The previous 12 months has been superb for smartphones, from the ever-increasing capabilities of AI assistants to record-breaking batteries that may present a number of days of energy on a single cost – and smartphone pictures definitely hasn’t lacked innovation.
This was the 12 months the place we noticed digital camera telephones sprout attachable teleconverters, 200MP sensors develop into virtually routine on flagship handsets, and AI enhancing moved from a neat celebration trick to an on a regular basis software. These three developments have every reshaped the best way smartphone pictures works at the moment – and can seemingly outline the place it goes subsequent.
Attachable lenses are again – however this time they’re severe
Attachable smartphone lenses have been round for years. Clip-on lens kits from manufacturers like ShiftCam and Second – together with loads of finances alternate options – have made it straightforward to offer telephones ultra-wide, macro and even anamorphic taking pictures choices with no need a specialist digital camera.
Nevertheless, the distinction in 2025 is that attachable optics have gone from novelty equipment to one thing cellphone makers themselves are taking severely.
Vivo kicked issues off final 12 months, with its Zeiss co-engineered adapter for the Vivo X200 Professional – an adjunct that turned an enormous a part of its 2025 launches for the X200 Extremely and X300 Professional. And Oppo has additionally now joined the adapter membership with its newest Discover X9 Professional.
On high of its already stacked digital camera array, Oppo gives an non-compulsory Hasselblad co-engineered teleconverter lens that clips onto a devoted case. It optically extends the 200MP telephoto digital camera from an already wholesome 70mm equal to 230mm, with as much as an enormous 920mm utilizing the cellphone’s lossless zoom.
These aren’t simply enjoyable toys; it is a real bridge digital camera various in one thing that also slides right into a pocket. For distant wildlife or sports activities from a budget seats, that additional magnification genuinely modifications what you’ll be able to shoot with a cellphone.
That mentioned, the friction hasn’t gone away: you continue to want the suitable case, the suitable adapter and a pocket to spare. It stays a distinct segment for now, however one which’s steadily gaining momentum.
Looking forward to 2026, I’d anticipate extra producers to observe Vivo and Oppo with their very own official lens methods. It could by no means be a mass-market accent, however for fanatics, hybrid creators and travellers seeking to pack mild, attachable lenses might develop into a typical a part of their package.
Excessive-megapixel sensors went from novelty to regular
There isn’t any doubt that 2025 was the 12 months that normalized the 200MP sensor. What would have been a spec sheet shock only a few years in the past has develop into virtually a typical expectation for a contemporary flagship. This 12 months has seen flagships from Samsung, Vivo, Oppo, Realme, Honor and Xiaomi all name on 200MP sensors to push zoom efficiency.
The actual profit isn’t taking pictures in full 200MP mode (most individuals ought to by no means do this; the file sizes are enormous and unwieldy to edit), however quite permitting the cellphone to make use of these additional pixels for a cleaner and extra versatile zoom.
Cropping right into a huge-resolution sensor produces sharper and extra detailed photographs, particularly in good mild. And at night time, pixels may be mixed for cleaner pictures with much less noise.
In 2025, this led to a noticeable shift in digital camera zoom capabilities, with telephones just like the Oppo X9 Professional providing as much as a claimed 13.2x “lossless zoom” from its 200MP sensor.
In 2026, I anticipate this development to proceed. Sony has simply entered the 200MP race this 12 months with its large-format Lytia LYT-901, a 1/1.12-inch sensor that goals to resolve the same old trade-off between excessive decision and good low-light efficiency.
However whereas bigger 200MP sensors like Sony’s might develop into the brand new flagship normal, older 200MP sensors are prone to trickle additional downmarket, turning into a mid-range characteristic – even when the encircling optics and processing don’t all the time match flagship outcomes.
AI stopped being non-compulsory
In 2025, AI is in all places – however that is the 12 months the place smartphone pictures has maybe seen its largest AI push but.
It now underpins virtually each stage of the smartphone photographic course of, from analyzing a scene for HDR, white steadiness and pure pores and skin tones to AI-assisted super-zooms with their generative element enhancement and beautification instruments.
This 12 months, AI is even edging nearer to taking our photographs for us. The Google Pixel 10 has proven us a glimpse of the way forward for AI steering with its Digicam Coach. This gives a step-by-step evaluation of topics, angles, lighting and composition, with on-screen steering for taking a “higher” picture – in real-time, proper within the digital camera app.
Apps have additionally made AI instruments dramatically extra accessible for enhancing. System-level picture apps on Android and iOS are actually chock-full of AI enhancing instruments, from one-tap sky substitute, background removing, portrait relighting and even generative fill to switch lacking or undesirable parts of a picture.
Google Photographs even allows you to merely dictate your required edits to the cellphone. What used to take desktop computing energy, professional software program and a whole lot of time and talent now occurs in seconds.
Trying to 2026, it’s clear that AI is simply going to proceed to develop its capabilities and deepen its affect. And with rising considerations round authenticity, the road between fact and fabrication will develop into more durable to see.
That is one thing that may matter not only for journalists, however for everybody to place confidence in what we see on-line – particularly on social media, and even for anybody simply attempting to protect real reminiscences with out AI “enhancing” them.
Subsequent 12 months we’ll hopefully see extra strong instruments, from AI turbines to watermark content material, alongside higher transparency controls from websites and social media corporations, with clearer AI indicators displayed on photographs – though this received’t cease dangerous actors from making an attempt to avoid these instruments.
You may additionally like…
For extra, take a look at our guides to the greatest Android telephones for pictures or the greatest digital camera telephones.