Best Camera Phones of 2014

Every smartphone you pick up, whether it’s the latest iPhone or a budget Nokia, is sure to pack an impressive snapper. So with talk of megapixels, aperture and LED flashes, it’s hard to weed out the bad from the good when it comes to smartphone photography. So to make the task just that little bit easier, we’ve picked out the best of the bunch bringing you the best camera phones of 2014.

Love Snapchatting? We’ve got you covered. Can’t go anywhere without the camera rolling- no worries- all you need is this simple guide.

Samsung Galaxy K Zoom

First up on our list is the Samsung Galaxy K Zoom. Looking more like a digital camera than a smartphone, it’s no surprise to see that the Galaxy K Zoom packs one of the most powerful cameras available on the smartphone market right now. Offering a massive 20.7 megapixel lens, the K Zoom offers superb picture quality and great video capture ability too.

The unmatched 10x optical zoom gets you closer to the action than ever before without dumbing down the quality. the camera phone also features a quick zoom function, meaning you won’t struggle to zoom in or out in time to capture the perfect moment. Another impressive feature Samsung is shouting about is the K Zoom’s xenon flash, which brightens up even the darkest room to make your pics as bright as day. Finally, with 8GB of expandable memory, you won’t have to bother yourself with deleting hundreds of pictures to open up some extra space for your next photographic adventure.

***Stand out feature: ***Selfie Alarm; a feature that allows you to use the front camera to take better selfies than ever, simply by lining up your selfie using the front mounted camera and then letting you spin the handset to snap your pic.

Apple iPhone 6

The iPhone 6 is the newest phone on the market, and has the added advantage of being made by the clever guys at Apple. Although it doesn’t scream the same level of specs as the Samsung K Zoom on paper, the iPhone 6 punches well above its weight to make it onto our best camera phone countdown. With just an 8 megapixel lens, the 6 offers deceptively good photos, thanks to Apple’s iSight technology. Compared to the iPhone 5s’ equally impressive camera, the iPhone 6 has packed in a whole host of new technologies, including a new sensor that features Focus Pixels, and a wider aperture to let in more light.

Its true tone LED flash makes low-light photography a doddle, and performs far better than a single LED flash. With up to 128GB internal memory as well, photos definitely shouldn’t be filling up your memory anytime soon.

If it’s features you want, then the iPhone 6 should definitely cater to your tastes, with HDR, Slo-Mo, Time Lapse video, and plenty of filters for you to go through. Finally, if you’re more into sharing the love, the integrated iCloud Photo Sharing feature instantly sends any pictures you take to all of your other linked devices, meaning you can share your snaps faster than ever!

***Stand out feature: ***Burst Photography; need to grab the perfect picture? Just hold down the capture button on the iPhone 6 and you’ll take dozens of photos in seconds, letting you take your pick after. Never again will you miss out on that perfectly timed shot!

Sony Xperia Z3

One of the Kings of the camera phone, Sony has poured endless amounts of time and effort into its camera division, and it’s certainly paid off on the Xperia Z3. With 20.7 megapixels behind its patented Sony G Lens, image quality certainly can’t be questioned with the latest Sony handset.

With 16GB expandable storage and an LED flash, the Xperia Z3 definitely makes using its camera incredibly easy and simple, whilst offering a bucket load of features to go with it. Background defocus, Timeshift Burst and Info-Eye are just some of the snapper’s brilliant features.

If you’re into your video more than your photos, then the Xperia Z3 should be ideal, offering 4K video recording along with its handy picture quality. You can also use slow motion effects to add emphasis to videos, turning your holiday clips into Hollywood worthy movies!

***Stand out feature: ***Underwater pictures; going for a quick dip in the pool when abroad? Well you can take the Z2 with you thanks to it being completely waterproof and even grab snaps with it whilst it’s submerged!

HTC One (M8)

In terms of innovation, you can’t find much better than the HTC One M8, packing a dual camera on its back side. Whilst the lenses themselves are only 4 megapixels, HTC has again implemented its UltraPixel technology to keep the quality at the highest level.

this UltraPixel technology works by increasing the size of each pixel, allowing more light in, which makes each pixel brighter without increasing each pictures file size. This makes the One M8 unique as no other company has introduced this technology into their handsets, and we’re happy to say it works like a dream!

The second lens adds a handy Restore Focus feature that lets you refocus a picture after it’s been taken. On top of this, we find up to 32GB of expandable memory, a dual-LED flash and multiple video themes to keep you happy to boot, making the M8 one of the most well-equipped camera phones ever!

***Stand out feature: ***5 megapixel front camera; if you’re a selfie fanatic, the HTC One M8 will be your ideal partner in crime with an incredibly powerful front lens to go besides the rest of its great features.

Nokia Lumia 1020

On paper, the Lumia 1020 is the most powerful camera phone ever made, totalling 41 megapixels- two times more than any competing handset here! The picture quality is right up there as well, with pictures taken by the handset easily printed on almost any size canvas.

4x lossless digital zoom also makes its way onto the Lumia, and whilst this can’t compete with the K Zoom’s 10x optical effort, it’s still a phenomenal feature. Carl Zeiss Optics along with PureView technology make this possible, as well as making images stand out better than ever.

Finally, a joint Xenon and LED flash handle all the low-light photography hurdles on the 1020, making it an all-round powerhouse on the camera front.

***Stand out feature: ***RAW format support; The Lumia 1020 can save pictures in a RAW format, meaning that quality is as good as can be, by not compressing its images down to the standard JPEG format.

So there you have it, five of the leading camera phone releases which are available to buy in 2014. Which smartphone gets your vote?