Mobile

Smartphone cameras have become one of the main ways everyday people capture photos and document life, and even professional photographers may use phones to shoot paid work. PetaPixel covers the latest news and information on how smartphones are transforming the way photographs are made.
Jeremy Gray
Close-up of a person holding a white Oppo smartphone horizontally with both hands against a black background. The phone features a prominent circular camera module with multiple lenses.

Oppo’s Flagship Find X8 Pro Phone Features Four Hasselblad Cameras and Two Periscope Telephoto Lenses

Many smartphones released in China and other overseas countries never make it to the United States. PetaPixel tries to cover the most interesting of these devices because there are many international readers. Oppo is one of the most interesting smartphone companies with no official presence in the United States, and its latest flagship phone, the Oppo Find X8 Pro, is a Hasselblad-powered doozy of a phone.

Abby Ferguson
Three friends sit on a couch, smiling as they look at a smartphone. A video call shows a woman saying she loves pizza. Chat bubbles display a pizza emoji and hearts. The setting is casual with a light, brick wall background.

Google Announces Slew of Updates for Android and Pixel Phones

Google announced a long list of new features coming to its Pixel lineup, some of which will also be available for additional Android phones. While none of the updates will drastically change how users make images, there are some noteworthy new features related to the camera, photo apps, and audio.

Jordan Drake
A person with a mustache holds a smartphone with a large lens attachment in front of their face. They are wearing a maroon hoodie and making a surprised expression against a plain dark background.

Everything You Need to Make Great Videos with an iPhone

With the recent addition of the Apple Log profile in the Apple iPhone 15/16 Pro/Pro Max models, you can capture truly professional video with the phone in your pocket. We use iPhone footage interwoven with large sensor mirrorless cameras constantly when shooting PetaPixel’s YouTube videos, and few viewers have commented on a difference. However, to make iPhone video truly compare to dedicated cameras, it takes a bit of technique, and a few additional accessories.

Jeremy Gray
A smartphone with a glowing, abstract design on its back, featuring two rear cameras. It is surrounded by swirling, illuminated green lines, set against a dark background, creating a futuristic and dynamic visual effect.

Nothing’s Community-Designed $400 Smartphone Glows in the Dark

Nothing has earned cult status as a niche smartphone maker thanks to its unusual style and compelling features. Last year's Nothing Phone 2 doubled down on the distinct appearance, while this year's Nothing Phone 2A and 2A Plus aim to deliver a high-performance phone at a budget price. There's now a new glow-in-the-dark version of the Nothing Phone 2A Plus built in partnership with the company's relatively small but passionate community.

Ted Kritsonis
A green Honor smartphone rests on a wooden surface with its camera side facing up. A logo in the bottom left corner reads "PetaPixel Reviews.

Honor Magic V3 Review: The Thinnest Foldable Has Some Magic

There’s something happening with foldable phones that isn’t as apparent in North America, and devices like the Honor Magic V3 make that clear. Thinner, lighter, yet also packing a bigger battery and large screen, Honor puts together a compelling combination further enhanced by the camera array.

Jeremy Gray
A phone screen shows a photo editing app with a woman in a colorful hallway. Beside it, a woman in white stands on a colorful target in a vibrant, open landscape, aiming a bow upward against a backdrop of mountains and a bright blue sky.

How Apple’s Next-Gen Photographic Styles Transform iPhone Photography

Apple's new iPhone 16 series smartphones are Apple's best-ever handsets for mobile photographers. Among the biggest reasons for this is the suite of next-generation Photographic Styles, which intelligently and precisely adjust tones and colors in images, non-destructively and in real-time while using the iPhone's camera.

Jeremy Gray
Close-up of an eye showing a before-and-after comparison. The left side appears grainy and blurred, while the right side is sharp and detailed, highlighting the eyelashes and iris.

Glass Imaging’s Incredible AI Tech Transforms Smartphone Image Quality

Software company Glass Imaging develops incredible technology that dramatically improves image quality, especially when dealing with small image sensors and lenses like those featured in smartphones. At this week's Qualcomm Snapdragon Summit in Hawaii, Glass Imaging demonstrated in real-time what its GlassAI tech can achieve, and the results are remarkable.

Jeremy Gray
A smartphone with a sleek black frame is displayed against a black background. The screen shows a photography interface with an image of sand dunes. The interface includes various camera settings and icons, with a large shutter button at the bottom.

Halide Camera App Puts the iPhone 16’s New Camera Control to Good Use

Popular iPhone camera app Halide Mark II, which just two weeks ago was updated with the release of iOS 18 to add direct access to Halide on the iPhone's lock screen, has been updated again with native support for the new Camera Control button on the iPhone 16 family of devices, including the powerful iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max.

Jeremy Gray
Close-up image of a hand holding a sleek, modern smartphone with a quad-camera setup on the back. The metal finish of the phone is highlighted against a black background, showcasing the sophisticated design and prominent camera lenses.

Xiaomi’s Three New Smartphones All Feature Leica Summilux Lenses

Smartphone maker Xiaomi and legendary camera brand Leica teamed up yet again on the co-engineered Xiaomi 14T series smartphones. The two models, the 14T and 14T Pro, sport a triple camera system developed in collaboration with Leica. There's also a third phone, a Leica-powered flip phone, the Xiaomi Mix Flip.

Jeremy Gray
A lineup of four Apple iPhone 15 Pro models is shown against a black background. The phones are in various colors including black, silver, gold, and titanium. The screens display apps and widgets, showing the phone's home interface.

Apple’s Lips Are Sealed but iPhone 16 Models Have Bigger Batteries

The iPhone 16 series smartphones, including the iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max, will arrive to customers and store shelves starting tomorrow. Although reviewers have gone hands-on with the smartphones, and Apple has shared a lot of information, some details remained a mystery, including the precise size of the new phones' batteries.

Jeremy Gray
A person wearing a light pink outfit stands on a dark, sandy beach with patches of tall grass. In the background, there are dramatic, rugged mountains and a cloudy sky. The person looks to the side, with the landscape stretching out behind them.

Megapixels Aren’t All Equal But the iPhone’s Camera is Still Impressive

In a recent video about the iPhone 16 Pro, specifically its camera specifications and features, photography Tony Northrup of the popular YouTube channel Tony & Chelsea Northrup called the iPhone 16 Pro camera "disappointing and misleading," opening a complex can of worms concerning megapixels, resolution, image sensor designs, and image quality at large.