4 phones with better cameras than the Google Pixel 10

The base Google Pixel 10 was released in 2025 as part of Google’s 10th generation Pixel phone series. One of the biggest improvements the Pixel 10 brings is a triple rear camera setup, which was previously exclusive to the Pro models. This helped the Pixel 10 become a more versatile shooter than its predecessor, the Pixel 9, thanks to the addition of a telephoto lens to its camera setup. This phone comes with a 48 MP 1/2.0-inch primary wide-angle camera, a 10.8 MP telephoto camera with 5x optical zoom, and a 13 MP ultra-wide camera with a 120-degree field of view.

On the front is a single 10.5 MP ultra-wide for taking selfies, housed in a punch-hole cutout. In our review of the Pixel 10, we found that the device has a good camera. However, it falls short in some areas, so it’s not the best for anyone who wants a camera-focused phone. In fact, we found it to be a downgrade in some areas compared to the Pixel 9. If you’re looking for a phone with better cameras than the Pixel 10, there are several options available.

We’ve rounded up four options you can consider if you want better cameras than what the Pixel 10 offers. The list includes models from Google’s lineup and competitors like Samsung, Apple, and Oppo.

If you want a phone with better cameras than the Pixel 10, you need to start with Google’s own line of phones. The Pixel 10 Pro/Pro XL has a triple rear camera setup, but with better lenses than you get on the base model. The Pixel 10 Pro and 10 Pro XL include a 50 MP primary wide-angle lens, a 48 MP telephoto lens with 5x optical zoom, a 48 MP ultra-wide lens, and a single 42 MP selfie camera.

In our hands-on review of the Pixel 10 Pro XL, we found the phone to be an excellent shooting device, capturing excellent photos on all lenses. It produced “detailed and vibrant shots” in well-lit environments. Even in low light conditions, the device also “performed very well.” Digital Camera World also attests to the Pixel 10 Pro/Pro XL’s capabilities, naming them the best devices for photography with “excellent camera performance across all three lenses.”

The site claims that the “quality and consistency of its cameras are sublime” and adds that both particularly excel at low-light night photography, perhaps helped by the larger 1/1.31-inch main lens, which allows more light to reach the sensor. The only downside is that the Pixel 10 Pro and 10 Pro XL are a bit more expensive than the $599 Pixel 10, starting at $699 and $949, ​​respectively. The 10 Pro XL also has a larger 6.8-inch screen and weighs 8.18 ounces.

Like the Pixel 10, the iPhone 17 Pro also comes with a triple rear camera setup. On paper, the iPhone 17 Pro comes with a 48 MP wide lens, a 48 MP telephoto lens with 4x optical zoom, and a 48 MP ultra-wide lens. On the front is a single 18 MP selfie camera. According to our iPhone 17 Pro review, the device “performed incredibly well in all situations,” which says a lot about its shooting capabilities.

We even found the iPhone 17 Pro to be a slightly better shooter than the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra and Pixel 10 Pro. Other reviewers also praised the iPhone 17 Pro’s ability to shoot video, with TechRadar calling it a “pro tool for videographers.” On the other hand, Android Authority declared it the best phone for shooting videos, saying it has solid stabilization even at 4x zoom. Among the features that make the iPhone 17 Pro camera better than the Pixel 10 is the ability to shoot ProRes RAW as well as 4K Dolby Vision at up to 120 fps.

ProRes RAW is especially great for anyone who wants to use a phone to record video, because it gives you more control when editing footage. However, the iPhone 17 Pro starts at $1,099, which is $500 more than the current price of the Pixel 10. Luckily, it gives you 256GB of storage in the base model, which is double what the Pixel 10 offers, and offers a more premium package overall.

The Oppo Find X9 Ultra ranks among the best phones when it comes to taking photos and videos. According to PetaPixel, the Find This is high praise for the device. Of course, the secret lies in carefully choosing the phone’s camera lenses. Unlike the Pixel 10, this device comes with a quad camera.

The rear camera array consists of a 200 MP wide telephoto lens, a 200 MP telephoto lens (with 3x optical zoom), a 50 MP telephoto lens (with 10x optical zoom), and a 50 MP ultra-wide lens, while the front includes a 50 MP selfie camera. In terms of specifications alone, the Find This phone can also shoot in Dolby Vision HDR at 4K 60fps, which you won’t find on the Pixel.

It also offers a higher optical zoom range, up to 10x. Unfortunately, the Oppo Find X9 Ultra is one of the best phones not sold in the United States. If you’re ready and willing to go through the hoops to get it, be prepared to pay more, as it starts at an equivalent of around $2,000.

The Galaxy S26 Ultra is Samsung’s flagship phone for 2026. The Galaxy S26 Ultra comes with a quad-camera setup with a 200 MP wide telephoto lens, a 10 MP telephoto lens with 3x optical zoom, a 50 MP telephoto lens with 5x optical zoom, and a 50 MP ultra-wide lens. Next to the four is a single 12 MP wide selfie camera. The Galaxy S26 Ultra can record up to 8K video at 24 or 30 fps, something the Pixel can’t.

It also comes with a nifty video stabilization feature called Horizon Lock that attempts to keep the video at the same level no matter how you move or flip the device like a gimbal. We tested the Galaxy S26 Ultra and loved its versatile system, noting that it “takes excellent photos in every situation.” PC Mag also put the device through its paces and says it’s an “incredibly powerful platform for shooting photos and video.”

The Galaxy S26 Ultra also offers a handful of advanced video shooting modes for those who want greater control over their videos. If you’re focused on choosing the Galaxy S26 Ultra, be aware that it’s a much larger device than the 6.3-inch Pixel 10 and it’s not cheap either. The Galaxy S26 Ultra has a larger 6.9-inch screen and is a bit heavier. Plus, it starts at $1,100 for the base model with 256GB of storage, making it $500 more than the Pixel 10’s current price.

The Pixel 10 isn’t the best camera phone in Google’s lineup (let alone the broader smartphone ecosystem), as it doesn’t sit at the top of the company’s 10th generation series. To find phones with better camera setups than the Pixel 10, we first started by looking at what this phone offers.

Then, based on our review and general expertise in reviewing different smartphones, we looked for phones that offered better specifications not only on paper but also performed well in real life. That’s because you can’t easily tell whether a given phone is a better shooter than another just by looking at a spec sheet – it’s much more nuanced than that. To choose the four options, we based our selection both on our past reviews of some of these phones and also on the opinions of other independent testers.