Sony's New Image Sensors for Camera Phones: Best Smartphones for Shooting in Low Light

Smartphone cameras have come a long way in the last year, but one area where they still struggle in is low-light conditions. This is true for most cameras, actually, but the effect is more pronounced in smartphones because they are not dedicated cameras.

More megapixels are not the answer, though. Sony has built a new type of sensor that can take all the usable light and use it to make a more even picture. Most camera phone sensors now only look at certain colors to make up the image. That is why low-light photos always fail, even with a flash.

Sony said they would be debuting the new sensors in smartphones near the end of the year. The sensors will also help in shooting video due to Sony's High Dynamic Range function that makes the image sensor a bit smarter in how it processes the image information. In other words, if you're shooting indoors and there is a bright background (like a window), the sensor can tell and not produce as much of a washed-out or overexposed look. The best camera phones for low-light shooting don't have these new sensors yet, but they do produce the best images for a few reasons.

Start the slideshow and when you finish, tell us in the comments if you've tried any of the devices in the list.