Best smartphones for macro

You don't always need specialist equipment for close-ups; the best camera phones are very capable when it comes to macro photography

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For those who would like to give macro photography a go but prefer not to buy new kit, there's always the option of using your phone. Smartphones have obvious advantages of convenience and cost over cameras, which generally require a dedicated lens with macro capability, either for magnification, close-focusing, or both.

Not long ago, clip-on macro lenses for smartphones were available to buy. These tended to be low in quality and fiddly to use, and since they were usually specific to a phone model, they became obsolete as soon as you upgraded your device. In recent years, flagships and even mid-range phones have come equipped with macro functionality directly in camera. It's even become a key selling point.

If macro photography is of interest to you, and you're thinking of upgrading your smartphone, consider some of those listed here. These are all high-end smartphones with a price-tag to match, but cheaper phone deals can be found by skipping back a generation or more – just check that the older versions offer macro first.

How does smartphone macro work?

Generally speaking, most smartphones utilise the ultra-wideangle camera for macro. The phone will detect when you're attempting to take a closeup picture and automatically switch to macro mode. With the iPhone 16 Pro, for example, this gives you the ability to focus as close as 2cm from the subject. The phone will then crop in to give the same angle of view as the standard 1x lens, for a more natural appearance. Since you're switching to a different sensor and lens, image quality may suffer in some situations, such as in low light.

Most phones have the option to switch off the macro focusing for each shot if you prefer to use the standard lens. But you will probably need to move further from the subject to achieve focus.