Best Phones for Macro Photography in 2025

By Mehtab Ansari • Updated On 25 Dec 2024

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Smartphones aren’t just for landscapes and portraits; they’re excellent tools for macro photography too. Thanks to powerful zoom capabilities and computational photography, achieving stunning macro shots on smartphones has never been easier.

While external lenses can make any phone capable of macro shots, in this article, we’ll focus on how to do macro photography and the best smartphones for it in 2025. Some phones excel with telemacro lenses, while others use ultra-wide macro features. Let’s dive in.

How Today’s Smartphones Do Macro Photography

Macro photography is about capturing tiny subjects up close, and smartphones achieve this using two techniques: ultra-wide macro and telemacro.

Ultra-wide Macro

Ultra-wide macro lets you get extremely close (2 to 3cm), especially if your smartphone’s ultra-wide camera has AF (autofocus). It uses computational photography to crop the image automatically for a macro shot.

So, while it’s great for close-ups, it has its flaws—distortion, unnatural bokeh, and difficulty with insects that don’t like you getting too close.

Telemacro

Telemacro solves many of these issues by allowing you to take shots from 5 to 35cm away while allowing you to get close using the optical zoom. This means less distortion, better natural compression, and beautiful bokeh, ideal for insects or fragile subjects.

However, some periscope lenses with high minimum focusing distances (like 50cm) aren’t suitable for telemacro. Devices like the OPPO Find X8, OnePlus 13, and realme GT 7 Pro, despite having periscope lenses, aren’t ideal for telemacro because of the 50cm focusing distance.

In India, the vivo X200 Pro is a great option with a 15cm minimum focus, while the Xiaomi 14 goes even closer at 10cm, though it’s not as good because of the shorter focal range and a different lens type.

Phones like the Huawei Mate 70 and Pura 70 go as close as 5cm, but these are only available in select markets and not India. Meanwhile, devices like the OPPO Find X8 and realme GT 7 Pro, despite having periscope lenses, aren’t ideal for telemacro.

So, here’s what to look for in a smartphone for macro photography

For ultra-wide lenses:

Sensor size: Larger than 1/2.6 inches.
Minimum focusing distance: 2–3 centimeters.
Aperture: f/1.8 or larger (avoid f/2.0 or f/2.2 for better results).
Autofocus: Essential for sharp and detailed shots.

For telephoto or periscope lenses:

Check the minimum focusing distance: Ideal range is 5-25cm.
Avoid lenses with a focusing distance above 35cm.
Stability is key to avoid blurry shots.

How to take telemacro shots:

Get as close to the subject as possible (as close as the lens allows; minimum focusing distance).
Zoom in digitally to frame the subject.
Capture the photo once you’re satisfied with the result.
Maintain steady hands for clear telemacro shots, particularly at longer zoom ranges.

ALSO SEE: 10 Best phones with optical zoom cameras in 2023

Best Phones for Macro Photography

We’ll be focusing on the best smartphones for macro photography that money can buy. Macro photography on smartphones is often seen as a bonus but I think that every smartphone beyond ₹25,000 should come with good macro capabilities. On flagships, it should be a common basic feature. That said, here are the best smartphones for macro photography in 2025:

1. vivo X200 Pro

It’s no mystery that the vivo X200 Pro has the best telemacro in India. It has a 200 MP Samsung HP9 periscope telemacro lens at 85mm or 3.7x, which allows you to get as close as 15cm. After that, you can crop in using the macro mode or without. It delivers some incredible results.

vivo X200 Pro Specifications

Price: INR 94,999; Buy Now

2. vivo X200

The vivo X200 brings a 3x (70mm) periscope telemacro lens with a 1/1.95-inch sensor, offering exceptional macro shots. The sensor size is notably larger than the vivo X100 Pro’s periscope and comparable to main sensors in ₹30,000 phones. Whether in macro mode or zoomed in, the level of detail is impressive.

vivo X200 Specifications

Price: INR 65,999; Buy Now

3. OPPO Find X8 Pro

The OPPO Find X8 Pro’s macro mode relies on the ultrawide lens, which offers average results. For better macros, switch to the periscope lens at 135mm (6x) and zoom in at 300mm or 600mm for detailed shots. However, the f/4.3 aperture limits low-light performance. Overall, macro capabilities are impressive in good lighting.

Some macro shots I took using the OPPO Find X8 Pro:

Shot on OPPO Find X8 Pro 6x lens digital crops

OPPO Find X8 Pro Specifications

Price: INR 99,999; Buy Now

4. Pixel 9/9 Pro/9 Pro XL

The Google Pixel 9 series features a 1/2.55-inch ultra-wide sensor with an impressive f/1.7 aperture, allowing for excellent light intake. Macro shots deliver incredible detail, though you must get as close as 3cm to the subject. Cropping in at 2x or 3x is generally okay. Here are some samples (most of them at 2x) using the Pixel 9:

Google Pixel 9 Pro Specs

Price: INR 79,999; Buy Now (Pixel 9)

5. Xiaomi 15/14

The Xiaomi 14 and Xiaomi 15 feature 1/2.76-inch Samsung JN1 and JN5 sensors, respectively, with 60mm floating telephoto lenses and a 10cm focusing distance, gives out excellent macro results.

Price: INR 49,999; Buy Now

6. Xiaomi 14 Ultra

The Xiaomi 14 Ultra steps it up with 3x and 5x lenses, both with impressive macro capabilities. So, the 3x lens, which is paired with a 1/2.51-inch sensor has a minimum focusing distance of 10cm and the 5x lens has a minimum focusing distance of 30cm. Both are incredible for telemacro.

Xiaomi 14 Ultra Specs

Price: INR 99,999; Buy Now

7. OnePlus 12

The OnePlus 12, with its 3x 70mm telephoto lens, features a 64MP 1/2.0-inch sensor and a 20cm minimum focusing distance, making it great for macro shots. It also has OIS for stable, high-zoom photography. In contrast, the OnePlus 13 has a 50 m focusing distance, which isn’t ideal for macros.

OnePlus 12 Specifications

Price: INR 64,999; Buy Now

8. OnePlus Open

The OnePlus Open shares the same telemacro capabilities as the OnePlus 12. It features a 3x 70 mm telephoto lens with a 64MP 1/2.0-inch sensor and a 20cm minimum focusing distance, making it excellent for macro photography. There’s also OIS and AF.

OnePlus Open Specifications

Price: INR 99,999; Buy Now

9. vivo X Fold3 Pro

The vivo X Fold3 Pro features a 64MP 70mm 3x optical zoom lens with a 15cm minimum focusing distance, making it an excellent macro shooter for a foldable device. It’s on par with the OnePlus Open, with a dedicated macro mode for ease of use. If you’re into foldables and need strong macro capabilities, the vivo X Fold3 Pro is a top choice.

vivo X Fold3 Pro Specifications

Price: INR 1,59,999; Buy Now

10. Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra

The minimum focusing distance of the S24 Ultra’s 5x lens is unknown, but I’ve seen some good macro shots from the device, so I can definitely recommend it. Some sources suggest it’s around 25mm, which is decent. As for the 3x lens, I’m unsure, but you can still get good shots with the 5x.

Galaxy S24 Ultra Specifications

Price: INR 1,24,999; Buy Now

ALSO READ: How to Take Macro Photos with Any Phone (No External Lens)

10 Best Phones for Macro Photography

1. vivo X200 Pro

2. vivo X200

3. OPPO Find X8 Pro

4. Pixel 9/9 Pro/9 Pro XL

5. Xiaomi 15/14

6. Xiaomi 14 Ultra

7. OnePlus 12

8. OnePlus Open

9. vivo X Fold3 Pro

10. Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra

So, these are all the phones with the best macro capabilities. Personally, I’d pick the Vivo X200 Pro as my macro shooter, but you can’t go wrong with any of these options. I’d suggest opting for a telephoto macro lens instead of an ultrawide, although I’ve included ultrawides in the list as well. If you have any other recommendations or know of any other devices that take great macros, feel free to let me know in the comments below.

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Mehtab Ansari

Mehtab Ansari is the Assistant Editor – Features & Reviews at Smartprix, where he writes about smartphones, laptops, audio gear, and everything in between. A computer science student by degree but a tech nerd by heart, he’s been into consumer tech for years and started reviewing products professionally in February 2024. He’s especially into photography and audio, often spending more time testing a smartphone’s camera than he probably should. For him, tech isn’t just work, it’s what he’s always thinking about.

Expertise

Smartphones, laptops, tablets, monitors, smartwatches, photography, and audio gear. I’ve reviewed over 60 products across these categories on Smartprix in the past year and a half.

Education - Bachelor of Computer Applications – Nizam College, Hyderabad (2022–2025) | Joined Smartprix -February 2024 | Published Reviews & Stories - 723

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