My most used camera in 2024 is not a 1x zoom camera.

For a while now, I’ve felt that the best camera phones have a lot of similarities when it comes to the quality of the main camera. Of course, there are minor differences in detail, colors, HDR and a few other factors. But generally speaking, the main cameras on high-end and even mid-range phones have been good, if not great, for a long time.

However, the same cannot be said for telephoto lenses. Due to their small sensor size, narrow aperture, low output resolution, and unsatisfactory hybrid zoom, these cameras often struggled to approach image quality similar to prime lenses. My 2022 Google Pixel 7 Pro has addressed these issues to some extent, but I recently switched to a vivo X100 Ultra as a secondary device and realized something: I take a lot more photos with that phone’s telephoto lens.

And I’m not alone. Some of my colleagues are here Android Authority are relying more and more on their telephoto camera. So when it comes time for Samsung to release the Galaxy S25 series and Google to release the Pixel 10 next year, I hope they take this growing need for telephoto lenses into account and upgrade their cameras accordingly.

Telephoto lenses have taken a step forward and I’m here for it

Previously, pictures from the telephoto lens looked clearly worse than from the main camera. However, this gap has narrowed significantly over the past couple of years thanks to larger, higher-resolution sensors, wider apertures, and OEM efforts to provide consistent image processing. Phones like the Pixel 6 Pro, Pixel 7 Pro, and HUAWEI P50 Pro started making some improvements (like high-resolution sensors) in 2021/2022, but I still felt there was a noticeable gap in quality.

However, modern phones have plenty of telephoto lens upgrades, so you can take decent low-light photos with the telephoto lens instead of cropping from the main camera. Even when shooting during daytime, there are noticeable improvements in detail, noise, color consistency, hybrid zoom, and more.

Telephoto lenses also debuted in portrait mode back in 2016 on the iPhone 7 Plus, but photos taken in these modes often looked artificial. However, improved software, larger sensors, a 3x (~70mm) focal length with natural bokeh, and 3D ToF cameras mean your portrait photos will still look great today. In fact, my colleague Rob Triggs praised the Xiaomi 14 Ultra for its “luxurious portraits.”

Telephoto lenses on HUAWEI, Xiaomi, Sony and vivo phones also offer macro focusing capabilities. This means you don’t have to be very close to the subject to get a macro shot without showing the extreme distortion seen in ultra-wide-angle macro shots. This ability to focus on close objects also meant that I was able to use the telephoto lens on the vivo X100 Pro and Ultra for product shots that were featured on Android Authority website. This Galaxy Watch Ultra shot is particularly nice, with lots of detail and natural bokeh.

Unfortunately, the Pixel 9 Pro series doesn’t have this ability to focus on close-up objects. Overall this isn’t that big of an issue, but I thought this option was clearly a practical addition to provide more flexible shooting options. And that’s definitely what I’m looking for today.

Almost as good as main cameras (almost)

Early telephoto lenses definitely left me wanting due to the inferior image quality compared to the main camera. Some early telephoto lenses even lagged behind in terms of features, lacking options like night mode or manual/pro mode support. But most of the issues have been resolved on the best Android phones, and we’re at a point where switching to a zoom camera doesn’t necessarily involve a big sacrifice.

I don’t plan to stop using the main camera in 2025 as there are still many benefits to using a 1x camera, such as better low light performance and the ability to freeze moving objects. That said, I can definitely see myself spending more time with the telephoto lens in 2025, and I’m eager to see what Android brands have in store for the next generation of flagship phones. I’m also crossing my fingers that Google brings some of these improvements to the Pixel 10 series to make zoom photos even better.