Influencers and vloggers earn their followers — and money — from behind the lens of a camera. More often than not, they make their videos using a camera phone.
Smartphones are especially useful for streaming live videos and adding to social media stories on the go, but not all phone cameras are created equal.
Whether you’re an influencer or not, if you want the best video quality for content shot on your smartphone, you’ll definitely want to choose one of the smartphones from the list below.
5 the Best Smartphones for Shooting Video in 2022
1. Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max
Of all the smartphones available on the market in 2022, the Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max is hands-down the best phone for video recording. This is Apple’s biggest, most powerful iPhone 13 model, and its camera and video recording abilities don’t disappoint.
The iPhone 13 Pro Max features increased sensor sizes on the main and ultrawide cameras and autofocus on the ultrawide camera. The smartphone also features a new “cinematic” mode, which shoots videos in ultra-high-quality portrait mode. The cinematic focus creates super professional looking videos, making it ideal for influencers and vloggers.
2. Apple iPhone 13 Pro
Close on the heels of the iPhone 13 Pro Max is the iPhone 13 Pro. The camera hardware and features are all the same as its big brother, with the only difference being the size of the smartphone itself. In terms of shooting videos, if you don’t mind the smaller display screen, the iPhone 13 Pro can get the job done equally as well as the iPhone 13 Pro Max (at a lower price tag).
3. Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra
For the Android users out there, the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra is in the top two when it comes to recording video footage, and it’s one of the best camera phone alternatives to one of the new iPhones in general.
The Galaxy S21 Ultra boasts a great combination of camera hardware and software, along with a unique shooting mode called “Director’s View.” Directors View allows you to record video using the front and back cameras simultaneously, making for some potentially very unique editing opportunities on your vlogs or influencer content.
4. Google Pixel 6 Pro
Depending on who you ask, the Google Pixel 6 Pro is either the best or second best Android camera phone on the market in 2022. Either way, it’s certainly a great choice when you’re looking for an alternative to a new iPhone for shooting video.
The camera hardware and software on the Pixel 6 have both been hugely upgraded from the Pixel 5 and can easily stand on their own alongside Apple’s most recent camera hardware and software. Even the Pixel 6’s selfie camera can record video up to 4k quality, making it ideal for anyone prone to turning the camera on themselves when they record.
5. Apple iPhone SE (2020)
The 2020 edition of the Apple iPhone SE falls well behind the others on this list in terms of its camera capabilities, but it’s the best option for anyone on a budget. All the other phones on this list can cost you anywhere from $800 to upwards of $1500, whereas the iPhone SE only costs a reasonable $399.
So, if you’re an iPhone user looking to start a vlog or up your influencer game, the iPhone SE can be a great place to start. Once you improve your video making skills and get some sponsor money rolling in from your videos, you can always upgrade to the latest model!
Are Smartphones Better Than DSLR Cameras for Making Videos?
If you’re serious about making professional-quality videos, you should definitely consider adding a DSLR camera to your repertoire. DSLR’s give you far more creative control over what you shoot and have better resolution and battery life, among other things.
That being said, there’s no reason you can’t make perfectly good professional videos using one of the smartphone cameras listed above. And, especially if the content you record is intended for social media audiences on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube, a smartphone is a much more practical choice.
With a smartphone, you are pretty much always going to be carrying it in your pocket, so you’ll be ready to shoot spontaneous content on the go. You never know where the next viral video might come from, and you don’t want to miss recording something because it took you too long to get out your big professional camera, turn it on, and start shooting.
Plus, there are all types of great accessories that you can use to enhance your camera phone’s performance. For instance, you can use a selfie stick to take your live video content to the next level, or get a smartphone tripod to start recording longer stationary vlogs.
In Conclusion
Whether you swear by iOS or Android, there’s no reason you can’t make influential video content using your smartphone. Modern camera phone software and hardware has come so far since the early days, so it no longer matters so much which brand you go with.
The most important thing is to learn how to use your phone’s video camera well and keep practicing until you love the look of your content!