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Top 5 Smartphones for Photographers

DxO Labs is a firm that analyses the imaging capabilities of smartphones and ranks them based solely on their photographic ability. As per latest reports, Sony’s 2014 flagship model – Xperia Z2 has created a new benchmark scoring 79 out of 100 in DxOMark test. The overall score is rewarded only after combining the performance of both image capture and video recording abilities. Apart from the Xperia Z2, there a few other phones that have also been ranked suitable for photographers and here is the list of five of them ranked the best.

Sony Xperia Z2

Xperia Z2 announced at the Mobile World Congress 2014 is equipped with a 5.2 inch IPS LCD capacitive touchscreen display boasting FHD resolution of 1920×1080 pixels. Also, the display has a shatter proof and scratch resistant glass on top and features Sony’s Triluminos technology and X-Reality Engine. There is a 2.3 GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 processor coupled with Adreno 330 GPU and 3 GB of RAM.

The smartphone features a 20.7 MP Exmor RS primary camera at its rear with 4K video capture. Also, the camera has the award-winning G Lens and Intelligent BIONZ image processing engine. There is a 2.2 MP front-facing camera in order to make video calls. The phone packs 16 GB of internal storage that can be expanded up to 128 GB and runs on Android 4.4.2 KitKat platform. A 3,200 mAh battery delivers life to the phone offering up to 19 hours of talk time and 740 hours of standby time.

xperia z2

Key Specs

Model Sony Xperia Z2
Display 5.2 inch, FHD
Processor 2.3 GHz Quad Core Qualcomm Snapdragon 801
RAM 3 GB
Internal Storage 32 GB, Expandable up to 128 GB
OS Android 4.4.2 KitKat
Camera 20.7 MP/ 2.2 MP
Battery 3,200 mAh
Price Yet to be announced

 

Nokia 808 PureView

Nokia 808 PureView announced in 2012 was so long the best phone for photography. With the advent of Xperia Z2, the Nokia PureView has been pushed to the second position. The handset sports a 4 inch AMOLED capacitive touchscreen boasting a resolution of 360×640 pixels and 184 ppi pixel density. Running on Nokia Belle OS, the handset has a 1.3 GHz ARM 11 processor coupled with Broadcom BCM2763 GPU and 512 MB of RAM.


There is 32 GB expandable storage support besides 16 GB of onboard storage and a 1,400 mAh battery on board to deliver 6.5 hours of talk time and 540 hours of standby time. On the imaging front, the handset has a whopping 41 MP Carl Zeiss lens with Xenon flash and loseless digital zoom. Also, there is a VGA front-facing camera for users to make video calls.

nokia pureview

Key Specs

Model Nokia 808 PureView
Display 4 inch, 360×640
Processor 1.3 GHz
RAM 512 MB
Internal Storage 16 GB, Expandable up to 32 GB
OS Nokia Belle OS
Camera 41 MP/ VGA
Battery 1,400 mAh
Price Rs 15,999

 

Sony Xperia Z1

In the third position is the Xperia Z1, the predecessor of Z2 and 2013 flagship model. This handset features a 5 inch capacitive touchscreen display with a screen resolution of 1920×1080 pixels and shatter proof and scratch resistant glass on top. The device is given a quad-core 2.2 GHz Snapdragon 800 processor with Adreno 330 GPU and 2 GB of RAM to handle multi-tasking.

To meet the storage requirements, there is 16 GB of onboard storage that can be expanded up to 64 GB and a 3,000 mAh battery capable of lasting up to 15 hours of talk time and 850 hours of standby time. On board is a 20.7 MP primart camera with image stabilization and a 2 MP front facer to assist in video chatting sessions.

xperia z1

Key Specs

Model Sony Xperia Z1
Display 5 inch, FHD
Processor 2.2 GHz Quad Core Snapdragon 800
RAM 2 GB
Internal Storage 16 GB, Expandable up to 64 GB
OS Android 4.4.2 KitKat
Camera 20.7 MP/ 2 MP
Battery 3,000 mAh
Price Rs 36,499

 

Apple iPhone 5S

The 2013 flagship model from Apple – iPhone 5s boasts of a 4 inch LED backlit IPS LCD capacitive touchscreen display with 1136×640 pixel resolution and is equipped with a 1.7 GHz dual-core Apple A7 processor. The handset arrives in three configurations – 16 GB, 32 GB and 64 GB storage coupled with 1 GB of RAM. Based on iOS 7, the handset  has connectivity options such as Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and 3G.

A 1,560 mAh battery brings enough juice to give you up to 10 hours of talk time and 250 hours of standby time. It also houses an 8 MP rear snapper with autofocus, dual-LED flash, image stabilization, HDR, simultaneous image and video HD recording and panorama accompanied by a 1.2 MP front-facer for making video calls.

iphone 5s

Key Specs

Model Apple iPhone 5S
Display 4 inch, 1136×640
Processor 1.7 GHz Dual Core Apple A7
RAM 1 GB
Internal Storage 16 GB/ 32 GB/ 64 GB, Non-Expandable
OS iOS 7
Camera 8 MP/1.2 MP
Battery 1,560 mAh
Price Rs 46,640

 

Samsung Galaxy S4

Samsung Galaxy S4, the yesteryear flagship smartphone arrives with a 5 inch FHD Super AMOLED display with a resolution of 1920×1080 pixels and is stuffed with Exynos 5 Octa 5410 processor combining a 1.6 GHz Cortex A15 quad-core CPU and a 1.2 GHz quad-core Cortex A7 CPU.

There is 16 GB, 32 GB and 64 GB of internal storage with expandable storage support up to 64 GB and 2 GB of RAM. Fueled with Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean, there are connectivity features like Wi-Fi, 3G, Bluetooth 4.0, NFC and Infrared port and a 2,600 mAh battery to power the phone.

Galaxy S4 boasts of a 13 MP camera sensor at the rear with auto focus and LED flash along with image stabilization and special features such as Dual Shot, Sound and Shot and many others. Also, there is a 2 MP front facing camera with support for FHD video recording.

galaxy s4

Key Specs

Model Samsung Galaxy S4
Display 5 inch, FHD
Processor Exynos 5 Octa 5410
RAM 2 GB
Internal Storage 16 GB/ 32 GB/ 64 GB, Expandable up to 64 GB
OS Android 4.4.2 KitKat
Camera 13 MP/2 MP
Battery 2,600 mAh
Price Rs 27,890

Some Other Phones Meant for Photographers

Phone Specifications Order

Processor, RAM, Internal Storage, Camera, Display, Battery, Dual or Single SIM, Android Version

Samsung Galaxy S5 (Quick Review)

Exynos 5 Octa, 2 GB, 16 GB/128 GB, 16 MP/ 2 MP, 5.1 inch FHD, Single SIM, Android 4.4 KitKat

Xolo Q1010i (Quick Review)

1.3 GHz Quad Core, 1 GB, 8 GB/32 GB, 8 MP/ 2 MP, 5 inch HD, Dual SIM, Android 4.2 Jelly Bean

Gionee Elife E7 (Full Review Quick Review)

2.2 GHz Quad Core, 2GB/3 GB, 16 GB/32 GB, 16 MP/ 8 MP, 5.5 inch FHD, Single SIM, Android 4.2 Jelly Bean

Nokia Lumia 1020 (Full Review Quick Review)

1.5 GHz Dual Core, 2 GB, 32 GB, 41 MP/ 1.2 MP, 4.5 Inch HD, Single SIM, Windows Phone 8

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Abhishek Bhatnagar

Abhishek Bhatnagar, a known technology blogger & YouTuber from India. A Software Engineer by qualification, now he works as the editor-In-Chief, Webmaster, & Managing Director at Gadgets To Use. He runs a number of other technology websites as well.