The Worst Camera Phone of 2024: A Brutal Assessment
Exploring the most disappointing camera phone of the year and the surprising contenders for this dubious title.
The camera phone landscape in 2024 showcased impressive advancements, yet not all devices lived up to expectations. While many smartphones offer decent camera performance regardless of price, one device stood out as the year’s worst camera phone. Here’s an overview of how this title was determined, including mentions of a few close contenders.
Camera Quality Across Price Ranges
Smartphones like the CMF Phone 1 and Redmi Note 13 Pro Plus demonstrate the strides made even in lower-priced devices. The CMF Phone 1, costing around £170 (~$215), provides a satisfactory camera for general photography despite its basic features. The Redmi Note 13 Pro Plus offers a stellar 200-megapixel main camera but falls short with its less effective 8MP wide-angle and 2MP macro lenses, which lack versatility.
Gaming and Niche Phones Falling Short
The Asus ROG Phone 9 Pro, primarily a gaming phone, faced criticism for regressing in camera quality compared to its predecessor. Despite its high price, its camera felt secondary, failing to match the quality of devices in a similar range. Similarly, the Rabbit R1, an AI-driven gadget, struggled with its 8MP camera that delivered subpar results, dampening its overall utility.
The Worst Camera Phone of 2024
The Punkt MC02 earned the unfortunate title of the year’s worst camera phone. Despite its $750 price tag, this device delivered disappointing results. Its 64MP main camera and 8MP wide-angle lens produced poorly detailed, overly smoothed, and noisy images. Compounding its flaws, the camera app was buggy, unintuitive, and lacked essential features such as grid lines for composition. Even after updates, these issues persisted, solidifying its place as the least impressive camera phone of 2024.
A Brighter Outlook for Most Devices
Despite these outliers, the majority of smartphones in 2024 performed commendably in the camera department. Devices like the CMF Phone 1 and Redmi Note 13 Pro Plus, while not flawless, showcase how even budget options can meet everyday photographic needs. Consumers are advised to steer clear of models like the Punkt MC02, Nokia 3210, and Moto G 5G if camera performance is a priority.
With advancements in technology, even lower-tier phones are becoming reliable for casual photography, making subpar options like the Punkt MC02 notable exceptions rather than the norm.