Digit Research: Indian tech consumers on smartphone cameras in 2026

Ask anyone around you, or yourself even, as to what their top three considerations are about their current or next smartphone. We’re pretty sure the camera considerations will feature in the top three things smartphone consumers deeply care about.

In recent years, smartphone makers have gone all out to push the camera capabilities on phones to unprecedented levels. From triple-digit megapixel counts to cutting-edge sensors, to even phones that have a dedicated lens system, along with a fully functional camera ring and what not. Needless to say, the competition is intense among smartphone cameras, across all price segments.

All this brings us to the big question: what do smartphone buyers think about smartphone photography? Do they still prefer carrying around a DSLR camera, or are they okay with their cutting edge smartphone cameras? What kinds of features do they look for when buying a smartphone with camera features in mind? 

In this latest edition of Digit Research, we break all this down to find out what over 5000 general Indian consumers think about smartphone imaging buying decisions.

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Smartphones are replacing the DSLR for most users

Our first question was pretty simple: do you prefer shooting on a DSLR/mirrorless camera or just your smartphone? Not much of a surprise here, as the majority that counted in at over 67% picked the smartphone. Honestly, this was expected given that smartphones carry an ease of use and more accessibility when compared to a full-fledged camera system.  

With the growth of social media, no one wants to be stuck in between transferring files. Given that the outputs of smartphones have been good enough for some time now, it looks like many would prefer just using a smartphone instead.  

That does not mean people aren’t using a DSLR/mirrorless camera system anymore. The remaining 33% of users picking up that option signifies that there are some ‘enthusiasts’ who would want more control over their imaging. It suggests that there is still a market for such cameras, though it may be growing smaller day by day. 

Multiple lenses are no longer a ‘gimmick’

Since 2020, there has been a brief period of time in the smartphone market where makers have actively started putting out multiple camera lenses in a single device. We went from having a single camera lens to having three or even four lenses at a particular time. 

While most might agree that these lenses were there just for the show, as most of them didn’t perform very well. It did bring out an important question: How often do users use the other camera modes present on their smartphones? These modes include ultrawide mode, telephoto mode, and portrait mode. 

With the majority of voters saying that they would use these modes every single day, it is clear that mobile photography has matured. Users are no longer just clicking pictures; they would like to have a certain amount of optical flexibility, which helps them in composing their shots better.

Just like in the camera market, where having multiple lens options in your bag is common, the same can be said for smartphones. Users want multiple lenses inside their pockets, and this high engagement with different modes suggests that a multi-camera system is now a baseline requirement for a smartphone in 2026.

Android flagships edge out Apple in camera 

Our next question was more focused towards brand preference. Where we asked the readers a simple question: Suppose you’re buying a new smartphone for yourself, and all you do is take pictures with it. In that case, which smartphone maker would you trust the most? 

Surprisingly, there was a fierce competition here. While Apple remained a strong contender with a good amount of votes, it was actually outperformed by both Vivo and OPPO individually. Safe to say that with the recent marketing push towards the ‘camera-phone’ branding, these companies are getting more popular among users. 

By getting into partnerships with legacy camera brands like Zeiss and Hasselblad and by bringing other innovations to the smartphone camera space, these manufacturers have successfully convinced the public that their devices are the best camera phones to buy. 

The Google Pixel sat just below Apple, placing it as a strong alternative. It suggests that there is somewhat of a ‘brand loyalty’, and many prefer the software-based optimisations made by Google. Last but not least, there was OnePlus with a surprisingly small number of votes, suggesting that they need to up their camera game somehow.

Megapixel count still dominates smartphone buying decisions

As enthusiasts, you and I know what makes a good smartphone camera. Though what about the masses? What exactly do they look for when buying a phone for the camera performance? 

Despite the reality that sensor size and software optimisation are the key factors for good image quality, there is still a megapixel myth surrounding users. Since an overwhelming number of voters chose higher megapixel counts as their primary consideration when buying a phone. 

This clearly shows that megapixels outweigh other options on the table. For the makers, the message is clear: marketing their device with a higher megapixel count, like ‘100MP’ or ‘200MP’, will be more effective at giving better sales numbers, rather than explaining the more technical terms to the consumer.

Smartphone users want to go ‘pro’

2025 saw a rise in terms of external smartphone camera accessories. While tripods, gimbals, and other camera accessories are already popular in the market, makers like OPPO and Vivo did something completely different. Both brands released smartphones that can support external telephoto lenses, helping give better outputs. 

Upon their arrival, there was a lot of debate among tech spaces, asking a big question: would the masses actually buy an external accessory for their smartphones? That was exactly what we asked as our last question for this survey. 

And, perhaps the most surprising finding is that more users want to enhance their smartphone camera experience through external accessories. Over 62% of the voters expressed that they would be happy to invest in external camera accessories.

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