Best smartphones for video and content creators – cinematic reels made easy
Take your smartphone video to the next level with these top-quality camera phones.
When choosing the best smartphone for video, options are more plentiful than ever. These days, phones don’t just shoot video at high resolutions, they also provide pro-video features like optical stabilisation, high-frame-rate slow-motion, Log colour profiles, and more. You can capture top-quality content on smartphones; many people do. The key is in finding the right phone.
At AP, we take smartphone imaging very seriously. We review all the latest phones from Apple, Google, Samsung and others as they are released, and often pit them against each other in head-to-heads to figure out which ones are best. The phones on this list represent the top picks as tested by our technical team, and come with our experts’ view on their price value – as far as their cameras are concerned.
Read on as I count off the best smartphones you can buy for videography right now or scroll to the bottom on useful tips on how to choose the best smartphone for video. For more buying advice on phones, check out our guide to the best phones for low light, macro and portraiture. Or save some cash with our rundown of the best budget camera phones.
The best smartphones for videography quick list
- Google Pixel 10 Pro – Buy now
- Apple iPhone 17 Pro / Max – Buy now
- OnePlus 13 – Buy now
- Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra – Buy now
- Sony Xperia 1 V – Buy now
Best budget smartphones for video
Looking for the best deal on smartphones for video? Not only will you find the best phones for video, but also some of the best deals, as our ‘Buy now’ buttons are set to automatically take you to the best prices from trusted retailers. You’ll also find a list of other retailers below each phone, so you can find the right deal for you.
How we test phones
We review smartphones from the perspective of choosing one for its photography and camera performance. We look at what the Google Pixel 9 Pro XL offers, and the features included for photography and video, paying particular attention to the cameras on the phone, photo editing capabilities, as well as the output from each different lens, and features offered.
Read on to learn more about the best smartphones to buy for videography, and our useful tips on how to choose the best smartphone for video at the end of this article.
The best smartphones for videography in 2025
The best smartphones for video are always changing, but the models listed below are the most capable and versatile options you can buy right now.
Google Pixel 10 Pro
Amateur Photographer verdict
The 10 Pro offers some of the best cameras and shooting features on a camera phone.
- Excellent camera setup with effectively 5 rear cameras
- Lovely colour production
- Only 128GB on base model
- Video boost is more con than pro
- Camera bump makes it chunky
The latest and greatest in Google’s range of Pixel phones. As with its predecessor, the Pixel 9 Pro, Google plug this model for its 8K video recording. However, this resolution is not available in-camera itself. In reality, you need to switch on “Video Boost” first, record your video and upload it to the cloud for “boosting” to 8K quality footage in return. And, by the way, you’ll need enough space on your Google account (naturally, you can pay Google more to upgrade it). Video boost can be used for things such as additional stabilisation when zooming.
Video mode offers pan, blur, standard video mode, night sight, slow motion, and time lapse. Additional options include a speed enhancement option, audio zoom, and video format options. You’d need to switch on Video boost to enable a flat video mode.
Video is actually recorded with HDR+ automatically applied for expanded dynamic range (when using the main wide camera). In detail, colour, and stabilisation, it all looks good. We did notice a slight hiss on the audio though, even in quiet environments. The highest resolution and frame rate the phone itself can record is 4K at 60fps. You can not record 8K video on the phone, and there is no 4K 120fps option. You can also use up to 20x zoom in video, but the quality is poor, as you’d expect, but can be improved using the Video Boost feature.
For all of its end product quality, note that Video boost takes AGES to process and return – a 10 second clip I recorded for 8K upscaling took about 3 hours to be returned. A 45 second clip recorded for general boosting took around 8 hours. For genuine 8K video recording, we prefer a phone that does it in-camera, like the Samsung Galaxy S24/S25 Ultra.
Read our Google Pixel 10 Pro review
Apple iPhone 17 Pro / Max
Amateur Photographer verdict
The 17 Pro (and Pro Max) get upgraded video capabilities, and the 17 Pro Max gives the largest iPhone screen, as well as larger storage sizes (up to 2GB)
- Large screen
- Gorgeous display quality
- Camera control button
- Upgraded video features
- Maxes out at 4K 120p (no 8K option)
Video specs:
- 4K 120fps Dolby Vision video recording
- 4K HDR 30fps Cinematic mode
- Spatial Audio and stereo recording
- ProRes RAW, Apple Log2 video recording, genlock
Camera specs:
- 48MP (wide), f/1.78 aperture, 24mm, dual pixel PDAF, sensor-shift OIS
- 48MP (ultrawide) f/2.2 aperture, 13mm, dual pixel PDAF
- 48MP 4x (telephoto with 8x optical quality zoom) f/2.8 aperture, 120mm, 3D sensor-shift OIS and PDAF
- 12MP (selfie) f/1.9 with AF
If you’re looking for the best iPhone for video, this is unquestionably it. Video features have been upgraded, with more options and features that advanced videographers will appreciate. It now supports Dual Capture as well.
The triple-camera array has been updated and the telephoto camera is now a 48MP camera with 4x optical zoom, and 8x optical quality zoom. Log has been updated from Apple Log (which was in the iPhone 15 Pro Max) to Apple Log2, improving the flat colour profile to delivers the maximum amount of dynamic range and provide as much latitude as possible for the colour grade. Genlock support has also been added. Fancy!
With the dedicated Camera Control Button, you can record with a long press and zoom seamlessly by dragging your finger across. The bigger, 6.9inch screen can make it easier to record, review and edit videos. Elsewhere, frame rate is at 120p (4K – like the 16 Pro) allowing for more creative slow-motion recording. It also includes a studio-quality four-mic array with built-in noise reduction and Audio an Mix feature. The 17 Pro Max also gives a 2TB storage option, which gives plenty of space for video files.
Other features that have already made iPhones popular for video – effective stabilisation, ‘Cinematic’ shooting mode, Dolby HDR, Apple ProRes RAW, and plenty more. As long as it’s within your budget, you really can’t go wrong with Apple’s latest smartphone.
OnePlus 13
Amateur Photographer verdict
A well-performing model with improvements in cameras, giving excellent image quality across various conditions.
- Good value flagship
- Pro mode
- Hasselblad portrait modes
- Excellent battery life
- Fairly short telephoto lens
- Raw shooting only in Pro mode
- Selfie camera fixed focus only
Video specs:
- 8K at 24fps
- 4K at up to 60fps
- 1080p video at 30/60 fps
- 720p video at 30/60 fps
- HDR at 1080p 30fps
- Super Slow Motion: 1080p video at 240 fps, 720p video at 240/480 fps
Camera specs:
- 50MP f/1.6 23mm equivalent 1/1.43” Sony camera, OIS
- 50MP f/2.0 15mm equivalent 1/2.75” Sony camera
- 50MP f/2.6 73mm equivalent 1/2” telephoto camera
- 32MP f/2.4 selfie camera, fixed focus
- Macro capability
If you crave extra resolution, the OnePlus 13 is one of the few smartphones on this list that is capable of 8K video recording. Now, you might think you don’t need 8K resolution – and 8K video will eat your memory cards and hard drives – but many videographers like to shoot in 8K to create higher quality down sampled 4K footage. This can be a real advantage.
The OnePlus 13 is equipped with a 50MP main camera, a 50MP ultrawide camera, and a 50MP telephoto camera, giving you a wide range of options to achieve your desired image quality and composition. It also comes with a 32-megapixel fixed focus front-facing selfie camera, which may put some people off due to the lack of auto-focus.
The OnePlus 13 also offers a range of other features that make it a great choice for videographers. Both its 50-megapixel wide (main) and 50 megapixel telephoto cameras feature impressive OIS (Optical Image Stabilization) to help reduce camera shake and create smoother, more professional-looking footage. There are also a number of different video modes, such as Video Nightscape, Video HDR, Video Portrait, Timelapse and Dual-View video that make filming different subjects and scenes easier.
