Artificial intelligence now plays a direct role in smartphone photography. Phone makers use it to process light, reduce noise, select faces, sharpen zoom shots, guide composition, and remove unwanted objects. These tools work alongside larger sensors and dedicated image processors.
The iPhone 17 Pro Max, Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra, vivo X300 Pro, Google Pixel 10 series, and OPPO Find X9 Pro offer some of the broadest AI camera toolsets. Each device takes a different approach, ranging from automatic image processing to guided shooting and generative editing.
Apple equips the iPhone 17 Pro Max with three 48MP Fusion rear cameras. Its updated Photonic Engine applies machine learning across more parts of the image pipeline. The system preserves detail, controls noise, and adjusts color, especially when lighting is limited.
The phone also offers 4x and 8x optical-quality telephoto options, plus digital zoom up to 40x. Its 18MP Center Stage front camera uses AI to widen the frame for group photos. It can also switch between portrait and landscape framing while the phone stays vertical.
Samsung’s Galaxy S26 Ultra uses a 200MP main camera, a 50MP ultrawide camera, and two telephoto cameras. The ProVisual Engine processes image data in real time, while the phone’s processor applies sensor-specific noise reduction during low-light video recording.
Galaxy AI also supports Photo Assist, which provides generative editing tools after users capture an image. Users can move or remove objects and adjust parts of a photo. The camera system also uses wider apertures for the main and 5x telephoto cameras to collect more light.
The vivo X300 Pro combines a 200MP ZEISS APO telephoto camera with a 50MP main camera and a 50MP ultrawide camera. Its VS1 imaging chip processes frames before the V3+ chip completes post-processing, helping the phone manage portrait, stage, motion, and zoom photography.
Its AI Image Studio includes AI Erase, AI Landscape Master, and AI One-Shot Multi-Crop. The phone also supports AI telephoto tracking for distant moving subjects. Stage Mode 2.0 can record two views at once and supports 4K Dolby Vision video.
Google’s Pixel 10 series runs on the Tensor G5 chip and includes Gemini-based camera features. Camera Coach studies the scene and suggests framing, angles, lighting, settings, and modes. Ask Photos lets users edit an image through written or spoken instructions.
The Pixel 10 also supports Auto Best Take, which combines similar group images to improve the final result. The standard model includes a 5x telephoto camera with 20x Super Res Zoom, while the Pro models extend the available zoom range.
OPPO’s Find X9 Pro uses a 200MP Hasselblad telephoto camera, a 50MP main camera, a 50MP ultrawide camera, and a separate True Color Camera. Its image system uses multi-frame processing to retain detail and balance colors across changing light.
The phone offers AI-powered zoom up to 120x and AI Portrait Glow for lighting adjustments. OPPO also uses computational processing to support motion capture, burst shooting, long-range photos, and low-light portraits without relying only on the main sensor. The system also records 4K video at 120 frames per second with Dolby Vision.