phone camera

How Many Megapixels is Good For a Phone Camera?

There are many factors to consider when deciding on the number of megapixels in a camera.

For the most part, a 3MP camera is more than sufficient for everyday sharing, while an 8MP camera can capture crisp details and be printed on an A4 sheet or used on a 4K TV.

If you need to scale up the megapixels or crop the photos for specific purposes, you should consider a higher megapixel count.

2,000 megapixels

Whether you need 2,000 megapixels on your smartphone camera is not always as easy as you might think.

In fact, the number of megapixels in a phone camera is entirely dependent on how you’ll use the images you take. In most cases, 3 to 8 megapixels will do for most sharing destinations.

But if you’re interested in printing A4-size photos and watching your pictures on a 4K TV, you might want to opt for a phone with more megapixels.

However, if you plan to print photos, the higher the megapixels, the higher the price. You’ll have to pay more for the higher resolution, but if you’re a hobby photographer, 2,000 megapixels will still give you plenty of images for your phone.

For example, an 8-inch-sized print will contain about 7.2 million pixels. So, while more megapixels are certainly nice, 2,000 megapixels is a lot of money for a phone camera.

12 MP

It might not be the best camera on the market, but a camera with a resolution of 12 MP is certainly acceptable for most phones. This is because smartphones with bigger sensors tend to have better picture quality and higher resolution.

The 12 MP megapixels are enough to take a high-quality picture in bright light. However, the pixel density of these cameras is not sufficient for 4K video, which requires a resolution of at least 8MP.

Pixel binning is another processing method used by most original device manufacturers to create 12 MP photos.

This process combines data from four smaller photo sites into one large photo. Consequently, the image produced will be 12 MP, and the size of the block will be much larger than the photo. Pixel binning can also improve low-light performance and dynamic range. In the end, a phone with a 12MP camera will definitely produce better photos than one with a lower resolution.

8 MP

While more megapixels is good, a smartphone camera with 8 megapixels or fewer may be better. If you use your photos to make posters or sell them, you might want a phone camera with at least 12 megapixels.

If you’re simply looking to take a few snapshots and share them online, 8 megapixels should be enough.

However, if you plan to print a large number of pictures or use them to create a large-scale poster, you’ll want to opt for more megapixels.

To compare, an eight-megapixel camera on a smartphone crams eight million pixels onto a tiny sensor the size of a baby aspirin.

A larger sensor is advantageous in that it allows more light to reach the pixels, which in turn prevents the light from spilling over to the adjacent pixels. That way, the photo won’t be blotchy or noisy. And it won’t have to work as hard to capture details.

48 MP

If you’re wondering whether 48 megapixels is enough for a phone camera, you’re not alone.

The majority of chipsets don’t explicitly support 48MP cameras or the inclusion of a secondary shooter. However, the Snapdragon 855 and MediaTek Helio P90 both offer 48MP cameras.

And since those two chipsets aren’t available in every market, there’s no reason to think you need them in your next phone.

While a 48MP camera isn’t the highest-resolution sensor, it’s still better than nothing. This is particularly important for capturing landscapes in the sun.

Even though the pixel count is low, this resolution enables the user to zoom in more and create better effects. Even if the final photo doesn’t have 48MP, it can still be cropped to produce a decent picture.

120 MP

One of the biggest arguments for a higher MP count in a phone camera is the ability to capture more detail at a lower sensitivity. But a phone with 120 MP is unlikely to provide the quality of images that a DSLR offers.

Besides, you can’t use a phone camera to take a full-sized photo of your home, office, or vacation. If you need to take a picture of an object in close proximity, you might want a phone with a higher megapixel count.

There are some downsides to this, though. If you’re not sure which size you need for your camera, you’re best off with a 12MP camera. While a 12MP phone camera will take better pictures, it will also be more likely to produce less-than-ideal photos.

That’s because smaller pixels tend to produce more noise. Larger pixels, on the other hand, collect more good data.

320 MP

How many Megapixels (MP) is 320MP? That’s about the same as a 35mm film and you’re probably asking yourself if 320 MP is good for a phone camera. To answer that question, you should think about the size of the film and the megapixels per square millimeter.

For reference, 35mm film has a resolution of 24 x 36mm, or about 864 square millimeters. To capture every detail, an 87 MP digital camera is not adequate. One reason is that film pixels represent real R, G, and B data.

Digital cameras interpolate Bayer data instead. Besides that, a single chip 87 MP digital camera is incapable of seeing as fine a detail as a 35mm film.

480 MP

When choosing a phone camera, the higher the pixel count, the better. A camera with 480 MP or more is considered crisp video. A camera with less megapixels will produce a blurry video. In order to make videos crisper, higher resolutions are needed. You can also watch videos on your phone in high resolutions, but it’s not necessary to buy a high-end model.

640 MP

When comparing the megapixel counts of phone cameras, a 640MP camera should be good enough. In many cases, the difference isn’t even that big.

The difference is less than half a pixel count and pixel pitch. Nevertheless, it’s important to understand why a 640MP camera is a good choice. Listed below are a few reasons why a 640MP camera is good for a phone.

First, megapixel count is not a reliable indicator of camera quality. What’s more, it’s a poor predictor of how well a phone’s camera will perform. It’s better to look at the camera sensor size instead.

A bigger sensor enables the pixels to be bigger, allowing more light to reach them and reducing the risk of artifacts.

Compared to a higher megapixel count, a 640MP smartphone camera will provide better pictures with less noise.

960 MP

Whether 960 MP is good for a phone or not depends on your use case. A good phone camera will be able to record video in slow motion.

You can also make creative use of this feature, as slow motion allows you to see events in slow motion.

Many premium and midrange phones will offer slow motion recording capabilities. Check the resolution, length, and frame rate to determine which one is best for your needs. A camera with a higher resolution will generally produce a lower-quality video.

If you plan on using your phone for photo printing, 960 MP may be enough. However, some purists might think 960 MP is an unnecessary gimmick.

So, you may want to go for an 8MP smartphone. But, a 960MP phone camera has the advantage of shooting photos at a much higher frame rate than a standard 8MP camera. But, what if you’re not planning to use the camera for photo printing?

1,080 MP

How many MPs are good in a phone camera? Many OEMs rely on pixel binning techniques to increase light-gathering capability by combining data from four smaller photosites.

While it can reduce cost, pixel binning can reduce the image’s effective pixel count by up to four times or more on some 108MP cameras.

Consequently, a 40MP sensor will produce a photo with only 10 MP resolution, and a 48MP camera will only produce photos with a resolution of 12MP or lower.

Determining camera megapixels: Conclusion

You can determine the megapixel count of your phone camera by looking at your recent photos.

Most phones today shoot at 8MP or higher, so it’s not necessary to purchase a high-end model with more than that.

The good news is that this situation won’t suddenly change.

A higher megapixel count may be less important if you never plan to print the photos, but it’s still useful for other applications.