Best Android Video Camera in 2019

Cameras in smartphones are getting better than ever, and that applies just as much to videography as it does to photography. Some phones have great specialized video features, while others simply take great point-and-shoot footage. The Galaxy S10+ offers the best combination of versatile lens options and great video stabilization, but there are plenty of great phones to choose from.

Best overall

Samsung Galaxy S10+


Staff pick

The Galaxy S10+ takes fantastic photos, and the quality carries over to video as well. Its new triple camera array makes it an incredibly versatile shooter with standard, telephoto, and ultra-wide lenses to choose from, and the former two are backed by OIS. Even the ultra-wide provides amazingly smooth video with the help of EIS, and you can shoot at up to 960fps in 720.

$1,000 at Amazon


Runner-up

LG V40 ThinQ

Just like the S10+, the V40 has three lenses — and they’re even in the same configuration. The image quality isn’t quite up to par, but the versatility is there, and the V40 has more specialized video features. The Cine Video shooting mode lets you apply LUTs to change up the color profile of your videos, and the far-field microphones can hear from up to 17 feet away.

$950 at Amazon


Best stabilization

Google Pixel 3 / Pixel 3 XL

Like its predecessors, the Pixel 3 and 3 XL have absolutely fantastic video stabilization that’s just unrivaled in smartphones. With both OIS and EIS in tow, you get buttery smooth video whether you’re riding along in a car or train, or just walking down the street with the phone in your hand. The camera app doesn’t offer other advanced features, and the microphone doesn’t pick up great audio, but it absolutely nails the stabilization.

$599 at Google


Powered by AI

Huawei Mate 20 Pro

Add Huawei to the list of triple camera flagships with its excellent Mate 20 Pro. Just like the S10+ and V40, it has a telephoto and ultra-wide camera in addition to the primary sensor, and the Mate 20 Pro makes use of AI for some video-related features. You can track a moving subject and desaturate the rest of the shot, or blur out the background to simulate a portrait-like video.

$827 at Amazon


Another great option

Samsung Galaxy Note 9

The Galaxy Note 9 can do just about everything the S10+ can do, albeit without the ultra-wide lens for landscape shots. You get virtually the same excellent primary sensor, along with a telephoto lens and, unique to the Note, Samsung’s unique S Pen that lets you quickly launch the camera with a button press. You can even remotely control the shutter to start and stop recording without needing to be close to the phone.

$834 at Amazon


Best for less

OnePlus 6T

The OnePlus 6T does an admirable job in the video department, especially considering its modest price. The f/1.7 camera offers good video quality, and the OIS is aided by really good EIS for smooth shooting. You can shoot at up to 4K resolution at 60 fps, or choose between 240 or 120 fps slow-mo in reduced resolutions. There’s no microSD support though, so you’ll want to opt for the 256GB option if you plan on shooting a lot.

$549 at OnePlus

The standard, telephoto, and ultra-wide cameras all work together to make the Galaxy S10+ an absolute beast of a content creation tool, and our top recommendation for mobile videographers. The V40, Pixel 3, Note 9, Mate 20 Pro, and OnePlus 6T all do a great job in the own regards, though — in fact, you’ll get more specialized video features from the V40, and the ability of remote operation on the Note 9. But it’s hard to beat sharp image quality and smooth stabilization.

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