You know the old saying “the best camera is the one you have with you?” Well, while that saying’s true in some ways, some cameras are better than others. If you want to have THE best camera with you at all times, you need to pick up a phone on this list. As 2021 comes to a close, we round up the best camera phones you can buy in the Philippines for 2021.

Best Camera Phones in the Philippines (2021)

• Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max
• Samsung Galaxy Z Fold3
• Xiaomi Mi 11
• ASUS ZenFone 8
• Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra

Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max

Php 70,990 – 128GB

Php 76,990 – 256GB

Php 88,990 – 512GB

Php 101,990 – 1TB

Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max Philippines Specs:

• Apple A15 Bionic processor
• 6GB RAM
• 128GB/256GB/512GB/1TB storage
• 6.7-inch Super Retina XDR OLED display, 120hz refresh rate, 1284×2778 resolution, HDR10, Dolby Vision
• 12-megapixel f/1.5 main camera with sensor-shift OIS, 12-megapixel f/1.8 ultra-wide-angle camera with PDAF, 12-megapixel f/2.8 telephoto camera with OIS, 3x optical zoom, and PDAF
• 12-megapixel f/2.2 selfie camera
• 3G, 4G, 5G
• WiFi 6, Bluetooth 5.2, NFC, in-display fingerprint scanner
• Stereo speakers, Dolby Atmos
• 4352mAh battery
• 27w wired charging, 15w MagSafe wireless charging
• iOS 15

If you are looking for the best camera phone without worrying about prices, the iPhone 13 Pro Max should be on top of your list. With an impressive DxOMark score of 137, it is the fourth-best camera phone to date, only to be beaten by three smartphones that remain exclusive to China. Don’t be deceived by its use of three 12-megapixel cameras–the main camera features large 1.9um pixels, a bright f/1.5 aperture, and sensor-shift OIS, while the ultra-wide-angle camera has an f/1.8 aperture and can shoot as close as 2cm.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold3

Php 87,990 – 12GB/256GB

Php 95,990 – 12GB/512GB

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold3 Philippines Specs:

• Snapdragon 888 processor
• 12GB LPDDR5 RAM
• 256GB/512GB UFS 3.1 storage
• 7.6-inch QXGA+ Dynamic AMOLED Infinity Flex Internal Display, 120hz adaptive refresh rate
• 6.2-inch HD+ Dynamic AMOLED External Display, 120hz adaptive refresh rate
• 12-megapixel f/1.8 main camera with OIS and Dual Pixel AF, 12-megapixel f/2.2 ultra-wide-angle camera, 12-megapixel f/2.4 telephoto camera with Dual OIS, PDAF, 2x optical zoom
• 4-megapixel f/1.8 under-display selfie camera (inner display)
• 10-megapixel f/2.2 selfie camera (outer display)
• 4G, LTE, 5G
• WiFi 6, Bluetooth 5.2, GPS
• Side-mounted fingerprint scanner, IPX8 Rating, stereo speakers
• 4400mAh battery
• 25w fast charging
• Android 11, One UI 3.1

While the Galaxy Z Fold3’s under-display camera is underwhelming, Samsung’s foldable device has a great triple rear camera setup that consists of three 12-megapixel snappers (one of each for the main, ultra-wide, and telephoto camera)–two of them having OIS. If you’re not convinced, DxOMark even gave the Galaxy Z Fold3 a score of 124, citing the Snapdragon 888 processor and improved algorithm as the reason why it was a big improvement over the Galaxy Z Fold2.

Xiaomi Mi 11

Php 35,490 8GB/128GB

Php 36,990 8GB/256GB

Xiaomi Mi 11 Philippines Specs:

• Snapdragon 888 processor
• 8GB LPDDR5 RAM
• 128GB/256GB UFS 3.1 storage
• 6.81-inch Quad HD+ AMOLED display, 120hz refresh rate, 10-bit color
• 108-megapixel f/1.9 main camera with PDAF, 5-megapixel f/2.4 macro camera, 13-megapixel f/2.4 ultra-wide-angle camera
• 20-megapixel selfie camera
• 4G, 5G
• WiFi, Bluetooth 5.1, in-display fingerprint scanner
• 4600mAh battery
• 55w fast charging
• Android 11, MIUI 12.5

The first Snapdragon 888-powered phone that arrived in the Philippines has serious photography chops, earning a score of 120 in DxOMark. It earned its high marks thanks to its excellent performance in handling texture and noise in most shooting conditions, along with accurate colors and white balance even in challenging shooting situations. Completing its camera setup is a very capably 13-megapixel ultra-wide-angle camera and a 5-megapixel macro camera.

ASUS ZenFone 8

Php 24,995 8GB/128GB

Php 29,995 12GB/256GB

ASUS ZenFone 8 Philippines Specs:

• Snapdragon 888 processor
• 8GB/12GB LPDDR5 RAM
• 128GB/256GB UFS 3.1 storage
• 5.9-inch Full HD+ AMOLED display, 120hz refresh rate, 1ms response rate
• 64-megapixel f/1.8 IMX 686 main camera with OIS and PDAF, 12-megapixel f/2.2 IMX 363 ultra-wide-angle camera
• 12-megapixel IMX 663 selfie camera with Dual PDAF
• 4G, 5G
• WiFi 6e, Bluetooth 5.2, in-display fingerprint scanner
• Stereo speakers, Cirrus Logic DAC, IP68 rating
• 4000mAh battery
• 30w fast charging
• Android 11

Being a unicorn in a sea of large flagship phones, the ZenFone 8 is a small phone that packs a punch in performance and its camera capabilities. Despite its size and straightforward dual rear camera setup that consists of a 64-megapixel main camera with OIS and a 12-megapixel ultra-wide-angle camera, DxOMark praised the ZenFone 8 for delivering a stellar camera performance that can rival more expensive flagship phones. Fun fact: The ZenFone 8 actually has the same DxOMark score as the Mi 11!

Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra

Php 69,990 – 12GB/256GB

Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra Philippines Specs

• Exynos 2100 processor
• 12GB LPDDR5 RAM
• 512GB UFS 3.1 internal storage
• 6.8-inch WQHD+ Dynamic Super AMOLED display, 120hz refresh rate, HDR10+
• 108-megapixel f/1.8 main camera with Dual Pixel PDAF and OIS; 10-megapixel f/2.4 periscope camera with 10x optical zoom, Dual Pixel PDAF and OIS; 12-megapixel ultra-wide-angle camera with Dual Pixel PDAF and Super Steady video; 10-megapixel telephoto camera with 3x optical zoom, Dual Pixel PDAF and OIS
• 40-megapixel f/2.2 front camera
• LTE, 5G
• WiFi 6, Bluetooth 5.1, GPS, A-GPS, GLONASS
• In-display Fingerprint scanner, IP68, stereo speakers
• 5000mAh battery
• 25w wired charging, 10w wireless charging
• Android 11 with OneUI 3.0

While we are still waiting for the Galaxy S22 series next year, the Galaxy S21 Ultra is Samsung’s ultimate camera phone in the Philippines. Making it a solid phone is having OIS on three out of four rear cameras, along with two telephoto cameras (a conventional one with 3x zoom and a periscope camera with 10x zoom) and an ultra-wide-angle camera with autofocus. Need to ask more?

That wraps up our picks for the best camera phones in the Philippines for Q4 2021. Which phone will you most likely buy?