Which is the best camera phone in 2026? Picksly does not test phones itself: its camera score takes the "Camera" score published by DXOMARK and puts it on a scale of 100. Of the 240 smartphones tracked, 122 have one. Here is what this score says by price band, the best-rated models with their dated new price, what it does not see, and how each profile โ Budget, Smart, Premium โ uses it.
The figures below are from 11 October 2026: scores re-read from DXOMARK's public ranking between 21 September and 8 October, verified new prices in France recorded between 13 September and 8 October, with the date given each time. Prices move: always check the displayed price before buying.
How to read the camera score
The score starts from the "Camera" score of the DXOMARK ranking, for devices released since September 2022. DXOMARK has used two protocols that do not compare directly: V5 (83 models at Picksly, released from September 2022 to March 2025) and V6 (39 models, released from April 2024 to September 2026). Each therefore has its own scale: in V5, a score of 54.7 is worth 0 and 154.6 is worth 100; in V6, 118 is worth 0 and 171 is worth 100.
A score of 0 does not mean the phone cannot take pictures: it means its result sits at the bottom of the scale, or below it. And the camera is only one criterion among others: it weighs 18% of the general score, 8% of the Budget score (where value for money weighs 35%), 13% of the Smart score and 22% of the Premium score, alongside performance, battery, screen, memory and a few declared specifications. The weights are detailed on the method page.
What the camera score says by price band
Of the 158 smartphones with a verified new price in France, 76 have a camera score. By new-price band:
| New price | Models | With a camera score | Median camera score | Scored 75 or more |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| โฌ350 or less | 59 | 20 | 36 | 2 |
| โฌ350 to โฌ600 | 36 | 18 | 53 | 8 |
| โฌ600 to โฌ900 | 32 | 16 | 73 | 7 |
| Over โฌ900 | 31 | 22 | 86 | 16 |
The median rises with the price, from 36 under โฌ350 to 86 above โฌ900. But the spread within a band is wide: between โฌ350 and โฌ600, scores range from 0 to 97. Read it with care: the samples are small (16 to 22 scored models per band) and these are the models Picksly tracks, not the whole market.
Another finding: under โฌ600, the 10 new models scored 75 or more for the camera were all released more than 24 months ago, such as the Honor Magic5 Pro (February 2023) or the Huawei Mate 50 Pro (September 2022). At that price, a very good camera score on a new phone belongs to a model that is no longer recent.
The best-rated camera phones
Here are the nine best camera scores among models with a verified new price, as of 11 October 2026 (score rounded, release date as recorded by Picksly):
| Model | Camera score | Protocol | Released | New price recorded |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Huawei Pura 80 Ultra | 100 | V6 | June 2025 | โฌ1,093.05 (Amazon, 5 Oct) |
| Apple iPhone 18 Pro | 100 | V6 | September 2026 | โฌ1,479 (Amazon, 5 Oct) |
| Oppo Find X9 Ultra | 98 | V6 | May 2026 | โฌ1,429.99 (eBay, 23 Sep) |
| vivo X300 Ultra | 98 | V6 | April 2026 | โฌ1,701.82 (eBay, 7 Oct) |
| Honor Magic5 Pro | 97 | V5 | February 2023 | โฌ591.87 (Amazon, 15 Sep) |
| Xiaomi 14 Ultra | 94 | V5 | February 2024 | โฌ886.89 (Amazon, 21 Sep) |
| Huawei Mate 50 Pro | 94 | V5 | September 2022 | โฌ399 (Amazon, 5 Oct) |
| Apple iPhone 17 Pro | 94 | V6 | September 2025 | โฌ1,189 (Amazon, 5 Oct) |
| Google Pixel 11 Pro XL | 94 | V6 | August 2026 | โฌ1,529 (Amazon, 13 Sep) |
How to read it:
- A V5 score and a V6 score do not compare. The Honor Magic5 Pro's 97 (V5) is not "almost" the Huawei Pura 80 Ultra's 100 (V6): the two are not measured on the same scale.
- A 100 is not a record. The score is capped at 100: the Huawei Pura 80 Ultra and the Apple iPhone 18 Pro (V6) both sit at the top of the scale, so they tie on camera. What separates them lies in the rest of the phone, which the model page details: in the Premium profile, 76 for the iPhone 18 Pro against 71 for the Pura 80 Ultra.
- It is not a buying recommendation, it is a ranking of camera scores. It says nothing about battery, performance or software, which each model page details.
- An eBay price is not an Amazon price. The offers for the Oppo Find X9 Ultra and the vivo X300 Ultra come from eBay: open the listing and check the "new" condition, the seller and the version before buying.
- The up-to-date ranking is on the Smartphones page, camera axis: it follows new DXOMARK tests and new prices.
What the camera score does not see
- Models DXOMARK has not tested. 118 of the 240 tracked smartphones have no camera score: DXOMARK has not ranked them, or they were released before September 2022. Among them are 16 iPhones, including the iPhone 17 Pro Max. A missing score does not mean a poor camera; in the overall score, the missing camera counts at the median of the scored models, never at zero.
- The change of protocol. V6 scores have a median of 68, V5 scores 72. This does not prove that recent phones take worse pictures: it is a different, more demanding scale.
- How you use it. The "Camera" score sums up many tests in one number (daylight, night, portrait, zoomโฆ). If one situation matters more to you than the others, DXOMARK publishes the breakdown on each phone's page.
- The rest of the phone. The two Huawei phones in the table are sold without Google services (Play Store, Gmail, Maps): make sure that suits you. Update duration, ergonomics and weight do not enter the camera score either.
- The version on sale. DXOMARK tests one specific configuration. The offer you are looking at may be another variant (memory, a version for another country): check it.
According to your profile
- ๐ข Budget: โฌ350 or less, new or refurbished. 47 camera-scored models fit, 27 of them only thanks to refurbished offers, and 15 have a camera score of at least 75. The best camera score belongs to the Google Pixel 8 Pro (98, V5), refurbished at โฌ325.38 (Refurbed, 8 Oct), but its Budget score is only 64. The best Budget score among them goes to the Honor 200 Pro (camera 82, Budget score 81), refurbished at โฌ324 (eBay, 7 Oct). New, the Honor 200 (camera 75, Budget score 76) was at โฌ335.99 (eBay, 8 Oct). See smartphones at โฌ350 or less ranked by camera or by Budget score.
- ๐ฃ Smart: new, with a Smart score of at least 50. 33 of the 76 camera-scored new models pass this bar. Under โฌ600, six of them also have a camera score of at least 75 (table below). Higher up, the best Smart score among models scored 75 or more for the camera belongs to the Xiaomi 17 Ultra (camera 91, Smart 78), at โฌ1,203 (Amazon, 5 Oct). Full ranking: Smart score.
- ๐ต Premium: new, released at most 24 months ago (unknown date: not excluded), Premium score of at least 60, never refurbished, and the price does not enter the calculation. 43 models meet it, 20 of them with a camera score. Leading for the camera: Huawei Pura 80 Ultra (100, Premium 71), Apple iPhone 18 Pro (100, Premium 76), Oppo Find X9 Ultra (98, Premium 89) and vivo X300 Ultra (98, Premium 87). The least expensive of the 20 with a camera score of at least 90 is the Xiaomi 15 (camera 92, Premium 78), at โฌ659 (Amazon, 21 Sep). Conversely, the Galaxy S25 Edge reaches 62 in Premium with a camera score of 42: the camera is only 22% of that score. Full ranking: Premium score.
Smart profile, new models at โฌ600 or less scored 75 or more for the camera:
| Model | Camera score | Smart score | New price recorded |
|---|---|---|---|
| Honor Magic5 Pro | 97 | 63 | โฌ591.87 (Amazon, 15 Sep) |
| Xiaomi 14 | 83 | 67 | โฌ549 (Amazon, 5 Oct) |
| Google Pixel 9 Pro XL | 79 | 68 | โฌ536.56 (Amazon, 20 Sep) |
| Xiaomi 14T | 79 | 55 | โฌ546.29 (Amazon, 5 Oct) |
| Samsung Galaxy S24 FE | 78 | 53 | โฌ402 (Amazon, 5 Oct) |
| Honor 200 | 75 | 71 | โฌ335.99 (eBay, 8 Oct) |
The Smart score contains a value-for-money rank computed on current prices: if a price changes, so does the score. To go further: smartphones under โฌ600, choosing by value for money and screen size.
Frequently asked questions
Which is the best camera phone in 2026?
According to the Picksly score, the Huawei Pura 80 Ultra and the Apple iPhone 18 Pro, tied at 100 (V6 protocol, score capped at 100), ahead of the Oppo Find X9 Ultra and the vivo X300 Ultra (98). It is a ranking of scores, not a recommendation: all four cost more than โฌ1,000 new on the date recorded, and the right choice depends on your budget and on what you expect from the rest of the phone.
Can I get a good camera phone for under โฌ350?
New, two models at โฌ350 or less have a camera score of at least 75: the Google Pixel 7 (85, โฌ345.11 at Amazon on 5 Oct) and the Honor 200 (75), both released more than 24 months ago. Counting refurbished offers, 15 models open to the Budget profile score above 75. Our guide refurbished or new and the article on smartphones under โฌ350 detail the rules.
Why does a recent phone have no camera score?
Because DXOMARK has not ranked it, or not yet. Picksly does not invent a camera score: the model page shows that it is missing, and in the overall score the camera counts at the median of the scored models. The score appears as soon as DXOMARK publishes a result.
Where do the scores and prices come from?
The camera score comes from DXOMARK's public ranking; the other scores come from Geekbench, AnTuTu, GSMArena and Wikipedia, each with its date and link on the model page. Prices come from re-read merchant listings, on the date shown. Picksly may earn a commission through affiliate links, at no extra cost to you, and this affects neither the scores nor the ranking. What affiliation can change is explained on our transparency page.
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