In the past few years, more and more smartphones with two rear camera sensors have released. In 2018, phones like the Huawei Mate 20 Pro even launched with three rear cameras. In one case, we even saw as many as four rear camera sensors with the release of the latest version of the Samsung Galaxy A9.
When it comes to front-facing cameras, most smartphones still use a single snapper. However, this year a small trend started, with a few more phones adding an extra camera to the front. Let’s take a look at the best current smartphones with two front cameras that you can buy. We will update this post as more of these devices are released.
One quick note before we begin; dual front cameras on phones are more readily available in Asia, where companies like Huawei, Redmi, Oppo, and others dominate. For this article, we have mainly selected smartphones with two front cameras targeting Western buyers, as well as those in Asia. It’s also worth noting a few bigger names like the HTC U12 Plus were left off the list simply because the cameras aren’t bad, but the rest of the phone’s experience just doesn’t match.
Google Pixel 3/Pixel 3 XL
The Google Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL may be the most unusual phones on this list. While more smartphones are adding camera sensors on the back, the Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL stick with a single rear 12.2MP camera. Instead, the company decided to put two 8MP sensors on the front of each phone. One of them is a standard sensor with f/1.8 aperture and a 75-degree field of view. The other sensor is a wide-angle camera with a f/2.2 aperture and a 97-degree field of view.
Google also added a couple of selfie-based software features for the Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL. Group Selfie mode has received the most attention. It lets owners access the wide-angle sensor so they can bring in more people into their selfie picture without the need for one of those annoying selfie sticks. Pictures taken in Group Selfie mode shouldn’t look warped like front-facing wide-angle pictures often can.
The other camera feature using the front-facing sensors is Photobooth Mode. With this mode, the camera senses when you are smiling at the sensor, and automatically takes a picture. This should eliminate the worry of capturing an image of yourself that shows you frowning.
Besides its cameras, the Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL both have some excellent hardware and software inside, like the Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 processor, wireless charging support and Android 9 Pie out of the box.
Read more
- Google Pixel 3 and 3 XL review: The Android iPhone
- Google Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL camera review
- Best Google Pixel 3 cases, Pixel 3 XL cases, and Pixel 3 accessories
- Google Pixel 3 camera shootout
- Google Pixel 3 vs Samsung Galaxy S9
- Google Pixel 3 vs Galaxy Note 9, LG V40, and Huawei P20 Pro
LG V40 ThinQ
Here’s yet another odd smartphone in the camera department. While the Google Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL kept just one rear camera and doubled up on the front cameras, the LG V40 ThinQ went in the other direction. It has three rear camera sensors and two front-facing cameras, for a total of five cameras on board.
For this article, we will concentrate on the phone’s two front cameras. One has a standard 8MP sensor, with a f/1.9 aperture, and an 80-degree field of view. The other 5MP sensor has a wide angle, with a f/2.2 aperture, and a 90-degree field of view. In our review, we were happy with how it took wide-angle selfie shots. The dual front cameras can also take excellent portrait mode images with bokeh background blurring effects that you can put into the photo afterward.
While the LG V40 ThinQ concentrates its camera efforts on its three rear sensors, the two front-facing cameras do a good job for people who want to put in some extra efforts in their selfie shots as well. The phone also has high-end hardware, including the Snapdragon 845 chip, and excellent software, including LG’s well-known manual camera mode.
Samsung Galaxy A8 and A8 Plus (2018)
The first two phones on this list with dual front cameras are flagship devices and priced accordingly. The 2018 editions of the Samsung Galaxy A8 and A8 Plus are mid-range phones, but both still have two front cameras. Both have the same camera hardware, with a 16MP sensor and an 8MP sensor at the front, both with an Æ’/1.9 aperture. The 8MP sensor has a slightly wider camera angle for group selfies, but it’s not as effective as other phones on this list. You can do a live preview of a selfie picture in portait mode with this dual camera setup.
If you want a cheaper dual front camera phone, the Galaxy A8 and A8 Plus may work for you. You can get an unlocked version of the Galaxy A8, and its 5.6-inch display, for $329.99 on Amazon. The Galaxy A8 Plus, with its larger 6-inch display, is harder to find new, but it is available for $339.99.
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