Seven best camera smartphones on a budget

Did you know that seven out of ten Bangladeshis, while buying a smartphone, prefer one with a better camera than a bigger battery? Well, I made this fact up but it is definitely true that people nowadays prefer buying smartphones with a better camera than anything else. Hence manufacturers don't tend to take cameras for granted anymore.  But buying a great camera phone might put a dent on your pocket. Starting from BDT 40k, the price tag can go up to BDT 100k. But there are few phones out there with pretty good camera that might satiate your needs. Here's a list of the best camera phones under BDT 25,000/- that are available in the market currently.

Oppo F1s

Camera Specs: 

Primary: 13 MP, f/2.2, phase detection autofocus

Secondary: 16 MP, f/2.0, 1/3.1" sensor size

Why Buy: The tagline of the phone is 'Selfie Expert'. I think that clears things up. The phone comes with a huge front camera sensor making sure group selfies are pristine and sharp. The back camera of the phone is an awesome shooter as well. We recommend buying it if you take 90% of your photos with the front camera. 

Price: Tk. 23,900/-

Moto G4 Plus

Camera Specs: 

Primary: 16 MP, f/2.0, phase detection & laser autofocus

Secondary: 5 MP, f/2.2, auto-HDR

Why Buy: A simple user interface coupled with a powerful image processor make this phone a must have for snap-bugs. The camera out performs even some high end cameras thanks to its impressive phase detection and laser autofocus. 

Price: Tk.18-20,000/-

Helio S2

Camera Specs: 

Primary Camera: 13 MP with SONY IMX258 chipset and f/2.0

Secondary: 8 MP with OV8865 chipset and f/2.2

Why Buy: Only local brand to make our list, with reason. The S2 comes with a camera that's simply hard to beat. Wide range of options in pro-mode and an array of filters makes every photo as brilliant as your Instagram feed.

Price: Tk. 15,990/-

OnePlus X

Camera Specs: 

Primary:13 MP, f/2.2, 1/3" sensor size, 1.14 µm pixel size

Secondary: 8 MP, f/2.4

Why Buy: If you want a phone that gives you exceptionally detailed close up shot then OnePlus X is definitely worth checking out. The phone can struggle a bit at night but at day time the camera can beat most entry level DSLRs.  

Price: Tk. 22,000/-

Google Nexus 5X

Camera Specs: 

Primary: 12.3 MP, f/2.0, 26mm, 1/2.3" sensor size, 1.55µm pixel

Secondary: 5 MP, f/2.0, 1/4" sensor size, 1.4 µm pixel size, HDR

Why Buy: In the pre-PIXEL universe, Google's Nexus 5X was considered the go-to phone for an awesome camera on vanilla android. The phone's '1.55 micro pixel-ed' rear camera could trap more light from environment resulting in superb captures in low light.  

Price: Tk. 24-25,000/-

Xiaomi Mi5

Camera Specs: 

Primary: 16 MP, f/2.0, OIS (4-axis), 1/2.8" sensor size, 1.12 µm pixel size

Secondary: 4 MP, f/2.0, 1/3" sensor size, 2µm pixel size

Why Buy: If you want your selfies to cover a wide angle and don't plan on losing details, pick this. The rear snapper is sharp as always. We particularly love that the camera could guess the age and gender of people in real time. 

Price: Tk. 24-25,000/-

ASUS ZenFone 2

Camera Specs: 

Primary: 13 MP, f/2.0

Secondary: 5 MP, f/2.0

Why Buy: Though this phone came out almost a year ago, with the same price tag and spectacular camera on offer - it's a phone that you can consider when you don't have a deep pocket. The rear camera takes excellent photos without even turning HDR on.    

Price: Tk. 24,600/-