The best phones for night photos

The shopping team 3:21 p.m., February 13, 2024

We wandered for weeks through urban nights, as if in the wilderness, with the best mobiles on the market. With or without outdoor lighting, with or without a full moon, we tested them tirelessly to determine which are the best phones for night photos. 

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The Europe 1 editorial staff did not participate in the production of this article.

Since the advent of cameras integrated into mobile phones, we have witnessed a rapid evolution in their capabilities. Once simple gadgets, these cameras have become powerful tools, eclipsing even the compact camera market. This metamorphosis reaches its peak in night photography, a field formerly reserved for professional cameras. Artificial intelligence (AI) plays a leading role in this revolution. By integrating AI, smartphone manufacturers have transcended the physical limits of sensors. How ? By optimizing image processing. At night, where every photon counts, the AI ​​dynamically analyzes and improves the quality of the shots. It compensates for sensor weaknesses in low light, manages digital noise, and restores details that would otherwise be lost in the dark. This progress is not only technical; he is also artistic. Night modes on today's smartphones capture scenes with unprecedented clarity and detail, revealing a vibrant and colorful nighttime world, a far cry from the grainy images of yesteryear. From the stars in the sky to the lit city streets, modern smartphones offer a window into nighttime scenes of previously unimaginable beauty and richness. In this guide, we'll explore five cutting-edge smartphones, each distinguished by their exceptional night photography capabilities. Get ready: the ideal smartphone for your nighttime adventures is certainly tested here.

Summary :

Apple iPhone 15 Pro

: The master of naturalness

Google Pixel 8

: The king of photography for less than 800 euros

Google Pixel 8 Pro

: The master of nighttime details 

Galaxy S24 Ultra

: The master of night zoom

Honor Magic 5 Pro

: Night photography at the best price

The best phones for night photos

Apple iPhone 15 Pro: The master of naturalness

The iPhone 15 Pro is a cutting-edge smartphone, combining elegant design, advanced performance and exceptional photographic capabilities, especially in night mode. Its design is as refined as it is modern, and its titanium shell is simply sumptuously beautiful and soft to the touch. Its handling is intuitive, thanks to well-thought-out ergonomics, including a button dedicated to the camera. Its dimensions and weight (146.6 x 70.6 x 8.25 mm for 187 g) contribute to optimal comfort of use. Under the hood, iPhone 15 Pro is equipped with the latest iOS operating system, providing a smooth and secure user experience. It is powered by an advanced A17 Pro microprocessor, accompanied by 8 GB of RAM and a powerful GPU, ensuring high-level performance both for daily use and for video games. Add to this its sublime Super Retina XDR screen, whose colorimetry, contrast and brightness are carefully calibrated to offer exceptional reading comfort and viewing quality, whether for photos, films or games. The digital camera consists of a 48 Mpx wide-angle sensor, a second 12 Mpx ultra-wide-angle sensor and a 12 Mpx x2 telephoto lens. During the day, these features translate into clear, detailed and color-rich photos. In night mode, the iPhone 15 Pro particularly shines, delivering images with remarkable clarity and detail, even in low light conditions. It stands out from the competition with lighter digital processing which allows for more natural shots. In terms of battery life, the iPhone 15 Pro offers solid battery life, almost a day of normal use, and the Apple ecosystem is still one of the best thought out in the world.

Technical sheet	Apple iPhone 15 Pro
Processor	Apple A17 Pro, 8 GB of Ram, from 128 GB to 1 TB of storage
Screen	Retina 6.1 inches at 2556 x 1179 pixels
Photography	48MP wide-angle, 12MP ultra-wide-angle and 12MP x2 telephoto lens
Dimensions and weight	146.6 x 70.6 x 8.25 mm for 187 g
Autonomy	Until 11 p.m.

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The iPhone 15 Pro Max is the ultimate version of the iPhone 15 Pro. It offers a larger screen and especially in photos an additional 12 Mpx sensor in order to obtain a x5 optical zoom instead of only x2 for the 15 Pro.

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Google Pixel 8: The king of photography for less than 800 euros

The Google Pixel 8 sports a modern, sleek design, with a satin metal finish and a glossy back. This beautiful model comes in green, black and pink. Powered by the new Google Tensor G3 chipset, the Pixel 8 focuses on AI-related features, improving the quality of photos, videos and audio. Despite slightly lower performance than competing models in benchmarks, it offers a smooth and pleasant user experience. The smartphone runs Android with software support guaranteed for seven years, a major asset for its durability. The Pixel 8's 6.2-inch OLED display has a resolution of 2400 x 1080 pixels, delivering a sharp image and vivid colors. Its maximum brightness and variable refresh rate make it suitable for reading, watching videos and photography. The Pixel 8 excels at night photography thanks to its camera, which consists of a 50 MP wide-angle sensor and a second 12 MP ultra-wide-angle sensor. They capture impressive nighttime images without light leaks or reflections. Even without a dedicated telephoto lens, cropping the 2x sensor provides satisfactory results. The ultra-wide-angle, on the other hand, offers good color reproduction and great dynamic range, although it is less sharp than the main camera. Camera features are enhanced by AI, including Google's new "Best Shot" feature. The Pixel 8's battery life is solid, with a good day and a half in normal use and almost a day in intensive mode. The Google Pixel 8 is a solid choice for those who prioritize night photography and AI-based features, while looking for a phone with competitive value for money.

Technical sheet	Google Pixel 8
Processor	Google Tensor G3, 8 GB RAM, 128 to 256 GB storage space
Screen	6.2-inch OLED with 1080 x 2400 pixels
Photography	50 MP wide-angle, 12 MP ultra-wide-angle
Dimensions and weight	150.05 x 70.8 x 8.9 mm for 187 g
Autonomy	Up to 24 hours

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Google Pixel 8 Pro: The master of nighttime details 

The Pixel 8 Pro is a sleek model, boasting a sturdy build with Gorilla Glass Victus 2 on the front and back, and an aluminum frame. Its ergonomic design ensures comfortable handling. The smartphone runs Android and is powered by Google's new Tensor G3 chipset, paired with 12GB of RAM. This chipset is optimized for AI-related tasks, particularly in image processing. Although slightly behind the Snapdragon and Apple chipsets in terms of raw power, the Tensor G3 excels at AI tasks and delivers a smooth and responsive user experience. The Pixel 8 Pro features a brilliant OLED display with an average brightness of 1,600 nits and a peak brightness of 2,400 nits, providing excellent visibility even in bright light conditions. The photographic capabilities of the Pixel 8 Pro are solid with three sensors: the first is a 50 Mpx wide-angle, the second a 48 Mpx ultra-wide-angle and a last of 48 Mpx for a x5 telephoto lens. The physical setup is enhanced by AI, with features like “Best Shot” that use AI to combine people's reactions into a series of images. This allows you to create shots where everyone appears in their best light. In terms of image quality, the Pixel 8 Pro offers impressive low-light performance. It captures details that even people with 10/10 vision wouldn't be able to see. It reveals what you don't see, changing the way you take night photos. The autonomy of the Pixel 8 Pro ensures normal use for more than a day and a little less than a day for more intensive use. The Google Pixel 8 Pro is the smartphone for those who want to immortalize the night in all its splendor, but with a less natural look.

Technical sheet	Pixel 8 Pro
Processor	Google Tensor G3, 12 GB RAM, 128, 256 or 512 GB storage space
Screen	6.7-inch OLED with 1344 x 2992 pixels
Photography	50 Mpx wide-angle, 48 Mpx ultra-wide-angle; 48 Mpx telephoto lens x5
Dimensions and weight	162.6 x 76.5 x 8.8 mm for 213 g
Autonomy	Up to 24 hours

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Galaxy S24 Ultra: The master of night zoom

The Galaxy S24 Ultra maintains a familiar size with a flatter feel. Imposing, it is not suitable for small hands with dimensions of 79 mm x 162.3 mm x 8.6 mm for 232 g. It features a 6.8-inch Dynamic AMOLED display, providing a superior visual experience with a resolution of 1440 x 3120 pixels. Its maximum brightness of 2600 nits makes it ideal for viewing HDR content even in bright lighting. Under the hood, the S24 Ultra is equipped with the new Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 processor, coupled with 12 GB of RAM and up to 1 TB of storage, making it one of the most capable Android smartphones currently available. This setup ensures smooth handling of everyday tasks and demanding games. The Galaxy S24 Ultra is equipped with a 200-megapixel main camera, a 12-megapixel ultra-wide-angle camera, and two zoom lenses (one 10 MP with a 3x telephoto lens and another 50 MP with a 5x telephoto lens ). This configuration provides great versatility and high image quality in various scenarios, including zooming up to 15x. New AI-powered editing features, such as deleting or moving objects in images, enrich the photography experience. The Galaxy S24 Ultra compensates for its slight lack of details compared to the Pixel 8 Pro with greater versatility and more complete zooms. The 5,000mAh battery provides excellent battery life, easily lasting well over a day of intensive use.

Technical sheet	Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra
Processor	Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3
Screen	6.8-inch AMOLED with 3120 x 1440 pixels
Photography	200 MP wide-angle, 50 MP ultra-wide-angle, x3 telephoto lens in 12 MPx and x10 telephoto lens in 10 MPx
Dimensions and weight	162.3 x 79 x 6.6 mm for 232 g
Autonomy	up to 30 hours

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Honor Magic 5 Pro: Night photography at the best price

The design of the Honor Magic 5 Pro is both elegant and functional. It features a modern aesthetic with a glass back and metal frame, providing a comfortable grip and premium appearance. The curved screen and thin borders accentuate its sophisticated look. Under the hood, the Honor Magic 5 Pro is equipped with a Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor, with 12 GB of RAM and an Adreno 740 GPU. This configuration guarantees smooth and responsive performance, whether for daily applications or resource-intensive games. The Honor Magic 5 Pro's screen is a strong point, offering an immersive visual experience thanks to its OLED technology. The high resolution (2848 x 1312 pixels) and precise colorimetry make multimedia content particularly attractive, with vivid colors and deep blacks. In terms of photography, the Honor Magic 5 Pro excels with its versatile camera system. It has a 50 Mpx wide-angle photo sensor, a second 50 Mpx ultra wide-angle and a last 50 Mpx for x3 optical zoom. It offers impressive low-light performance, thanks to high-quality sensors and AI integration to improve shots. Whether for wide-angle, zoom or portrait shots, the smartphone delivers sharp and detailed images. However, compared to the competitors in this guide, it has more difficulty treating darker areas effectively. But with its quality-price ratio, we forgive it without difficulty. The Honor Magic 5 Pro's battery life is solid, allowing for heavy use throughout the day. Fast charging features are an added benefit, providing efficient and convenient charging.

Technical sheet	Honor Magic 5 Pro
Processor	SNapdragon 8 Gen 2, 12 GB RAM, Adreno 740 GPU and 512 GB storage space
Screen	6.8-inch OLEd in 2848 x 1312 pixels
Photography	50 MP wide-angle, 50 MP ultra-wide-angle, 50 MP telephoto x3
Dimensions and weight	162.9 x 76.7 x 8.77 pixels for 219 g
Autonomy	Until 10 p.m.

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How to properly use Night Mode on your high-end smartphone

With the advent of high-end smartphones, night photography has reached a new milestone. Night mode, integrated into most recent devices, offers the ability to capture impressive images in low light conditions. Here are the best practices for making the most of this mode and taking stunning night photos.

Prepare your Shot: 

Choose the Right Environment: Look for areas with minimal ambient lighting. The presence of varied light sources such as street lights, neon signs or the moon can add character to your photos.

Stabilize your Smartphone: Use a tripod or place your smartphone on a stable surface. Night mode often involves longer exposure times, and the slightest movement can blur the image.

Night Mode Settings: Familiarize yourself with the settings on your smartphone. Some devices allow you to manually adjust the exposure time or intensity of the effect.

Shooting Techniques: 

Image Composition: As in traditional photography, the rule of thirds can be applied for a balanced composition. Target the interesting elements and try different angles.

Experiment with Light: Play with the contrasts between lit and dark areas. Indirect light can create dramatic and mysterious effects.

Use Manual Focus: If your smartphone allows it, adjust the focus manually to prevent the camera from focusing on the wrong elements.

Learn from your experiences, every shoot is an opportunity to learn. Analyze your photos to understand what works well and what could be improved. Night photography requires patience and practice. Don’t be afraid to experiment and step out of your comfort zone.

How to edit your night photos with a high-end smartphone? 

Night photography with an Android smartphone is an art that combines capturing images in low light conditions with post-capture editing to enhance the beauty of those captured moments. Modern Android smartphones, equipped with advanced sensors and intelligent algorithms, provide an excellent basis for night photography. However, photo editing can turn a good photo into a work of art.

Basic Steps for Editing on Android: 

Choosing the Editing App: Start by choosing a reputable photo editing app. Applications like Adobe Lightroom, Snapseed or VSCO offer a wide range of tools and filters.

Adjusting Exposure and Brightness: Night photos can often be underexposed. Increase brightness and adjust exposure to reveal details hidden in dark areas.

Digital Noise Control: Low light photography can introduce noise. Use noise reduction tools to maintain image clarity without losing detail.

Color Enhancement: Play with saturation and color temperature to enhance the mood of the photo. A slight increase in heat can give a more natural touch to city lights.

Using Filters and Effects: The apps offer a range of predefined filters. Experiment with these filters to see which effect best suits the mood of your photo.

Sharpening Details: Use sharpening tools to accentuate details, especially if your photo includes architectural or natural elements.

Focus on the Google Pixel 8: 

The Google Pixel 8, in particular, stands out in night photography thanks to its AI capabilities and Night Sight mode. Here are some specific tips for editing photos taken with the Pixel 8:

Exploit Night Sight Mode: Pixel 8’s Night Sight mode captures exceptional details in low-light conditions. Start with a good photo using this mode.

Contrast Adjustment: Pixel smartphones tend to produce images with high contrast. Adjust the contrast to balance the image.

Color Enhancement with AI: Take advantage of built-in artificial intelligence to enhance colors in a natural way. The Pixel's AI tools can help balance colors without making them too saturated.

Using Google Photos Tools: The Pixel 8 is integrated with Google Photos, which offers convenient editing tools. Use these tools for quick and efficient adjustments.

Experimenting with RAW Editing: If you are an advanced user, try shooting photos in RAW format and editing them for maximum control over the final result.

Editing Night Photos with iPhone 15 Pro and iOS 17

Night photography with the iPhone 15 Pro running iOS 17 is a rewarding experience, thanks to its advanced sensors and AI integration. However, even photos taken with this high-end smartphone can benefit from editing to maximize their impact. 

Using the Built-in Tools: The Photos app on iOS 17 offers editing options such as adjusting exposure, brightness, contrast, and saturation.

Exposure Adjustment: Night photos may lack brightness. Use the exposure slider to brighten the image without overexposing it.

Digital Noise Reduction: Noise is common in night photos. The iPhone 15 Pro handles noise well, but manual adjustments can further improve the quality.

Enhanced Detail and Color: Play with saturation to bring colors to life without making them look artificial. Sharpening can help define details more finely.

Using Smart Filters: iOS 17 offers a series of filters that can be applied for artistic effect or to enhance the overall mood of the photo.

Night Mode and Deep Fusion: Take advantage of iPhone 15 Pro's Night Mode and Deep Fusion technology for high-quality, basic photos. These technologies provide an excellent starting point for retouching.

Color Adjustment with Apple Pro RAW: For advanced photographers, using Apple Pro RAW format can provide more precise control over color and detail adjustments in post-processing.

Advanced Editing with Third-Party Applications: Applications like Adobe Lightroom or Snapseed can offer more flexibility and advanced tools for more advanced editing.

Using Siri for Editing Shortcuts: With iOS 17, use Siri to create shortcuts for frequent editing tasks, making the process faster and more efficient.