These days, a phone isn't worth having if it doesn't have a top-notch snapper strapped to its back.
We've rounded up the crème de la crème of camera phones and delved a little deeper than simple megapixels to establish what handsets should be on any self-respecting mo-pho's (mobile photographer's) wishlist.
It seems raw power has been replaced with more nuanced designs of late, so we've selected what we think are the best cameraphones on the market at the moment and pitted them against one another.
However, rest assured we'll be adding to the test as more top-end phone snappers appear to ensure you're always aware of which phones are the best around for photography.
The TechRadar photo team has spent weeks with each device, taking photos in a variety of conditions and subjecting them to the same tests as the high-spec cameras we review every week to give you a real feel for the raw pictorial power of each phone.
However, we also look at how easy each phone is to use on a day by day basis - there's no point bringing a photographical powerhouse on a hike if it's impossible to use the blasted thing.
Where possible we shot specially designed charts to test the cameraphones' image quality, including our resolution chart, which gives a measure of how much detail each camera can capture. This is assessed by eye on a computer screen and is measured in line width per picture height x100 (LW/PH). High numbers are good as they indicate that more detail can be recorded.
We also shot charts to enable us to use computer software to assess how much image noise each camera generates, their ability to record light and dark tones within a single image (dynamic range) and their colour accuracy.
See here for more information about our noise and dynamic range tests.
We used the cameras in a variety of different situations, both outdoors and indoors, using different camera settings (where possible) and in different lighting conditions.
The images were all then examined on a computer screen at normal viewing size and at 100%.
So read on to find out which phones come up trumps in our test, and which should stick to the day job of transmitting our voice and texts across the airwaves.
Apple iPhone 4SAlthough we have few details about the iPhone 4S camera, we know that it has an 8MP sensor and a lens with a large maximum aperture to let more light and allow faster shutter speeds in low light to keep blur at bay.
There's not much in the way of camera controls on the 4S. The sensitivity settings, white balance and exposure, for example, are all set automatically with no way of adjusting them prior to taking a shot. It is however, possible to manually select whether the flash fires or not, or use it in the 'Auto' setting.
A tap of the screen is all that is required to set the focus point. The camera then usually does a quick backwards and forwards focus adjustment before the subject is made sharp – there's no focus confirmation though.
After choosing the focus point, the shutter icon (or the 'up' volume control) needs to be touched to take the shot.
When not in HDR mode, the shutter speed is something to behold, with the iPhone 4S easily able to take three or four shots in under a second (providing you don't need to focus time and again).
On-screen icons provide access to the secondary camera and the grid display, flash and HDR options. These icons can be difficult to see when you're shooting from an awkward angle and it's easy to touch one accidentally when you are trying to set the focus point.
The brightness of the subject under the AF point has an impact on the overall exposure of images, if the subject is very dark, for instance, the image is often made quite bright; if it is light the image may be dark. It is often worth playing around with different focus points to get the best exposure.
In HDR mode the camera creates three different versions after an image is captured and then merges them down into one that has more detail in the highlights and the shadows –it works pretty well.
At 100% on the computer screen the images from the iPhone 4S look natural, if a little soft, and have a faint granular texture, but they aren't over sharpened and there are no harsh edges, halos or watercolour effects.
At more sensible viewing sizes most of the iPhone 4S images look great. They look sharp and sufficiently detailed.
HDR off
HDR on
Colours are generally good, but there is some variation. The white balance can shift from one shot to the next.
iPhone 4S review
HTC Evo 3D
At 5MP the HTC's camera has the lowest resolution in this test, but because it has two lenses it can shoot regular 2D or 3D (at up to 2MP resolution) images. While 2D images can be viewed on any screen, 3D images can only be viewed on the phone or a 3D TV.
There are plenty of controls over the settings and it is very easy to use. Touching the capacitive screen sets the auto focus (SF) point and a shot is taken either by pressing the shutter release button on the side of the phone (usually the top when you hold it like a camera) or by touching the onscreen aperture icon.
Dual LED flash is on hand to provide a little in the way of illumination when light levels fall.
Auto focusing is reasonably quick, taking around a second in most shooting conditions, but there's a delay of around 2 sec between pressing the shutter release and the image being taken.
This shutter lag can mean you miss the moment, making the HTC a poor choice for spontaneous photography.
We found the 4.3in, 540x960 pixel screen very clear and it provides and good view of the scene in all but the very brightest conditions.
As we might expect, to see the 3D image you need to look straight on to the screen rather than at an angle to see the effect, but otherwise it works well.
Image colour is a bit disappointing from the HTC; most of our test images in natural light look a bit too warm with a red or magenta cast. This is a little surprising as in lab conditions the camera performed very well for colour reproduction, but perhaps it is more geared towards shooting indoor under artificial light.
Our images from the HTC have an inconsistent mix of impressive detail and smooth featureless patches with bold edges when examined at close quarters. This smoothing becomes particularly noticeable in out of focus areas which look like watercolour paintings.
Unlike the colour, this isn't a problem when viewing the images on the phone or at small sizes, but it becomes more obvious if the images are cropped or shown at larger sizes on a computer screen. Bright areas of sky also burned out quickly and clouds sometimes end up looking unnaturally dramatic.
HTC Evo 3D review
Motorola XT720
With 8MP at its disposal the Motorola Milestone XT720 is a step up in resolution from the HTC Evo 3D, but it has a smaller (3.7-inch) capacitive screen with 480x854 pixels. In a break from the LED norm, the XT720 features a Xenon flash similar to many compact cameras.
Composing images on LCD screens in bright light is often tricky, but the XT720's screen gave us the most trouble, effectively becoming a mirror when used outdoors in bright daylight.
Because the screen can be difficult to see outside, it is relatively easy to accidentally change the camera settings without realising - for instance, we managed to change the image size accidentally while shooting on a beach.
Using the camera is pretty straightforward, though the AF point is always locked at the centre (unless Face Detection mode is employed) and images are captured by pressing the button on the side of the phone.
Rather confusingly the camera controls are split across two locations, but thankfully the most frequently used features are grouped together (assuming you are happy to leave the camera application altogether to select the sensitivity setting automatically).
Zooming into our test images reveals they contain a respectable level of detail and although out of focus areas look a little uniform in tone, they have a natural appearance.
The transition from sharp detail to out of focus softness is handled well and generally images look natural.
On the whole colours are reproduced reasonably well, but our shot of a pile of tomatoes proved problematic. Red can be a problem colour for cameras and the XT720 struggled to reproduce the tones of the tomatoes skin accurately, giving the highlights a purple/blue note. This camera turned out the poorest result for colour in our lab tests
It's noticeable that Motorola XT720's camera managed to focus the closest to this macro subject with the largest tomato almost filling the frame before losing focus.
Motorola Milestone XT720 review
Nokia N8
The fact that Nokia is prepared to reveal a little more about the specification of the camera in the N8 suggests that it may be more serious about producing a phone that can also take the place of a compact camera.
Nokia combines the N8's 12MP 1/1.83 in sensor with a lens from one of the most respected names in photography - Carl Zeiss. Images are composed and reviewed on the 3.5in capacitive AMOLED 360x640 pixel touchscreen, which provides a decent view of the scene being shot.
The N8 has the largest collection of settings available, with options to set the scene mode to suit the shooting conditions, and self-timer, white balance and exposure compensation controls all being easily to hand via the on-screen Settings icon.
Although the N8 has a touchscreen this cannot be used for setting the AF point. In fact, unless Face Detection mode is selected, the AF point is locked in the centre of the frame and focusing is activated by half pressing the shutter release button on the side of the phone.
Alternatively, touching the icon at the bottom of the screen triggers the camera to focus and fires the shutter.
In good daylight the N8 usually focuses quickly, almost instantly, but like the other cameras here, it can become slower and less decisive in lower light conditions.
With a 12MP sensor the N8 could be vulnerable to serious problems with image noise, but our lab testing reveals that it copes well.
Like the Motorola XT720, the Nokia N8 has a Xenon flash to offer better colour reproduction in the darker scenes - although the heft of the phone is increased to accommodate this. It is a great option though, and one we wish phone manufacturers could make slimmer and place on more devices in the future.
Our resolution chart images (found in the Labs section of this test) show that the N8's high pixel count enable it to record significantly more detail than all the other phones in this test; in fact it out performs some compact cameras.
Nokia N8 review
Samsung Galaxy S2
Samsung's Galaxy S2 has an 8MP main camera and images are composed on the 4.3-inch 480x800 pixel Super AMOLED Plus capacitive touchscreen, which provides the clearest view in most conditions.
Thanks to its touch controls and sensible arrangement of the adjustment features this is one of the easiest cameras to use in this test. It's also one of the most responsive cameras here.
Smile Shutter mode, which triggers the camera to take a shot when the subject smiles doesn't work with everyone, but it's fun and can be relied upon to raise a smile from all but the grumpiest subject.
With other subjects, touching the screen over the most important part of the scene sets the AF point and brings the subject into focus, before the shutter icon is touched to take the shot. It's fast and intuitive, and only really beaten by the Touch Capture option on the Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc.
Although they aren't entirely grain free, at low sensitivity (ISO) settings there's relatively little sign of noise in the images.
The close-up shots of the tomatoes are particularly impressive. It took a few shots to get exactly the point we wanted sharp to be in focus, but there's bags of detail in the images and the red of the tomato skin is spot-on.
There is a slight tendency towards over exposure, but generally the results look natural and colours are reproduced well.
Samsung Galaxy S2 review
Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc
The 8MP Xperia Arc is a responsive little number with speedy auto focusing and minimal shutter lag. The 4.2in 480x854 pixel LED-backlit LCD also provides a decent view of the scene in all but the brightest conditions.
Touch Capture mode proves especially useful, enabling the AF point to be selected and activated and the shutter fired with a single touch on the capacitive touchscreen screen.
While this option can be deactivated and the camera made to focus using the button on the top of the phone, how you actually capture an image using this arrangement proved a bit of a mystery.
Unlike most the other cameras in this test (but like the iPhone 4S), the Arc doesn't allow sensitivity (ISO) settings to be set manually. This isn't too much of a hardship as most users are likely to keep the setting on auto to accommodate changes in lighting levels.
When subjects are at, what might be considered, a normal shooting distance the auto focus is fast and accurate, but as the subject gets closer it becomes a little more problematic, even when macro mode is selected.
As the camera takes a shot even if the subject isn't sharp we had to take a short series of images of our tomatoes to be sure to get one in focus.
Although the images from the Arc look good at relatively small sizes, they don't stand-up to much enlargement. As you zoom into images the details become rather impressionistic in places.
Colours from the Xperia Arc are a little more vibrant and saturated than real life, but they are not excessively so and the end results are generally pleasant. One disappointment, however, is the colour of bright blue skies which sometimes end up looking too cyan.
Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc review
Lab testsOne of the first tests we perform with a digital camera is to shoot our resolution chart to see how much detail it can record. We'd normally do this at every sensitivity setting, but as the Apple iPhone 4S and Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc don't allow the ISO settings to be set manually, we just had to plump for what it chose automatically in the bright lights of our lab.
Our resolution tests reveal that the Nokia N8 records the most detail, achieving a resolution score of 2,200 line widths per picture height (LH/PH) at its lowest sensitivity.
This is on a par with some top-end compact cameras. Next in line is the Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc with a score of 1,600 LH/PH, followed by the iPhone 4s at around 1,400 LH/PH.
Measuring a camera's image noise and dynamic range requires that the chart is exposed with some of the brightest parts burning out. Unfortunately, the lack of control that the iPhone 4S provides over exposure makes it impossible for the software to analyse the results.
Interestingly, our signal to noise results show that in the lab the HTC and Motorola cameras have the best theoretical output. However, comparing these results with the real world images suggests that these cameras score well here because they produce relatively clean images that lack the detail of the Nokia N8.
The heavy processing of the images from the HTC and Motorola phones, plus their lower pixel count, may also account for this unexpected result.
One issue with sensors that have high pixel counts is that the pixels are often very small. This can result in the cameras having a relatively low dynamic range with limited ability to record highlight and shadow detail in the same shot.
Fortunately, this doesn't appear to be the case with the Nokia N8 and it has a high dynamic range throughout its sensitivity (ISO) range. It is only beaten by the 5MP HTC.
ISO 100HTC Evo 3D
Motorola XT720
Nokia N8
Samsung Galaxy S2
Sony Ericsson
HTC Evo 3D
Motorola XT720
Nokia N8
Samsung Galaxy S2
Sony Ericsson
HTC Evo 3D
Motorola XT720
Nokia N8
Samsung Galaxy S2
HTC Evo 3D
Motorola XT720
Nokia N8
Samsung Galaxy S2
Our colour accuracy test reveals that the Nokia N8 performs the best, with a score of 102.5%. The HTC isn't far behind, but it fares less well in natural light. Perhaps not surprisingly, given its sometime varied results, the iPhone 4S comes out the worst, with the Motorola XT720 almost matching its poor performance.
HTC Evo 3D
Motorola XT720
Nokia N8
Samsung Galaxy S2
Sony Ericsson
iPhone 4S
Touch Capture mode means the Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc is very easy and fast to use, making it perfect for snapshot-type photography.
While the images from this camera are respectable, they are beaten for natural looking detail by the Samsung Galaxy S2 and iPhone 4S. All three of these cameras allow the AF point to be positioned anywhere on the screen and this is very useful for all sorts of photography.
Although it doesn't have the flexibility of the Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc, Apple iPhone 4S and Samsung Galaxy S2, the Nokia N8 is nevertheless easy to get to grips with and it generally turns out the best images. In fact, in good light the amount of detail that can be recorded by this phone is on a par with some top-end compact cameras.
In terms of all round image quality the battle is really between the iPhone 4S and the N8. The N8 is capable of capturing the most detail, but the iPhone 4S produces the most natural looking images – although the colour can vary a little from shot to shot. The Apple iPhone also has the benefit of being incredibly easy to use and has a startlingly fast shutter speed.
TechRadar's best cameraphoneThe winner of this test is the Nokia N8 - but only in terms of providing the best pictures quality in the widest range of areas. If you're looking for the phone on the market that will offer you the best pictures in a wide variety of scenarios, we'd suggest you plump for this phone.
However, it is slightly ageing now and the software is among the hardest to use on smartphone - although the incoming Nokia Belle update should remedy that somewhat.
If you're after something that will give you consistently good results in an instant, then that honour has to go to the iPhone 4S. It's swift, so easy to use that a technophobic penguin could operate it and offers great pictures on the fly.
It might not give you the absolute maximum a cameraphone can muster in every scenario, but it's a jack of all scenes and a master of many of them too.
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