dive into the ways in which the S26's AI camera features seem to be clearly designed to change the whole idea of what happens when you try to take a picture.

If it's speed you want for sports or action shots of your kids, models like Canon's R50 can shoot bursts as fast as many high-end cameras. Creators, meanwhile, can choose Sony's ZV-E10 for vlogging jobs. There are also great, and cheap, models in the action and gimbal camera categories.

Perhaps the most anticipated new camera of 2025, Sony's new A7V mirrorless camera just squeaked onto the scene before the end of the year. The A7 series is Sony's all-around camera. It lacks the resolution of the A7R cameras and the video focus of the A7S cameras, but in some ways offering enough of the best of those to make the plain A7 the best choice for most people.

Younger folks are snapping up old point-and-shoots because they view the aesthetic as more authentic and more appealing than smartphone images. Companies are even rereleasing old tech at new prices. And there are cameras like the original Camp Snap: a $70 single-button point-and-shoot with no screen, designed as a modern take on a disposable film camera. It's cheap enough to send off with a kid to summer camp and accessible enough for just about anyone to enjoy its lo-fi aesthetic.

Xiaomi's Photography Kit Pro for the Xiaomi 17 Ultra represents this evolution by adding manual control features and filter compatibility. The kit includes a magnetic case with detachable filter threads, a photography grip with USB-C connectivity supporting 90W HyperCharge, and customizable controls including a two-stage shutter, zoom lever, video button, and adjustable dial.

In recent years, smartphone photography has become increasingly dominated by software. Computational imaging, AI processing, and post-capture optimisation now play a central role in how images are produced. Yet as these techniques become more widespread, camera hardware is once again emerging as a key differentiator. The REDMI Note 15 Pro 5G Series reflects this shift clearly, placing renewed emphasis on sensor capability and optical fundamentals rather than relying solely on software to define image quality.

Samsung's Galaxy S20 Ultra wasn't the first phone to feature a periscopic telephoto lens - both Huawei and Oppo beat the Korean company to it - but it was the first in the US to make such a big deal about it. Almost all of Samsung's marketing for the S20 Ultra centered on its so-called Space Zoom, its 5x optical folded periscope lens, capable of digitally zooming much further.

For millions of people, the ability to share a fresh photo wirelessly - Facebook, Twitter, e-mail, text message - is so tempting, they're willing to sacrifice a lot of real-camera goodness. That's an awfully big convenience/photo-quality swap. A real camera teems with compelling features that most phones lack: optical zoom, big sensor, image stabilization, removable memory cards, removable batteries and decent ergonomics. (A four-inch, featureless glass slab is not exactly optimally shaped for a hand-held photographic instrument.)

The GT 9 Pro would keep that, presumably, while also employing a 200MP main camera. Two 200MP cameras on one phone will be a massive trend in China later this year, with the Oppo Find X9s, Oppo Find X9 Ultra, and vivo X300 Ultra all expected to have such a setup.

On paper, the Honor Magic 8 Pro is all about a trio of promises. It leans on a suite of AI features that aim to make the phone feel smarter and more helpful in the background. It builds around a camera system that claims strong low-light performance and long-range telephoto power. It wraps everything in a premium OLED display that is bright, sharp, and clearly meant to impress the moment you turn it on.

The teaser is all about "vibrant night even in low light", and while Samsung doesn't explicitly mention which device it's talking about, we assume it's the Galaxy S26 Ultra, since that one will have the best cameras of the trio. Of course, Samsung's competitors from China may rightly point out that you need big sensors for nighttime photography, since they can take in more light,

The Xiaomi 18 series is expected to debut later this year and will likely comprise a standard model alongside the Xiaomi 18 Pro. While details about the lineup remain scarce, a new leak suggests that the devices could feature a dual 200MP camera setup. According to tipster Digital Chat Station, an upcoming compact flagship with a 6.3-inch display is tipped to feature dual 200MP rear cameras.

Honor revealed that its upcoming flagship will feature a 50MP main cam armed with a 1/1.3 sensor. It will be paired with a 64MP periscope telephoto lens. Tipster UniverseIce chimed in with more details, claiming the main cam will feature an f/1.6 aperture and 23mm equivalent focal length. The periscope telephoto will apparently get an f/2.6 aperture and 74mm equivalent focal range. The module will also offer 3.2x optical zoom and up to 100x digital zoom.