Best 108MP camera phones: Mi 10i, Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra, Motorola Edge Plus, and more

108MP camera phones are now available in India for as low as Rs 20,999

108MP camera phones are expected to gain popularity this year. The camera resolution has been around us since 2019, but it was overshadowed by the success of 48MP and 64MP cameras, which were also launched around the same time. Now that the hype of 48MP/ 64MP camera phones has settled in, it’s now time for 108MP camera phones to shine. A number of upcoming mid-range smartphones are likely to come with 108MP sensors as one of the key selling propositions. That said, there are already a number of 108MP camera phones already available in the country right now. We’ve compiled a list of such phones, but before we get to that, here’s what you need to know about the not-so-new 108MP camera.

Read more: Best 64MP camera phones: Realme 7 series, Redmi Note 9 Pro Max, POCO X3, and more

108MP camera sensors detailed

An 108MP camera is a smartphone sensor that boasts of a whopping 108 million pixels onboard. Samsung is currently the only developer of the camera, and it’s referred to as ISOCELL Bright HMX sensor. The first-gen ISOCELL Bright HMX 108MP sensor was launched back in 2019 with the same pixel binning technology as the 64MP/ 48MP sensors. The technology outputs an image with an impressive 27MP resolution, which is around 69 percent more than what the 64MP camera phone offers. The 108MP camera also has a sensor size of 1/1.33-inch and pixels measuring 0.8 microns to capture ample details even in the low light environment.

Samsung has since refreshed its 108MP ISOCELL Bright sensor twice. It introduced ISOCELL Bright HM2 last year, with 9-in-1 Nonacell pixel-binning to deliver images of 12MP size. In addition to this, the sensor offers up to 3x lossless zoom, and support for 4K @ 120 fps/ 6K @ 30fps video recording and Super-PD autofocus. This was followed by ISOCELL Bright HM3, which was launched earlier this year, with additional 12-bit colour support and slightly bigger 0.8-micron pixel size.

Read more: Best 90Hz display phones: Realme 7 series, OnePlus Nord, Moto G 5G, and more

How great is 108MP resolution?

Cameras need light to create photos, and physically larger sensors are able to capture more light. Since these sensors have millions of pixels that capture light independently of one another, you’ll find a camera with 108MP resolution gets a more detailed image that can be zoomed in digitally or printed on a larger scale without becoming blurry or grainy compared to 12MP, 48MP, and 64MP cameras.

That said, the big 108MP sensors are made smartphone friendly by cramming smaller pixels so that they take less space inside the camera module. This results in lesser clarity and more colour noise in dimly-lit conditions. To tackle this issue, the sensor is fitted with pixel binning technology that combines data from neighboring pixels into one, to enhance the overall image quality. While the quality is certainly better than the 48MP or 64MP camera phone, Google Pixels and iPhones could still surprise you with their 12MP cameras used with computational photography.

List of 108MP camera phones

1. Mi 10i

Mi 10i (review) is the cheapest 108MP camera phone in India at the moment. The affordable mid-range offering from Xiaomi comes with Samsung’s 108MP HM2 camera sensor that uses 9-to-1 pixel binning technology to process sharp and vivid images with 12MP resolution. The smartphone also highlights 8MP wide-angle lens, a 2MP macro lens, and a 2MP depth sensor for a quad-camera setup at the back. 

Other Mi 10i specs include 16MP front-facing camera, 5G-capable Snapdragon 750G SoC, 6.67-inch FHD+ AdaptiveSync 120Hz display, 4,820mAh battery, and 33W fast charging support. The Mi 10i price in India starts at Rs 20,999.

2. Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra

Only the Ultra variant in the recently launched Galaxy S21 series comes with a 108MP camera, much like last year’s S20 series. The latest ultra-premium smartphone from the brand touts the next-gen Isocell HM3 sensor with a large 1/3.3-inch size. That said, It uses the same 9-in-1 pixel binning technology as the sensor on the Mi 10i. Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra (review) cameras also include a 12MP wide-angle sensor and a couple of 10MP lenses with 3x and 10x optical zoom.

In addition to this, the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra sports 40MP selfie snapper in the punch-hole setup up front. The smartphone sports a 6.8-inch WQHD+ Dynamic AMOLED display with 120Hz refresh rate, Exynos 2100 SoC, S Pen support, and 5,000mAh battery. The Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra is selling in India starting at Rs 1,05,999.

3. Mi 10T Pro

Mi 10T Pro (review) touts a 108MP camera, which is said to be better than another 108MP camera phone called Samsung Galaxy Note20 Ultra. The Mi smartphone sports the first-gen ISOCELL HM1 sensor that measures 1/1.33 inches and comes with 0.8-micron pixel size. Mi 10T camera also includes a 13MP ultra-wide lens and a 5MP macro unit at the back. The front camera of the phone gets a 20MP snapper for selfies and video chats.

The rest of Mi 10T Pro specs are as follows: 144Hz 6.67-inch FHD+ display of LCD variety, Snapdragon 865 SoC, 5G, 5,000mAh battery, and 33W fast charging support. The smartphone is priced in India starting at Rs 39,990.

4. Motorola Edge Plus

Motorola Edge Plus is another 108MP camera phone available to buy in India right now. The flagship from Motorola employs triple rear cameras comprising 108MP primary sensor, a 16MP 117-degree ultra-wide-angle sensor, and an 8MP telephoto lens with OIS support and 3x optical zoom. There is an additional Time of Flight (ToF) sensor as well. For selfies and video calling, the phone rocks a 25MP shooter on the front with f/2.0 aperture.

Motorola Edge Plus specifications also include 5,000mAh battery with 18W fast charging support, a curved 6.7-inch full-HD+ OLED Endless Edge 90Hz display, and Snapdragon 865 SoC. The phone can be fetched from Amazon.in at Rs 58,499 for the 12GB RAM + 25^GB storage variant.

5. Mi 10

Mi 10 is Xiaomi’s first smartphone in India to come with a 108MP camera. Launched in the summers of 2020, the Mi mobile phone sports the first-gen 108MP primary sensor coupled with a 13MP wide-angle lens, a 2MP depth sensor, and a 2MP macro lens in the quad-camera setup at the back. Up front, it sports a single 20MP sensor to handle selfies and video calling.

The Mi 10 is powered by Snapdragon 865 SoC paired with 8GB of LPDDR5 RAM and up to 256GB UFS 3.0 storage. The handset ships with a 6.67-inch full-HD+ (1080 x 2340 pixels) curved AMOLED display that bears a 90Hz refresh rate. The Mi 10 is currently selling in India at Rs 44,999.

6. Samsung Galaxy Note20 Ultra

Samsung Galaxy Note20 Ultra (review) comes with triple rear cameras, which consists of a 108MP (f/1.8) dual-pixel autofocus primary sensor with 8K video recording, 12MP (f/2.2) ultra-wide sensor, 12MP (f/3.0) periscope sensor for 3x optical zoom and 50x Space Zoom, and a laser-based autofocus system for fast focusing. For selfies and video chats, the 108MP camera phone rocks a 10MP (f/2.2) shooter, which also has dual-pixel autofocus.

At the core of the Samsung Galaxy Note20 Ultra lies Exynos 990 SoC coupled with 12GB of RAM and 256GB storage. The handset packs a large 6.9-inch Infinity-O Dynamic AMOLED display, which has QHD+ (1,440 x 3,200p) resolution, 19.3:9 aspect ratio, and up to 120Hz refresh rate. The phone is driven by a 4,500mAh battery with up to 25W fast wired charging tech, Fast wireless charging 2.0, and reverse wireless charging. Samsung Galaxy Note20 Ultra is priced in India at Rs 1,04,999.

7. Mi 11

Mi 11 has only been launched in China so far. However, there are rumours that the smartphone could launch in India soon. If so, Mi 11 could be the fourth 108MP camera phone from Xiaomi in the country. Having said that, it’s the world’s first smartphone with Snapdragon 888 SoC. Mi 11 also rocks 120Hz AMOLED screen, 4,600mAh battery, and impressive 55W wired and 50W wireless charging solution.

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