Best 48MP Camera Mobile Phones (September 2023)

By Dhriti Datta | Updated on 01-Aug-2023

Mobile photography is developing at a rapid pace. It is closer than ever to eliminating the need for more professional-grade equipment after already cannibalising the sales of point-and-shoot cameras. According to Statista, the digital camera market is expected to grow by -0.52 per cent – which is a decline in overall sales. This is expected to continue owing to the growing potential of smartphone photography. We’ve seen developments in several key areas such as the introduction of more and more 1-inch sensors, custom imaging chips, improving computational photography, and more. While the megapixel count isn’t as important as larger sensors in phones, many devices sporting 48 MP cameras in 2023 have displayed reliable photography performance. Some 48 MP smartphone cameras on the market right now include the Sony IMX803, Sony IMX581, Sony IMX789, Samsung ISOCELL GM1, and others. We’ve got phones across varying budgets in this list including flagship ones like the iPhone 14 Pro Max and iPhone 14 Pro and budget ones like the Redmi Note 12, POCO X5, and Realme Narzo 50 Pro. So, for some of the best optics on your smartphone, look no further than these 48 MP phones.

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Popular Topten

iPhone 14 Pro Max

6.7" (QHD) Screen Size
48 +12 + 12MP | 12 MP
128GB / 8GB
4352 mAh Battery

The iPhone 14 Pro Max packs a triple camera setup headlined by an all-new 48 MP 1/1.28-inch primary sensor. This is quite a large sensor which lets in a substantial amount of light which leads to better-quality pictures, packed with detail. The iPhone 14 Pro Max is one of the most reliable camera phones on the market, and it almost always takes exceptional photos. Apple also introduced Photonic Engine powered by the A16 Bionic chip that works to offer brighter photos with great colour on all cameras. The main camera is capable of near optical-level 2x zoom, which outputs surprisingly high-quality images. If you’re looking for a tad more detail, you can also get full 48 MP shots using ProRAW mode. We spent a lot of time testing the camera chops of this device. We found that the primary camera clicks sharp pictures with rich colours. The phone is also capable of shooting fantastic videos – possibly the best in the business at this point. You also get 4K Cinematic Video which has been refined even further – the portrait effect looks even more natural and works seamlessly. All this makes the iPhone 14 Pro Max a superb all-rounder camera phone and the best 48 MP lens on a smartphone.

Pros

Great cameras
Powerful performer

Cons

Bulky design

MORE SPECIFICATIONS
Processor	:	Apple A16 Bionic Hexa core
Memory	:	8GB RAM, 128GB Storage
Display	:	6.7″ (QHD) screen inches, 460 PPI, 120Hz Refresh Rate
Camera	:	48 MP Triple Rear camera, 12 MP Front Camera with Video recording
Battery	:	4352 mAh battery
SIM	:	Single SIM with 5G support
Features	:	LED Flash, Wireless Charging
Price	:	₹ 127,999

iPhone 14 Pro

6.1" (QHD) Screen Size
48 +12 + 12MP | 12 MP
128GB / 8GB
3945 mAh Battery

The iPhone 14 Pro boasts the exact same camera setup as its older sibling – which means you get the exact same results as the iPhone 14 Pro Max. The primary 48 MP also employs Apple’s Photonic Engine, meaning you get bright and detailed pictures no matter the shooting condition. You will get great dynamic range, good colour, and fantastic detail. Be it low light, harsh sunlight, or gloomy weather, the iPhone 14 Pro camera is capable of clicking images that look very close to real life. The iPhone 14 Pro is especially proficient at clicking portraits, where the skin tones look more true to life than most Android flagship phones we’ve tested. The bokeh effect also looks natural and the edge detection is solid. Overall, this is a fantastic camera setup and ties with the iPhone 14 Pro Max for first place since they use the exact same lenses.

MORE SPECIFICATIONS
Processor	:	Apple A16 Bionic Hexa core
Memory	:	8GB RAM, 128GB Storage
Display	:	6.1″ (QHD) screen inches, 460 PPI, 120Hz Refresh Rate
Camera	:	48 MP Triple Rear camera, 12 MP Front Camera with Video recording
Battery	:	3945 mAh battery and USB USB port
SIM	:	Single SIM with 5G support
Features	:	LED Flash
Price	:	₹ 120,999

Google Pixel 7 Pro

6.7" (QHD) Screen Size
50 +48 + 12MP | 10.8 MP
128GB / 12GB
4926 mAh Battery

Google Pixel phones are famed for their fantastic camera chops which is largely aided by superb computational photography. The Pixel 7 Pro is no different. The phone houses a triple camera setup with a 50 MP primary lens, a 48 MP telephoto lens, and a 12 MP ultrawide shooter. The 48 MP telephoto lens is brand new while the other two lenses were previously seen in the Pixel 6 Pro. The telephoto lens is capable of clicking some impressive shots with good detail, colour and sharpness. The phone uses AI to optimise zoom shots so that it can provide greater levels of detail than what would be expected via digital zoom – so shots up to 10x zoom come out looking good. The Tensor G2 chip is capable of rearing the new Zoom Stabilisation feature at high levels of zoom that help electronically stabilise shots to provide clearer zoomed pictures. The Pixel 7 Pro is also one of the greatest phones for clicking portrait pictures. This is one of the more dependable 48 MP telephoto cameras you’ll find on the market.

Pros

Brilliant display
great cameras
stock Android
powerful AI implementation

Cons

Size may be too big
expensive
processor feels underpowered

MORE SPECIFICATIONS
Processor	:	Google Tensor G2
Memory	:	12GB RAM, 128GB Storage
Display	:	6.7″ (QHD) screen inches, 512 PPI, 120Hz Refresh Rate
Camera	:	50 MP Triple Rear camera, 10.8 MP Front Camera with Video recording
Battery	:	4926 mAh battery with fast Charging and USB Type-C port
SIM	:	Dual SIM
Features	:	LED Flash
Price	:	₹ 71,901

OnePlus 11 5G

6.7" (QHD) Screen Size
50 +48 + 32MP | 32 MP
128GB / 8GB
5000 mAh Battery

The OnePlus 11 5G continues the OnePlus x Hasselblad collaboration for its camera setup. The phone includes a 50 MP Sony IMX890 primary lens, a 32 MP telephoto shooter, and a 48 MP ultrawide lens. The ultrawide lens is the Sony IMX581 sensor. It is a larger sensor than the one used in its predecessor and supports autofocus. This also means you get macro-mode shots via the ultrawide camera on this phone. This ultrawide shooter is a definite improvement over the OnePlus 10 Pro’s ultrawide camera with clearer and more vivid shots being captured. Low light performance on the ultrawide camera has also improved with lower levels of noise and chock full of detail captured. Overall, this is a solid 48 MP lens which should be reliable in most situations. A good high-end camera phone for those not willing to spend over a lakh.

Pros

Powerful SoC
Big battery
fast charging

Cons

No IP Rating
No Wireless charging

MORE SPECIFICATIONS
Processor	:	Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 Octa core
Memory	:	8GB RAM, 128GB Storage
Display	:	6.7″ (QHD) screen inches, 526 PPI, 120Hz Refresh Rate
Camera	:	50 MP Triple Rear camera, 32 MP Front Camera with Video recording
Battery	:	5000 mAh battery with fast Charging and USB Type C port
SIM	:	Dual SIM with 5G support
Features	:	LED Flash
Price	:	₹ 61,999

Samsung Galaxy A34 5G

6.6" (FHD+) Screen Size
48 +8 + 5MP | 13 MP
256GB / 8GB
5000 mAh Battery

The Samsung Galaxy A34 5G brings an almost identical camera setup as compared to the Galaxy A33. It is just missing the 2 MP depth camera, and honestly, the usability of that lens is questionable either way. The phone packs a 48 MP Sony IMX582 primary camera with OIS capabilities. OIS or Optical Image Stabilisation helps minimise shake in your photos resulting in clearer images. The primary 48 MP camera clicks great pictures in daylight with good colour and dynamic range. Even in shots where the light is too harsh in the background, the camera manages to keep the highlights in check reliably. Low-light images with Night Mode active have good detail as well and the noise is kept in check to quite a degree.

Pros

Bright AMOLED panel
Premium looks, Reliable performance
Good primary and selfie cameras

Cons

Dated Infinity-U notch
Slow charging
No charger in box

MORE SPECIFICATIONS
Processor	:	Mediatek Dimensity 1080 Octa core
Memory	:	8GB RAM, 256GB Storage
Display	:	6.6″ (FHD+) screen inches, 390 PPI, 120Hz Refresh Rate
Camera	:	48 MP Triple Rear camera, 13 MP Front Camera with Video recording
Battery	:	5000 mAh battery with fast Charging and USB Type C port
SIM	:	Dual SIM with 5G support
Features	:	LED Flash
Price	:	₹ 30,999

Vivo X60 Pro

6.56" (1080 x 2376) Screen Size
48 + 13 + 13MP | 32 MP
256 GBGB / 12 GBGB
4200 mAh Battery

Launched in March 2021, the Vivo X60 Pro still has one of the best 48 MP cameras on the smartphone right now. At the time we reviewed this device, it was one of the absolute best cameras on a smartphone and it is still a reliable sensor. The Vivo X60 Pro houses a 48 MP Sony IMX598 primary sensor with an f/1.5 aperture. The Vivo x Zeiss partnership did wonders for this smartphone camera – you get solid, detailed images that have good colour as well. Dynamic range is also brilliant with plenty of detail captured in dark areas of the photo. Owing to the f/1.5 aperture, the low light shots out of the primary lens are very impressive. They’re exposed well and have good dynamic range with minimal noise. Night Mode boosts the detail in low-light shots even more.

Pros

Class-leading camera experience.
Macro camera sets the bar very high.
Performance rivals the best flagships.

Cons

Battery life is on the shorter side.
Display calibration needs improvement.
FunTouchOS has too much bloatware.

MORE SPECIFICATIONS
Processor	:	Qualcomm SM8250-AC Snapdragon 870 5G Octa-core core (1x3.2 GHz, 3x2.42 GHz, 4x1.80 GHz)
Memory	:	12 GBGB RAM, 256 GBGB Storage
Display	:	6.56″ (1080 x 2376) screen inches, 398 PPI
Camera	:	48 + 13 + 13 MP Triple Rear camera, 32 MP Front Camera with Video recording
Battery	:	4200 mAh battery with fast Charging and USB Type-C port
SIM	:	Dual SIM
Features	:	LED Flash
Price	:	₹ 49,990

OnePlus 10 Pro

6.7" (2K) Screen Size
50 +48 + 8MP | 32 MP
128GB / 8GB
5000 mAh Battery

While the OnePlus 10 Pro’s camera stack isn’t as versatile as the OnePlus 11, its 48 MP primary camera still makes its way on our list. The phone houses a 48 MP Sony IMX789 sensor with OIS support. This means your shots will mostly remain shake-free. The company collaborated with Hasselblad for this camera setup as well which features such as Hasselblad XPan making an appearance. This mode allows you to create 65:24 aspect ratio photos which look great when you’re doing street photography or clicking cityscapes. The main camera produces good-looking pictures with vibrant colours. HDR processing looks good and you get good natural depth of field effect as well. However, pictures taken with Night Mode active lose out on sharpness.

Pros

Good cameras
premium design
Powerful chipset

Cons

Buggy UI

MORE SPECIFICATIONS
Processor	:	Qualcommm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 Octa core (1x3.00 , 3x2.50 , 4x1.80)
Memory	:	8GB RAM, 128GB Storage
Display	:	6.7″ (2K) screen inches, 525 PPI, 120Hz Refresh Rate
Camera	:	50 MP Triple Rear camera, 32 MP Front Camera with Video recording
Battery	:	5000 mAh battery and USB Type-C port
SIM	:	Dual SIM with 5G support
Features	:	LED Flash
Price	:	₹ 66,999

Xiaomi Redmi Note 12 5G

6.67" (1080 x 2400) Screen Size
50 +8 + 2MP | 32 MP
128GB / 6GB
5100 mAh Battery

The Redmi Note 12 5G is a budget smartphone with a triple camera setup that is headlined by a 48 MP primary shooter. The camera is pretty good in daylight – images look sharp with good detail in most scenarios. The colours are a bit on the saturated side but they do look social-media-ready from the get-go. However, in low-light conditions, you will realise that the detail loss is significant and the shadows are crushed a bit too much. Nevertheless, if you mostly click photos during the day, the Redmi Note 12 is capable of providing you get photos that have a ‘wow’ factor for your Instagram and Facebook posts.

Pros

Long lasting battery
Super fast charging
Bright and vibrant display

Cons

Hybrid memory card slot
Can’t record videos at 60FPS
camera is average

MORE SPECIFICATIONS
Processor	:	MediaTek Dimensity 820 Oct core
Memory	:	6GB RAM, 128GB Storage
Display	:	6.67″ (1080 x 2400) screen inches, 405 PPI, 90Hz Refresh Rate
Camera	:	50 MP Triple Rear camera, 32 MP Front Camera with Video recording
Battery	:	5100 mAh battery with fast Charging and USB Type C port
SIM	:	Dual SIM
Features	:	LED Flash
Price	:	₹ 18,999

Realme Narzo 50 Pro 5G

6.4" (QHD) Screen Size
48MP | 16 MP
128GB / 6GB
5000 mAh Battery

While the Realme Narzo 50 Pro 5G is primarily marketed as a performance-oriented gaming phone, it has a pretty decent 48 MP main camera as well. It uses the Samsung ISOCELL GM1 lens that uses quad-pixel binning to provide brighter low-light shots. The phone is capable of clicking good shots in daylight but the colours are a bit too saturated and sometimes appear unnatural. However, the focusing abilities of the main camera are good for the price range. Low light shots also look detailed with very little noise – a substantial improvement over previous-gen Narzo phones.

Pros

Great design
Excellent battery life
Good camera performance

Cons

Loaded with bloatware
Lacks high refresh rate support
No microSD card slot

MORE SPECIFICATIONS
Processor	:	MediaTek Dimensity 920 Octa core (2x2.5 GHz, 6x2.0 GHz)
Memory	:	6GB RAM, 128GB Storage
Display	:	6.4″ (QHD) screen inches, 411 PPI, 90Hz Refresh Rate
Camera	:	48 MP Triple Rear camera, 16 MP Front Camera with Video recording
Battery	:	5000 mAh battery with fast Charging and USB Type-C port
SIM	:	Dual SIM with 5G support
Features	:	LED Flash
Price	:	₹ 18,999

10.

POCO X5 5G

6.67" (FHD+) Screen Size
48 +8 + 2MP | 13 MP
256GB / 8GB
5000 mAh Battery

The POCO X5 5G is yet another budget device that features a triple rear camera stack headlined by a 48 MP lens. The sensor name is not mentioned but it comes with f/1.8 aperture which means it should be able to pull in decent levels of light, even in low-lit conditions. The 48 MP primary lens performs decently well in daylight with good focusing. The images in daylight look good but there’s some level of sunlight flares which can be off-putting. Nevertheless, the phone captures detailed shots with decent HDR processing but you need to remember to turn on HDR mode because it does not activate automatically.

Pros

Bright AMOLED display
Large 5,000 mAh battery
IP53 rated
Reliable mid-range SoC

Cons

Doesn’t come with Android 13
Bloatware
Only 1080p at 30 fps video

MORE SPECIFICATIONS
Processor	:	Qualcomm Snapdragon 695 5G Octa core
Memory	:	8GB RAM, 256GB Storage
Display	:	6.67″ (FHD+) screen inches, 395 PPI, 120Hz Refresh Rate
Camera	:	48 MP Triple Rear camera, 13 MP Front Camera with Video recording
Battery	:	5000 mAh battery with fast Charging and USB Type C port
SIM	:	Dual SIM with 5G support
Features	:	LED Flash
Price	:	₹ 18,359

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Dhriti Datta

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About Me: Perpetually sporting a death stare, this one can be seen tinkering around with her smartphone which she holds more dear than life itself and stuffing her face with copious amounts of bacon. Read More about Dhriti Datta

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List Of Best 48MP Camera Mobile Phones

Best 48MP Camera Mobile Phones	Seller	Price
iPhone 14 Pro Max	Amazon	₹ 127,999
iPhone 14 Pro	Amazon	₹ 120,999
Google Pixel 7 Pro	Amazon	₹ 71,901
OnePlus 11 5G	Amazon	₹ 61,999
Samsung Galaxy A34 5G	N/A	₹ 30,999
Vivo X60 Pro	Amazon	₹ 49,990
OnePlus 10 Pro	Amazon	₹ 66,999
Xiaomi Redmi Note 12 5G	Amazon	₹ 18,999
Realme Narzo 50 Pro 5G	Amazon	₹ 18,999
POCO X5 5G	Amazon	₹ 18,359

Best 48MP Camera Mobile Phones (September 2023)

Mobile Phones by Price

Mobile Phones by Feature

Mobile Phones by Brand

Popular Topten

iPhone 14 Pro Max

iPhone 14 Pro

Google Pixel 7 Pro

OnePlus 11 5G

Samsung Galaxy A34 5G

Vivo X60 Pro

OnePlus 10 Pro

Xiaomi Redmi Note 12 5G

Realme Narzo 50 Pro 5G

POCO X5 5G

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List Of Best 48MP Camera Mobile Phones