Smartphone cameras have come a long way, and it’s pretty hard to come across a phone with a bad camera today. But my litmus test for a smartphone’s photography capabilities is to take it to a concert. Capturing frenetic movement on stage, lasers, darkness, and extremely dynamic lighting can stress even the best camera smartphones. It’s also an excellent way to gauge video capture, microphones, and zoom capabilities. However, in all my years of smartphone testing and concert-going, I’ve observed one common trend: no single phone excels at both photo and video capture.
No single phone excels at both photo and video capture.
Be it Samsung’s persistent shutter lag, the Pixel’s softer-than-the-competition video quality, or the iPhone’s low-light action photography struggles, I’ve yet to come across a phone that shines with both still photography and video capture when pushed to the limits. As a mobile photography enthusiast, going into 2024, all I want is a smartphone that truly excels at capturing both photographs and videos.