5 best camera-centric smartphones to capture memories this festive season: iPhone 16, Pixel 9 Pro XL and more

tech.hindustantimes.com:

The Indian festive season is in full swing, with Navratri already behind us and Diwali fast approaching. This time of year is all about reuniting with family and friends, creating memories, and enjoying the celebrations. Amidst all this, one thing remains constant—the desire to capture these precious moments through photos and videos. To help you document the festivities in the best possible way, we've curated a list of 5 smartphones with powerful camera systems that will boost your festive photography.

Also Read: Google Pixel 9 Pro pre-orders to start in India after a two-month wait: Price and everything you need to know

If you are looking for social media-ready pictures straight out of the camera, with the flexibility of three powerful lenses and an equally great selfie shooter, the Pixel 9 Pro XL is the ideal choice. Not only does it pack Google's AI prowess with features like the ‘Add Me' feature to help with group shots this festive season, but it also has much-improved video capabilities. Now, with features like Video Boost and Night Sight video, the gap between the iPhone's video performance and what the Pixel can achieve is closer than ever. That said, the Portrait Mode isn't the best, as Google doesn't allow you to use the 5x lens in that mode, relying instead on the main 1x lens cropped up to 3x. Pictures from the Pixel 9 Pro look natural yet punchy, with some of the best dynamic range available on any phone.

iPhone 16 Pro remains one of the most reliable shooters in the smartphone world. With this year's upgrades to the ultrawide camera and the ability to shoot 4K 120FPS video, even in ProRes LOG, the camera system is more refined than ever. You can capture detailed images with natural colours using the main 48MP lens, while the 5x and 0.5x lenses also offer great detail and the ability to capture ProRaw images. However, those who can benefit from Pro features like ProRes LOG and ProRaw should opt for the Pro model, but for most users, the standard iPhone