How to pick the Right Smartphone for Shooting Internet Videos
(as of April 2025)
By Mark Shapiro (Editor, Internet Video Magazine)
For shooting internet videos, the best smartphones often come from Apple and Samsung, with the iPhone 16 Pro and Galaxy S25 Ultra being strong contenders. However, Google Pixel 9 Pro and the OnePlus 13 also offer excellent camera and video capabilities.
Here’s a more detailed look at some of the top contenders:
Apple iPhones:
• iPhone 16 Pro: Known for its excellent all-around camera, including dedicated Action Button and Camera Control for physical controls. It also offers features like Apple Intelligence tools for editing.
• iPhone 15 Pro Max: This model is particularly strong for filmmakers, offering cinematic mode and ProRes recording.
Samsung Galaxy: Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra: Boasts impressive zoom capabilities and AI-powered slow-motion features. It also offers 8K video recording.
Google Pixel: Google Pixel 9 Pro: Provides excellent all-around performance and reliability, especially for point-and-shoot video recording.
OnePlus: OnePlus 13: Offers a good balance of features and price, with a focus on video recording capabilities.
When choosing a smartphone for internet video, consider factors like:
• Video stabilization: Look for phones with good optical image stabilization (OIS) or electronic image stabilization (EIS).
• Video resolution and frame rate: Higher resolutions (like 4K or 8K) and frame rates (like 60fps or 120fps) can be beneficial for professional-looking videos
• Manual controls: Some phones offer manual settings for focus, exposure, and white balance, allowing for greater creative control.
• Shooting modes: Features like cinematic mode, slow-motion, and night mode can enhance your video recording experience.
• Post-processing tools: Consider phones that offer built-in editing tools or integrate well with third-party video editing apps.
Other cool features include shooting in Slow Motion or Super Slow Mo, as well as Portrait Video and Directors view (using both smartphone cameras (front & rear) at once and then live switching between them)
What to Look for When Choosing a SmartPhone to Shoot Video
Video Quality: Look for phones that offer high resolutions (4K or 8K) and good frame rates (60fps or higher).
• Stabilization: Look for features like optical image stabilization (OIS) or electronic image stabilization (EIS) for smoother videos. Optical image stabilization is preferable to digital.
• Zoom Capabilities: Consider the zoom capabilities, especially if you plan to record videos from a distance. Optical zoom is better than digital zoom. Digital zoom is essentially just enlarging the pixels on the image, making it fuzzier and less sharp.
• Front-Facing Camera: If you plan on vlogging, a good front-facing camera with autofocus is important.
• AI Features: Some phones offer AI-powered features for enhancing video quality or creating special effects.
• Storage: Ensure the phone has enough storage space for recording high-quality videos. FYI – I always recommend backing up your video recordings onto a computer or other storage system (hard drive, SSD or cloud) device ASAP.
Not only are you reducing the possibility of your smartphone ad its recorded videos getting lost or destroyed, you are also making space for new video recordings!
This video shows some of the best phones for video recording and vlogging in 2024: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=wzyTOZDyh8c (https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=wzyTOZDyh8c)
