Best dual-camera phones in India for April 2018

Dual-camera phones are not particularly new. However, since the Apple iPhone 7 Plus was announced in 2016, manufacturers have been finding their routes to produce the best camera on phones with the help of a dual camera setup. 

In fact, we recently witnessed a groundbreaking three-camera setup on the Huawei P20 Pro. But if you notice, the best camera phone in the market right now-- the Pixel 2/XL still does the job with just one sensor, hence it did not make it to this list. You'll find it ruling the table in our best smartphone camera list though.

There was a time when there were few phones with two rear cameras, but things have changed so much that the trend has entered budget phone market too. 

So, what are some of the popular dual-camera phones that we can find in the Indian mobile market today? Let’s have a look.

The Samsung Galaxy Note 8 camera is amongst the best we’ve ever tested, for three reasons: it captures clear, colourful photos, has a brilliant new bokeh (background blur) effect, and sets you up with an easy-to-use, yet full-featured camera app.

Samsung’s telephoto lens is also great. Its second rear camera’s 2x optical zoom benefits from optical image stabilisation (OIS). OIS means the camera actually moves to compensate for your shaky hands, and it’s something the iPhone’s telephoto camera lacks. The Note 8 makes great strides in reducing any photographer’s remorse.

The Note 8 has no shortage of photo modes: Auto, Pro, Panorama and Food, while the missing favourites can be downloaded from the Galaxy App Store. There’s also a new Full View camera option, which caters to the dimensions of Snapchat and Instagram Stories.

Read the full review: Samsung Galaxy Note 8

The iPhone X may not be just about the camera but it is one of the major talking points of the phone. The iPhone X carries a promising set of lenses and it can focus faster, take better low-light shots, and a lot more. The new camera is bolted on vertically this time, which clearly shows that Apple wants you to hold the phone in landscape rather than portrait. 

The shots from the iPhone X are highly impressive — it shows huge improvement in low-light shots. Even when the light is fading, the details and colours look really strong. If you have something that can come close to competing with Pixel 2 XL in terms of quality and natural pictures, it is the iPhone X.

Read the full review: iPhone X

LG’s flagship smartphone for this year comes as an update to last year's V20. The LG V30+ comes with dual cameras comprising of a 16-megapixel primary shooter and a secondary 13-megapixel wide angle camera. 

Unlike other OEMs, LG uses the secondary camera to enable wide-angle shots, which is something photography enthusiasts will be relieved about.

The 16-megapixel sensor has an aperture size of f/1.6, which allows more light to be captured by the camera and is backed by 3-axis optical image stabilisation and PDAF.

In our usage of the V30+, we found that the camera to be decent, but is not at par with the imaging prowess of phones like the Google Pixel 2. Then again, you get the V30+ at significantly lower price point as well.

Read the full review: LG V30+

The iPhone 8 Plus’ camera is an evolution rather than a revolution, but Apple didn’t need to reinvent anything here, as it was already one of the best phone cameras on the market. 

The thing that defines Apple’s cameras is how easy they are to use – with every release of new iOS software they gain new, if not necessarily spectacular features, to improve the power of the camera, and the sensor gets imbued with some new capabilities.

The overall performance of the camera is a cut above previous iPhone snappers, with the sharpness in mixed conditions impressive – you can make out plenty of detail in both the brighter and darker sections of the photo. But what’s most impressive with the new iPhone 8 Plus is are the new editing capabilities, and what you can do with your photos post-capture.

Buy Apple iPhone 8 Plus at Flipkart

Read the full review: Apple iPhone 8 Plus

Launched at MWC 2017, the LG G6 is the latest G series device succeeding the LG G5. The smartphone comes with dual 13MP cameras at the back. While the primary camera is packed with optical image stabilisation, the same is lacking in the 125 degree wide-angle lens, however it can click immersive pictures. 

Also, it is the best camera under 35K in India right now. It packs tons of manual settings to play and experiment with for both still and video. The camera is not as amazing as Pixel 2 but it is comparable to the Galaxy Note 8 in many cases. It is one of the most underated dual camera phone of 2017, although it did receive good reviews when it was first lauched.

Read the full review: LG G6 review

Much like most of the major phones in 2017, the Nokia 8 has opted for a dual-sensor array that uses two 13MP shooters.

One of these is an RGB lens, while the other is a monochrome shooter, with the images from the two combined to offer improved quality in low light. You can also shoot using just one of the lenses if you wish, but you’ll likely only want to do so with the monochrome lens, as it allows for true filter-free black and white shots.

The images from the Nokia 8 don’t compare to those you’d get out of the Galaxy S8 or the iPhone 7 Plus. Compared to images taken on those phones, the shots didn’t appear crisp enough. But for the price, it is still phone worth considering, compared to its competitors.

Buy Nokia 8 at Amazon India

Read the full review: Nokia 8

The flagship killer of the year, the OnePlus 5 came with an already impressive dual camera setup, but with an update in the form of the OnePlus 5T, it’s become a true flagship killer. 

The reason for that, in part, is because the camera setup on the OnePlus 5T isn't the same as that on its predecessor. While the now discontinued OnePlus 5 came with a secondary telephoto lens, the 5T doesn't and instead features a 20-megapixel snapper with an aperture size of f/1.7 and that improves its low-light shooting capacity.

Also, because of this little tweak, the camera can now capture more light and creates some better looking photographs in the price range.

There’s not a lot that hasn’t been said about the company’s new flagship and it’s currently selling via Amazon India and OnePlus' own store. The 64 and 128GB variants have been priced at Rs 32,999 and Rs 37,999, respectively.

Read the full review: OnePlus 5T review

The Honor View 10 brings more megapixels to the table than virtually any other phone in the market right now. The camera is actually the area where can expect the View 10 to perform better than its expensive alternatives. 

On the back of the View 10 sits a bug-eyed pair of camera lenses. One uses a 16MP color sensor, the other a 20MP black and white sensor.

Huawei and Honor have used a similar setup before, the higher-resolution 20MP camera being used to let you zoom at 2x and see more detail than you would from simply cropping into the standard 16MP image.

The camera performance is commendable and there's virtually zero shutter lag. Focusing is reasonably fast and you can use Auto mode and get the best possible shot in most cases. 

Read the full review: Honor View 10 review

The result of Xiaomi's partnership with Google, the Mi A1 supported by the search giant's Android One program is aimed at users who want a premium smartphone experience at low prices. The Mi A1 reboots Google's Android One program which was first created for budget OEM's. With its reboot, Google is now bringing more premium players into the fray.

The phone has a dual camera setup and houses twin 12-megapixel camera modules, one wide-angle, f/2.2 aperture and another telephoto f/2.6 aperture lens.

The best thing about the camera is the secondary telephoto lens, that is rare in this price segment. The dual camera is right now the best under Rs 15K category, reason being the color accuracy, well defined details and impressive portrait blurring. 

Read the full review here: Xiaomi Mi A1 Review 

Xiaomi has improved the camera from its predecessor. It's at par with the Mi A1's camera, which means the Moto G5 Plus still sports a better camera in this price range. The Redmi Note 5 Pro produces warm, punchy colours with reasonable image detail. It can do reasonably well in low-light situations, though it's not the best we've seen in this range. 

Also, the phone is a good buy at Rs 13,999. The 20MP front camera compliments the rear camera equally well. We also compared the camera with the OnePlus 5T, and the results were impressive.

Read the full review here: Redmi Note 5 Pro