Ten years ago, the idea that our smartphone would replace a compact camera seemed ludicrous, but as we storm into 2020, 108MP smartphone camera sensors are a thing and some phones have as many as five snappers around the back. Camera phones are clearly blowing up – not literally though, that was 2016.

Meanwhile, Google has introduced a second rear camera on its Pixels, so the Pixel 4s have a zoom lens to grab extra detail close up. Where’s the ultra-wide? It’s missing, but on the plus side, a new Astrophotography mode that can capture night skies, stars, and even entire planets helps differentiate the Pixels from the camera phone crowd.

1. iPhone 11 Pro

Release date: September 2019 | Main camera: 12MP (f/1.8) | Telephoto: 12MP (f/2.0) | Ultra-wide: 12MP (f/2.4) | OIS: Yes | Front camera: 12MP | Weight: 188g | Dimensions: 144 x 71.4 x 8.1mm | Battery size: 3,046mAh | Max video quality: 4K 60fps | Storage: 64GB / 256GB / 512GB | Memory card slot: No | Price: N365,000

2. Google Pixel 4

Release date: October 2019 | Main camera: 12.2MP (f/1.7) | Telephoto: 16MP (f/2.4) | Ultra-wide: None | OIS: Yes | Front camera: 8MP | Weight: 162g | Dimensions: 147.1 x 68.8 x 8.2mm | Battery size: 2,800mAh | Max video quality: 4K 30fps | Storage: 64GB / 128GB | Memory card slot: No | Price: N190,000

• Class-leading night photography
• Rich quality to photos
• Smart exposure control
• Expensive
• No ultra-wide camera
• Poor battery life/storage options

3. Huawei P30 Pro

Release date: March 2019 | Main camera: 40MP (f/1.6) | Telephoto: 8MP (f/3.4) | Ultra-wide: 20MP (f/2.2) | Other: ToF camera | OIS: Yes | Front camera: 32MP | Weight: 192g | Dimensions: 158 x 73.4 x 8.4mm | Battery size: 4,200mAh | Max video quality: 4K 30fps | Storage: 128GB / 512GB | Memory card slot: Yes | Price: N190,000

• Excellent auto mode in all lighting conditions
• Versatile quad-camera
• Fantastic zoom
• No US availability
• Images can look over-saturated
• Inconsistency across three cameras

4. Samsung Galaxy Note 10 Plus

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

Release date: August 2019 | Main camera: 12MP (f/1.5-2.4) | Telephoto: 12MP (f/2.1) | Ultra-wide: 16MP (f/2.2) | Other: ToF | OIS: Yes | Front camera: 10MP | Weight: 196g | Dimensions: 162.3 x 77.2 x 7.9mm | Battery size: 4,300mAh | Max video quality: 4K 60fps | Storage: 256GB / 512GB | Memory card slot: Yes | Price: N230,000

• Very wide ultra-wide angle
• Versatile triple camera
• Great video performance
• Expensive
• Night mode isn’t class-leading
• Auto mode exposes aggressively

5. iPhone 11

Release date: September 2019 | Main camera: 12MP (f/1.8) | Telephoto: No | Ultra-wide: 12MP (f/2.4) | OIS: Yes | Front camera: 12MP | Weight: 194g | Dimensions: 150.9 x 75.7 x 8.3mm | Battery size: 3,110mAh | Max video quality: 4K 60fps | Storage: 64GB / 128GB / 256GB | Memory card slot: No | Price: N196,000

• Most affordable iPhone 11-series
• Great night mode
• Consistent colors across cameras
• No telephoto camera
• Lower on detail than the competition
• No manual mode

6. Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus

Release date: March 2019 | Main camera: 12MP (f/1.5-2.4) | Telephoto: 12MP (f/2.4) | Ultra-wide: 16MP (f/2.2) | OIS: Yes | Front camera: 10MP + 8MP | Weight: 175g | Dimensions: 157.6 x 74.1 x 7.8mm | Battery size: 4,100mAh | Max video quality: 4K 60fps | Storage: 128GB / 512GB / 1TB | Memory card slot: Yes | Price: N220,000

• Excellent night mode
• Versatile triple camera
• Consistent colors across cameras
• Expensive
• Lower on detail than the competition
• No manual mode

7. Oppo Reno 10X Zoom

Release date: June 2019 | Main camera: 48MP (f/1.7) | Telephoto: 13MP (f/3.0) | Ultra-wide: 8MP (f/2.2) | OIS: Yes | Front camera: 16MP | Weight: 210g | Dimensions: 162 x 77.2 x 9.3mm | Battery size: 4,065mAh | Max video quality: 4K 60fps | Storage: 128GB / 256GB | Memory card slot: Yes | Price: N315,000

• Fantastic zoom for stills
• Versatile triple camera
• Plenty of detail across zoom ranges
• Mediocre low light performance
• No optical zoom when shooting video
• No RAW capture

8. OnePlus 7T Pro

Release date: October 2019 | Main camera: 48MP (f/1.6) | Telephoto: 8MP (f/2.4) | Ultra-wide: 16MP (f/1.6) | OIS: Yes | Front camera: 16MP | Weight: 206g | Dimensions: 162.6 x 75.9 x 8.8mm | Battery size: 4,085mAh | Max video quality: 4K 60fps | Storage: 256GB | Memory card slot: No | Price: N201,000

• Well-priced flagship
• Versatile triple camera
• 3x zoom gets closer than most
• Night mode isn’t class-leading
• Dynamic range falls behind best on test
• No manual video

9. Sony Xperia 5

Release date: October 2019 | Main camera: 12MP (f/1.6) | Telephoto: 12MP (f/2.4) | Ultra-wide: 12MP (f/2.4) | OIS: Yes | Front camera: 8MP | Weight: 164g | Dimensions: 158 x 68 x 8.2mm | Battery size: 3,140mAh | Max video quality: 4K 30fps | Storage: 128GB | Memory card slot: Yes | Price: N190,000

• Fantastic video capture capabilities
• Versatile triple camera
• Realistic night-time photography
• Dynamic can struggle with highlights
• Lower on detail than some rivals
• Poor zoom performance