Available for a wide range of budgets, smartphones are often easier to use than high-end vlogging cameras and offer similar features in terms of 4K video recording.
Some of the best smartphones on the market even offer clear OLED and QLED displays, durable Gorilla glass screens, and extended batteries.
Here are the best smartphones for vlogging available today.
Q: What Should I Look For When Buying The Best Smartphone For Vlogging?
The camera is the first, and most important feature to consider when buying a smartphone for vlogging. Ensure you get at least 12MP on the standard camera, and try to prioritize models with a dual or triple camera module for better quality videos. The last thing you want is your smartphone to die on you while in the middle of recording a mind-blowing scene so ensure you consider the battery life too. You’ll also want a smartphone with a bigger and brighter screen for easy editing, and vlogging under direct sunlight. Also check the amount of RAM, and storage at your disposal.
The telephoto lens offers 5x optical zoom and up to 50x digital zoom allowing you to capture close-ups of interesting sceneries without sacrificing quality. The ultra-wide camera is where the Huawei Mate 40 pro shines best. It not only offers a wider field of view, but it also uses functions like Free-form which lets you automatically reduce distortion typical of a wide-angle camera lens.
HDR mode comes in handy when you need to lift shadows off for brighter images and videos especially in portrait mode. Huawei even offers a moon photography setting that lets you take clear, nearly realistic shots of the moon without using any special software. The mate 40 pro has a curved, 6.7inch screen with 1344x2772MP in resolution meaning the display can show more content at a go and is easy to view when under direct sunlight.
The ultra-wide camera offers you an expanded field of view so you easily fit more content in a single frame. The three-camera arrangement makes vlogging, and content creation a breeze since you can go from capturing standard shots with the main camera to super-wide sweeping landscapes using the ultra-wide camera, to getting a close-up of things that are far away using the telephoto lens.
The S10+ also boasts functions like Portrait mode which allows you to blur, or spot color your portrait shots for clearer, color-rich image, and video content. The front-facing camera offers 10MP and boasts dual autofocus which makes tracking and focusing on a moving subject a breeze. The S10+ also features a Bright Night Shot function for clearer, detailed photo, and video recording even in low-lit settings.
Thanks to the new scene optimizer feature, you no longer have to find the perfect settings as the S10+ AI-based cameras can recognize up to 30 scenes, and automatically adjust the relevant settings, for clear and vivid yet realistic images and videos. The scene optimizer will even automatically turn on Night shot mode when shooting in extremely low-light conditions.
It’s equipped with a durable Corning Gorilla Glass display and an equally durable aluminum back panel so you can panic a little less when it drops. The Pixel 5 offers 8GB RAM so you’ll never have to deal with lagging even when running demanding vlog editing software. You also get 128GB storage, allowing you plenty of space to capture and save countless vlogs. The battery easily lasts up to 24 hours making the Pixel a perfect companion to a vlogger who’s always chasing after content outdoors.
As for the cameras, the Pixel 5 has a dual setup with a 12.2MP standard lens and 16MP ultra-wide camera lens. The standard lens does a pretty good job thanks to functions like optical and electronic image stabilization which adjusts sensors accordingly when you’re moving so the video being captured remains stable and clear. The ultra-wide camera on the other hand offers a wider field of view allowing you to capture more elements in a single frame even while close.
For instance, the main 12MP standard wide camera was equipped with a bigger sensor to absorb more light for brighter, clearer images and videos even when shot in low-lit conditions. The telephoto camera offers a 2.5 optical zoom, allowing vloggers to easily get a close-up of faraway things without sacrificing quality. The iPhone 12 Pro Max records 4k videos at 60fps, bringing it up to par with most cameras in the market.
On top of that, it’s among the first smartphones in the market that can shoot in Dolby Vision. It automatically adjusts visual data so each scene is optimized for clearer, brighter videos your subscribers will love. Apple also added a LiDar scanner to deliver improved range and easier focusing even in low-light conditions. It also boasts sensor-shift image stabilization to automatically adjust the sensor when bumped, allowing you to capture clear and stable videos even when on the move.
The iPhone 12 Pro Max ships with a powerful A14 processor, which, when combined with up to 6GB RAM, means it’s fast and efficient even when handling heavy editing. You get up to 128GB storage, so you can record and save countless vlogs. It sports a 6.7inch OLED screen with a maximum resolution of 2778x1284 and a brightness of 800 nits. That means you can comfortably record and edit vlogs even under direct sunlight.
There’s even a dedicated color camera that lets you add filters to the content you’re shooting for high-quality videos your subscribers will love. Besides the camera, another most notable feature of the OnePlus 8 pro is its huge display. At 6.78 inches, the OnePlus 8 Pro has one of the biggest smartphone displays in the market which means additional real estate for smooth vlogging, and video editing.
It’s an AMOLED display with a maximum resolution of 1440x3168 which means it’s bright enough even under direct sunlight. With a refresh rate of 120Hz, the OnePlus Pro offers a smooth and enjoyable user experience at all times. Battery lasts about nine hours when using the 120Hz refresh rate and offers an extra two hours when running on 60Hz.
The iPhone 11 Pro also features a triple 12MP camera setup with standard wide, ultra-wide, and 2x telephoto cameras. The ultra-wide camera was a much-needed addition as it greatly expands the view so you capture more content without losing the image and video quality. Apple didn’t just add more cameras to the iPhone 11 Pro; it also made them easy to use. For instance, whenever you’re using the ultra-wide camera, it also displays what you’d be seeing when using the telephoto camera. This allows you to quickly determine which camera captures a specific scene better when vlogging.
The iPhone 11 Pro also boasts Deep Fusion to combine multiple images shot in low-lit conditions for brighter, clearer night photographs and videos. The iPhone 11 Pro ships with an A13 processor and packs 4GB RAM, so apps always launch and respond efficiently. This makes capturing and editing content pretty seamless.
Q: Why Use A Smartphone For Vlogging?
While there is no comparing smartphones with professional cameras, using a smartphone for vlogging means cutting costs as they are significantly cheaper than high-end vlogging equipment. Using the best smartphone for vlogging also means less baggage to carry compared to when you have to carry mirrorless cameras, DSLRs, and all the relevant camera accessories. Plus, the learning curve is less steep as you are already familiar with how smartphones work. This makes vlogging a tad easier especially for beginners who might have a hard time familiarizing themselves with camera settings. Smartphones nowadays boast all the features you need for quality vlogging.
Q: What Exactly Makes The Best Smartphone Camera For Vlogging?
A smartphone camera for vlogging should have a wider lens aperture since the feature controls the amount of light reaching the sensor. Megapixel quality is also equally important. Usually, the more megapixels, the better the image will be. But note, more megapixels without a good camera sensor still means low-quality images so ensure you check out the sensor quality too. Look for a smartphone camera with features such as optical image stabilization to reduce the impact of shake on your vlogs, and HDR to improve quality. Other important features that make a good smartphone camera for vlogging include ISO control, great zoom capabilities, and easy-to-use camera control features.
