Sensor sizes have plateaued and megapixel counts have stopped mattering. The improvements this year come from processing: better low light, more natural skin tones and video stabilisation that rivals gimbals. Mid-range phones now shoot photos that would have been flagship-grade two years ago.
What to buy
If photos matter, choose on processing and lens quality rather than sensor numbers. Several mid-range models outperform last year’s flagships in blind tests, and the gap at the top is narrower than marketing suggests.
Key takeaways
- Processing drives gains more than sensors
- Mid-range phones match older flagships
- Video stabilisation is the standout improvement
This story is part of our ongoing coverage of gadgets. We will update it as more details emerge.
