Best Camera Phones Under £400 in the UK (2025)

If you are searching for the best camera phones under £400 in the UK (2025), this guide gives you a clear, practical, and performance-based breakdown. Every phone listed here is evaluated based on real-world photography results, not just specs.

This is a buying-focused guide designed to help you pick a phone that actually performs well in daylight, low light, portraits, and video recording.

 How We Rank These Camera Phones

Every device is judged using real camera performance factors that matter in daily use. This keeps the ranking practical and user-focused instead of marketing-driven.

We evaluate:

• Daylight image sharpness and colour accuracy
• Low-light and night photography performance
• Portrait mode quality and edge detection
• Video stability and clarity (OIS/EIS)
• Zoom capability and detail retention
• Overall usability in 2025 conditions

Camera Comparison Overview (Under £400 UK Stock)

Tier 1 – Best Camera Phones (Flagship Level Under £400)

 Samsung Galaxy S21 5G – Best Overall Camera Phone

The Samsung Galaxy S21 5G delivers the strongest overall camera performance in this price range. It combines intelligent image processing with stable hardware, making it highly reliable for everyday photography.

It produces sharp daylight shots with excellent colour balance and handles low-light conditions better than most mid-range phones. Video recording is also stable and clean, making it suitable for content creation.

Best for: All-round photography, travel, daily use
Verdict: Best overall camera phone under £400 in 2025

 Samsung Galaxy S21+ – Best for Video and Content Creation

The Samsung Galaxy S21+ offers the same camera system as the S21 but improves usability with a larger display and better battery life. This makes it more comfortable for long shooting sessions.

It handles HDR well and produces consistent portrait shots with natural skin tones. Video performance is strong and stable, especially for social media content.

Best for: Vlogging, creators, travel photography
Verdict: Best usability-focused flagship option

 Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra – Best for Zoom and Detail

The Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra focuses heavily on zoom and extreme detail capture. It is designed for users who want long-range photography performance.

It captures highly detailed images in daylight and performs well for landscape shots. However, low-light consistency is weaker compared to newer models.

Best for: Zoom photography, landscapes
Verdict: Best detail and zoom performance in this list

 Tier 2 – Best Value Camera Phones (Mid-Range & Budget Flagships)

 Samsung Galaxy S20 FE 5G – Best Value Camera Phone

The Samsung Galaxy S20 FE 5G is one of the strongest value options in this list. It delivers near-flagship camera quality at a much lower price.

It performs well in daylight, offers reliable portrait shots, and includes a usable night mode for low-light environments. Overall balance makes it a strong everyday camera phone.

Best for: Budget flagship buyers, social media users
Verdict: Best value camera phone under £400

Samsung Galaxy S20+ 5G – Balanced Flagship Option

The Samsung Galaxy S20+ 5G is still a capable camera phone with balanced performance across all conditions. It is slightly older but still reliable.

It produces good daylight images and stable video output, though night performance is not as strong as newer devices.

Best for: General photography, travel use
Verdict: Solid but ageing flagship option

Samsung Galaxy A53 5G – AI Mid-Range Camera Phone

The Samsung Galaxy A53 5G uses AI processing to improve everyday photography results. It is designed for casual users who want simple but decent images.

It performs well in daylight and social media shots but struggles in darker environments.

Best for: Casual photography, social media use
Verdict: Good mid-range camera option

Samsung Galaxy A52 5G – Natural Colour Camera

The Samsung Galaxy A52 5G is known for producing natural-looking images with decent consistency. However, it uses older processing hardware.

It performs fine in daylight but lacks advanced low-light improvements.

Best for: Basic photography users
Verdict: Reliable but outdated

Tier 3 – Basic & Outdated Camera Phones

These devices are included due to availability but are not suitable for serious photography in 2025.

Phones like Samsung Galaxy A50, A10, Huawei P Smart (2021), Sony Xperia XA2, and Xperia XZ Premium provide only basic photography results with weak low-light performance.

iPhone 7 Plus still offers usable portrait mode but lacks modern computational photography improvements.

BlackBerry devices are not camera-focused and are only suitable for basic communication.

Camera Ranking Summary

Tier 1 – Flagship Cameras

• Samsung Galaxy S21 5G
• Samsung Galaxy S21+
• Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra

Tier 2 – Value Cameras

• Samsung Galaxy S20 FE 5G
• Samsung Galaxy S20+ 5G
• Samsung Galaxy A53 5G
• Samsung Galaxy A52 5G

Tier 3 – Basic Cameras

• Samsung Galaxy A50
• Samsung Galaxy A10
• Huawei P Smart (2021)
• Sony Xperia XA2
• Sony Xperia XZ Premium
• iPhone 7 Plus
• BlackBerry models

Buying Guide – How to Choose the Right Camera Phone

If your focus is photography, choosing the right phone depends on your usage style.

If you want overall performance, flagship models like the Galaxy S21 series are the safest choice. They handle all lighting conditions better and produce consistent results.

If you are focused on value, the S20 FE 5G is the strongest option because it balances price and performance very effectively.

For basic users, mid-range and older devices are acceptable but not recommended for serious camera work.

Final Verdict

For the UK market in 2025, the Samsung Galaxy S21 5G remains the best overall camera phone under £400 due to its balanced performance and strong image processing.

For value buyers, the Samsung Galaxy S20 FE 5G is the smartest choice. For zoom-focused users, the S20 Ultra still leads in detail capture.

Older and budget devices are only suitable for basic photography and should not be considered for serious camera use.

 FAQs – Best Camera Phones Under £400 UK (2025)

Which is the best overall camera phone under £400?

The Samsung Galaxy S21 5G offers the best all-round camera performance in this price range.

Which phone is best for zoom photography?

The Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra is the strongest option for zoom and detail capture.

What is the best value camera phone?

The Samsung Galaxy S20 FE 5G provides the best balance of price and camera performance.

Are older phones still good for photography in 2025?

Older phones are only suitable for basic use and do not match modern camera processing standards.

Is the Galaxy S21 still good in 2025?

Yes, it still performs like a flagship camera phone and beats many newer mid-range devices.