Answer
Which phone has the best zoom camera?
Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra leads with 5x + 10x optical, hybrid up to 100x. Vivo X300 Ultra and Huawei Pura 80 Ultra match or beat it in quality of zoom output. iPhone 17 Pro Max offers 5x optical.
The zoom leaders
- Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra — dual telephoto (3x + 10x), 100x digital
- Vivo X300 Ultra — 4.3x periscope with the best low-light zoom
- Huawei Pura 80 Ultra — variable telephoto sensor, exceptional sharpness
- iPhone 17 Pro Max — 5x periscope, strong stabilization
- Pixel 10 Pro — 5x optical + Super Res Zoom for fakeable 30x
How phone zoom works
Below 5x, optical zoom is real glass moving. Above 5x, most "zoom" is computational — cropping the sensor and upscaling with AI. Output quality varies wildly between brands.
Practical zoom advice
- 1-3x: any modern flagship is fine
- 5x: top phones produce print-quality results
- 10x: usable for social, soft for print
- 30x+: novelty, not photography
More answers
- What is the best portrait lens focal length on a crop sensor?
- 85mm vs 50mm for portraits: which should you buy first?
- What is lens compression, and do long lenses really flatten faces?
- Is an f/1.2 lens worth it over f/1.8 for portraits?
- Why does bokeh look different between lenses at the same aperture?
- Pancake vs Fresnel lenses in VR headsets: what is the real difference?
Get new answers in your inbox
One email when we publish. No spam.