What makes the perfect smartphone camera?
Most people will tell you it’s about having the best main camera, above all else. After all, this is the camera you use the most.
The ultra-wide and the telephoto cameras? Well, these are usually more of an after-thought with a much smaller sensor and capabilities.
But what if that is not the best approach? What if we could have a truly powerful secondary camera on our phones?
The camera game-changer
If you asked me which device was used to capture the above photos, I would bet on a digital camera.
That is if I somehow forgot that I actually took these photos on the Vivo X200 Pro, and I never had to bother with any bulky lenses or other complicated photography equipment.
And this is all thanks to one recent camera development that has transformed the way I take pictures.
And it’s just incredibly strange how mainstream players like Samsung, Apple and Google are turning a blind eye to this.
Telephoto Camera Sensor size comparison
That recent big change coming from China is the switch to a big sensor for the telephoto camera.
I’m not talking about the megapixel count alone. A 50 megapixel sensor could stretch into tiny individual pixels if the sensor size is small, or it can give you a much better quality with a bigger sensor.
| Phone | Periscope telephoto sensor size |
|---|---|
| Vivo X200 Pro | 1/1.4-inch |
| Xiaomi 15 Ultra | 1/1.4-inch |
| iPhone 16 Pro Max | 1/3.06-inch |
| Galaxy S25 Ultra | 1/2.52-inch |
| Pixel 9 Pro XL | 1/2.55-inch |
| OnePlus 13 | 1/1.95-inch |
The above reference table shows a massive difference in sensor size.
That level of detail is insane (Image by PhoneArena)
Just look at the detail on this beautiful hairy flower beetle!
You can see the way it feeds on pollen and you can see the residue of pollen on its forelegs! I’m pretty proud of that picture.
Ultra-wide macro is crap
I could only take this photo of a grasshopper because I used the telephoto camera from afar and did not scare it away (Image by PhoneArena)
It would be impossible to take such a picture using an iPhone, Galaxy or a Pixel simply because it requires distance and those phones use the ultra-wide camera for macro shots.
This means you need to be extremely close to you subject, potentially it away.
And I just keep on wondering: why do phones out of China get all the coolest features and have been doing so in the past few years, while the supposed big players just turn a blind eye on all of this?
