Best camera phones

Putting a camera on a mobile phone was the best idea since icing on a cake. Nowadays, more photos are taken on mobiles than all the stand-alone cameras in the world put together -- but the sad truth is that many of them are still blurred, dull and grainy.

It's hardly surprising. Most phone cameras sport a lens the size of a drawing pin and photo modes that have more in common with the original Box Brownie than today's digital SLRs. But there are some excellent exceptions, and finding them is easy if you know what to look for.

Although resolution isn't the be-all and end-all of digital photography, it indicates how seriously a phone maker takes imaging. Mobiles with 5-megapixel and higher resolution tend to have more and better features than their low-res brethren. These produce pictures big enough to print at up to A4 in size -- that's plenty for a mobile snap. But don't think that more is always better. Jumping up to 8 megapixels or 10 megapixels can increase digital 'noise' without visibly improving detail.

Autofocusing is an absolute must. Look out for a macro mode for really sharp close-ups. Some camera phones come with all manner of specialist scene modes but, honestly, how often will you really select 'food' or 'museum' mode before hitting the shutter? More useful are easy, one-touch overrides such as exposure compensation for highlights or shadows, and spot-focusing to concentrate on your main subject.

The other essential is an LED -- or, preferably, a xenon -- flash. LED lights are fine for illuminating a single person or nearby object but a proper xenon flash, like the ones found on dedicated cameras, will punch out enough photons to light up an entire room. Be warned, though: these can really munch through your battery.

Other features worth looking out for are face detection, intelligent exposure, high-dynamic-range options and 'smile shutters' that only snap a photo when your friends are grinning. Speaking of which, the dreaded shutter lag can still be seen on even the fanciest new phones. There's nothing more frustrating than having the perfect image on screen and missing it because your phone takes seconds to focus and fire. Shutterbugs should read the CNET UK reviews or get some hands-on time with a new phone before handing over their credit card.

When it comes to screens, quality is more important than raw size. Look for displays of 76 mm (3 inches) or more, with good pixel density -- perhaps 480x850 or higher. Photography is one area where touchscreens don't add much. It's good to keep your fingers out of the way when taking photos on your phone. Who wants greasy fingerprints smearing framing and playback?

Phones with built-in GPS should automatically geotag your photos with their location, and a fast (HSDPA or Wi-Fi) Internet connection is great for instantly uploading pictures to the cloud. Smart phones make fantastic camera phones, as apps can fill in any gaps in the features list. There are apps out there to stitch together panoramas, add visual effects, edit your photos on your mobile and even replicate old film cameras.

Focus in on the latest camera phones with CNET UK reviews -- here are a handful of the best to get you started.