Best Android phone cameras 2016: the top 6 super-snappers

Best Android phone cameras 2016: the top 6 super-snappers

Lenovo Moto G4 Plus

We were surprised at the performance of the Lenovo Moto G4 Plus camera. This is a device that started around $300, a price range where you wouldn't expect a high-end camera, but in our tests we found that this system is excellent.

On paper, the camera system looks like most flagship devices released in 2016. The 16 MP rear sensor and f / 2.0 aperture is bolstered with hybrid laser-focus and phase-detection. The 5 MP selfie shooter has an f / 2.2 aperture.

The HDR is a default setting and is crisp even in conditions where high contrast is necessary. The manual mode isn't the best on this list but you'll get enough custom options to suit your needs. The only difficulty we had with the Moto G4 Plus was in low-light conditions.

Lenovo Moto G4 Plus review

You can see the detail of the main camera. 

Huawei P9

The Huawei P9 – or as we here at AndroidPIT call it – the 'pocket DSLR' is one of the most powerful cameras we've ever tested. The camera was designed in partnership with German camera manufacturer Leica, and it's a dual camera setup.

Both rear Leica Summarit H cameras offer 12 MP resolution, and have f / 2.2 apertures. These specs on paper would not be considered incredible by industry standards, but in our tests they delivered very strong results.


The front camera is an impressive 8 MP selfie snapper with an f / 2.4 aperture.

'Professional Mode' is Huawei's manual interface, where you can adjust the shutter speed, ISO, white balance and many other settings to get sharp pictures. The camera has quick-launch functionality, operated through a quick double press of the volume button down. To see everything the Huawei P9 can do, click on our full review below that includes an entire photo gallery from the device.

Huawei P9 review

The Huawei P9 dual Leica camera system is one of the best we've tested. 

Samsung Galaxy S7

Samsung decided to reduce the number of MPs from the previous generation but this has not decreased the camera's potency. The 12 MP f / 1.9 aperture dual pixel technology rear camera is one of the best on the market. The S7's front camera is powerful as well, coming in at 5 MP with an f / 1.7 aperture.

Pictures in low-light conditions come out well thanks to the larger aperture. It allows more light to come in and pictures are better as a result. The Galaxy S7 also includes an optical image stabilizer that compensates for shaky arms and hands.

The camera app gives you plenty of options for manual control over your photos. You can play around with its wide range of fun features. There is slow-motion, time-lapse, numerous presets, fixed focus and adjustable exposure values. You can see all the pictures we took with the Samsung Galaxy S7 in our full review.

Samsung Galaxy S7 review

The Galaxy S7 photos came out clear and bright in our tests. 

LG V10

The LG V10 has made its way onto our list for several reasons. One is that the native LG camera software is more versatile than much of the competition, and includes a wealth of manual controls for both photos and videos. What's more, its f/1.8 aperture lens helps to deliver bright images even in dark situations and, when combined with LG's excellent autofocus and processing technology, means that images rarely appear blurred even in less-than-optimal circumstances.

The other ace up the LG V10's sleeve is the 'tri-camera' technology it takes advantage of. There are two front-facing cameras on the V10 which can be combined to take photos at 120-degree angles, far wider than a traditional selfie would be.

The LG V10's 16 MP rear camera doesn't have the same detail at pixel-level as the higher resolution of the Sony Xperia Z cameras, for example, but for almost everything else, including usability, it operates at the highest level.An autumn palette superbly captured by the LG V10. /
Nexus 6P

The Nexus 6P makes it onto our best Android cameras list primarily because its low-light performance is so strong. The relative lack of noise in night shots is impressive and it’s one of the very few Android cameras out there to produce such successful night shots. Secondly, its HDR+ mode is one of the best I’ve ever seen.

Photos produced with this mode enabled are somewhat embellished, and often look more interesting than the real thing, but that's the point. These romanticized pictures often require little editing to be worthy of sharing.

You may be disappointed to learn that the 6P camera lacks OIS, though. This feature is so appreciated on smartphones because we most mainly take handheld shots: OIS helps reduce motion blur caused by an unsteady hand. The 6P’s camera is also the lowest resolution on our list at 12.3 MP.

Despite that, it's still a solid offering, and its dual-tone flash is particularly useful for keeping images looking natural.

Nexus 6P review

For the first time ever we can say a Nexus phone has an outstanding camera.
Our favorite: Sony Xperia Z5

The Xperia Z5’s autofocus is extremely fast – around 0.03 seconds. It focuses on objects so fast that you will struggle to see it happening. It also shoots slow-motion videos at 720p at 120 frames-per-second, which look excellent.

Sony's image stabilization software and fast focusing means images are almost always clear, with little noise. Sony’s Xperia cameras do tend to misrepresent red colors however, making them seem more pink-ish, and this flaw is apparent on the Z5 once again.

But overall, this is our favorite Android camera. The definition is unrivaled, the contrast and saturation is completely natural and Sony’s "lossless zoom" feature (which means you can zoom into shots taken at 8 MP without damaging the quality) make it instantly appealing.
Sony Xperia Z5 reviewThe Sony Xperia Z5 has the best Android camera overall. /
Which Android camera do you thinks is best and why? Let us know in the comments.