Not long ago, lowlight photography was a dealbreaker for smartphones. That’s changed and how. Smartphone manufacturers have used a blend of cutting edge hardware and computational photography to improve lowlight images. Those blurry images from the wild night with your buddies at the pub is a thing of the past. 

iPhone 13 Pro and Pro Max: the A15 Bionic processor is the heartbeat of the new iPhone 13 quartet. It doesn’t just quench your need for speed but also impacts photography. The Pro twins are for serious camera buffs, all three rear lenses get night mode that enhance images and videos across different scenarios. Apple has kitted the all-new Wide camera with the largest sensor ever on an iPhone (1.9 µm pixels). It combines with the A15 Bionic processor to deliver less noise and faster shutter speeds to capture more details. (Rs 1,19,900 onwards) 

Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra: is probably the Android shooter to beat in India. The extra heft of this device (vis-à-vis the S21+) is totally worth it for the gorgeous display and the camera prowess. Samsung’s flagships have handled lowlight better than the competition for a while now, this device is no exception. A 108MP primary lens handles most duties while the dual telephoto lenses – 3X and 10X add to its versatility. Zoom images are quite crisp even in lowlight while the 40MP selfie cam aces portrait mode. (Rs 1,05,999)  

OnePlus 9 Pro: marks a big step for the OnePlus rear cam, almost as big for OnePlus as the moon landings that were part of the Apollo 11 mission. Those images were captured on a Hasselblad camera. OnePlus’ high-profile partnership with this iconic Swedish company didn’t just improve the colour science but also the rear lenses on the 9 Pro and the OnePlus 9. Lowlight zoom images are quite impressive – the rear cam integrates a 48MP Sony IMX789 primary sensor (with OIS and EIS support) that features an f/1.8 lens, a 50MP Sony IMX766 lens with an ultra-wide angle lens, a 2MP monochrome sensor and an 8MP telephoto lens. (Rs 59,999 onwards)  

Vivo X70 Pro+: makes a big impression with its lowlight video capture capabilities and sharp zoom images in dim lighting conditions. Camera partnerships are a thing now, Vivo co-engineered  the imaging system for its quad rear cam with Zeiss. All four cameras – 50-megapixel wide-angle camera, a 48-megapixel ultra-wide-angle camera, a 12-megapixel telephoto camera with 2X optical zoom, and another 8-megapixel telephoto camera with 5X optical zoom, come with auto focus and OIS (Optical image stabilisation). All rear lenses have certified compliance to Zeiss’ T* coating that reduces stray lights and ghosting effects when you’re shooting in the night. (Rs 69,990)

Mi 11 Ultra: isn’t just the best cam we’ve seen from the Mi stable but one of the best at this price range. The GN2 sensor (co-developed by Mi and Samsung) is one of the largest smartphone camera sensors. It improves lowlight images. The cam automatically shifts to lowlight mode – you don’t have to toggle to night mode each time. The brand’s proprietary Ultra Night Mode images are quite impressive. The rear cam set-up includes a 50MP wide angle cam, a 48MP ultra-wide cam and a 48MP telephoto lens that can shoot up to 5X on optical zoom (Rs 69,999)