The best smartphones for camera zoom

While many smartphone cameras will provide excellent definition when photographing something that’s just a few feet away, they can sometimes struggle to maintain that definition while zooming in.

The average smartphone has hundreds of different uses – and can still fit in your pocket. It can’t quite match the quality of a larger, dedicated camera with specialised lenses built in. 

But the best smartphone cameras have really closed the gap in terms of how far their zooms can reach and the quality they can provide.

Here are some of the best smartphones for zooming in.

The Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra is a great choice as it has one of the best sets of zoom features on a smartphone to date.

With its highly advanced quad-telephoto camera, you can enjoy selecting from 2x, 3x, 5x and 10x optical zoom, bringing distant subjects into sharp focus without sacrificing quality. Whether you’re photographing wildlife, sports events, or classic architecture, the optical zoom ensures your shots are detailed and vibrant.

In addition to that, you get the incredible 100x Space Zoom. Using AI, Space Zoom intelligently processes information to capture clearer, brighter images by combining multiple shots to achieve the best possible clarity. The improved Nightography works in a similar way, bringing together multiple shots so you can take vivid, optimised photos in low-light. 

Zooming in often comes with the challenge of maintaining a steady shot. The Galaxy S25 Ultra addresses this with its advanced Optical Image Stabilization (OIS) and AI-enhanced stabilization. These technologies work together to minimize blur, ensuring your photos are crisp and clear even when fully zoomed in.

The iPhone 16 Pro Max’s 5x telephoto camera delivers a 5x optical zoom, the longest zoom available on an iPhone. It fits into the phone using a state-of-the-art tetraprism design. This design features a folded glass structure below the lens, reflecting light rays 4 times over. This allows light to travel further, creating a focal length that delivers clearer, more detailed images without any digital processing. 

In addition to the optical zoom, the iPhone 16 Pro Max also supports digital zoom, which means you can zoom in further, up to 25x. 

There’s also Camera Control, which allows you to access camera tools quickly - including the zoom. Simply slide your finger to adjust different functions like exposure or depth of field. Plus, toggle through each lens or use digital zoom to frame your shot like a pro.

The Google Pixel 9 Pro triple rear camera system includes a 5x telephoto lens, which enables a 10x optical zoom. And after you’ve taken your shot, you can get in even closer. Zoom Enhance uses AI to enhance the detail and quality of your photos, so your pictures still look sharp. 

But where Pixel 9 Pro really excels is video. Super Res Zoom Video works by combining data from the 48MP lens with AI-powered Video Boost. The details of your video are enhanced, while zoom stabilisation reduces shakiness, so your videos look even sharper, more dynamic, and more defined – even in low-light conditions. 

We’ve got a range of smartphones with astonishingly good cameras at Three. Check out our range of devices as well as all our latest offers.