Samsung Galaxy S7

Samsung has shied away from high pixel counts and gone for a 12Mp main camera rather than the 16Mp on the S6. It’s a bold but wise move and makes the S7 one of the best phones for photography.

It ticks almost every box, too, with optical stabilisation, 4K video and the option for 60fps in 1080p. It can shoot slo-mo, albeit not in 1080p, and will shrug off a downpour because the whole phone is water resistant.

Colours are vibrant and exposures are generally spot on. And in low light, the larger pixels (1.4μm versus 1.22μm) really seemed to help: the S7 is capable of superbly detailed photos with virtually no noise. You don’t get a dual-tone flash – or a front flash – but few will miss these.

4K video is also highly detailed and thanks to an HDR option, doesn’t blow out the sky when other phones can’t avoid it. Audio is decent from the built-in mics as well. The OIS helps, but there’s a bit of video wobble if you’re moving it around too much.

You can double-tap the home button to launch the camera, and there’s minimal focus lag, which means you’re less likely to miss the moment: another reason why the S7 makes for such a

good camera. Reviewing photos on the AMOLED screen is a treat, too.

The app includes a manual mode where you can change the metering mode, ISO, shutter speed and exposure compensation. Plus you can choose to shoot in RAW mode and enable the tracking autofocus mode.

Samsung has also copied Apple and added a Motion Photo mode, which records a couple of seconds of video before and after you take a full resolution photo. Arguably more useful is the ability to take 9Mp photos while shooting 4K video.

If you’re into selfies, the front 5Mp camera has a decent wide-angle lens and produces sharp, well-exposed self-portraits. This all-round goodness makes the S7 the best phone camera right now. It does a fantastic job in auto mode, but offers manual options for those that want them. And in addition to superb quality results, Samsung has nailed the user experience, too.

Key features

Rear: 12Mp; 4K; 1080p at 60fps Optical image stabilisation: Yes Front: 5Mp; 1080p video Panorama: Yes, plus motion panorama Slo-mo: 720p at 40fps Rear: Time-lapse: Yes