Best Telephoto Lens Phones of 2026
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Telephoto lens phones are a popular choice for those who love photography and want to capture high-quality images with their smartphones. These phones are equipped with a powerful telephoto lens that allows you to zoom in on your subject without losing image quality. They are perfect for capturing distant objects, landscapes, and even portraits. Telephoto lens phones come in a variety of models and brands, each with its own unique features and specifications. They are a must-have for anyone who wants to take their smartphone photography to the next level.
At a Glance: Our Top Picks
Top 10 Telephoto Lens Phones
Google Pixel Fold 256GB Unlocked Smartphone
The Google Pixel Fold is a versatile foldable smartphone designed to enhance your mobile experience. Its large 7.6-inch foldable OLED display with a smooth 120Hz refresh rate offers vibrant colors and sharp visuals, perfect for watching videos or multitasking. When folded, the 5.8-inch cover screen keeps you connected with bright, clear images. Powered by a fast Google Tensor G2 chip and 12GB of RAM, the Pixel Fold handles apps and games smoothly. Plus, its 4821mAh battery ensures you get long-lasting use throughout your day without frequent recharging.
Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max 256GB
The Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max offers a large 6.9-inch screen with smooth 120Hz refresh rates and vibrant colors, making it perfect for watching videos, playing games, or working on multiple tasks at once. Its lightweight titanium frame not only feels premium but also makes the phone easier to hold during long video shoots or gaming sessions. The versatile camera system lets you capture sharp photos and detailed close-ups, even in low light. Plus, the customizable Action button lets you quickly launch apps or tools, helping you save time and stay focused on what matters most.
Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra 256GB Phantom Black
The Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra offers a stunning 6.8-inch Dynamic AMOLED display that adapts its refresh rate for smooth scrolling and gaming, making your viewing experience vibrant and fluid. Its powerful 200 MP camera system lets you capture detailed photos and videos, even in low light, with impressive zoom and professional options. Equipped with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor and up to 12 GB of RAM, this phone handles multitasking and demanding apps with ease, giving you fast and reliable performance. Plus, the 5,000 mAh battery supports quick wired and wireless charging, so you can stay powered up throughout your busy day without long waits.
Samsung Galaxy S23+ 5G 256GB Phantom Black
The Samsung Galaxy S23 Plus offers a vibrant 6.6-inch Dynamic AMOLED display that adjusts its refresh rate for smooth visuals and stays bright even in direct sunlight, perfect for outdoor use. Powered by the fast Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset, it handles gaming, multitasking, and editing with ease, ensuring long-lasting performance. Its versatile camera setup includes a 50 MP main lens, ultra-wide, and telephoto with optical zoom, letting you capture everything from wide landscapes to detailed close-ups. Plus, the 4,700 mAh battery supports quick wired and wireless charging, keeping you powered throughout the day and even allowing you to charge other devices wirelessly.
SAMSUNG Galaxy S23 Ultra 512GB
The SAMSUNG Galaxy S23 Ultra offers a stunning 6.8-inch Dynamic AMOLED display that adapts its refresh rate from 1 to 120 Hz, giving you smooth scrolling and vibrant visuals whether you're gaming or watching videos. Its 200 MP camera system lets you capture detailed photos with versatile lenses, including ultra-wide and powerful zoom options, perfect for photography lovers and night shots. Powered by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor and up to 12 GB of RAM, this phone handles multitasking and demanding apps with ease. Plus, its 5,000 mAh battery supports fast wired and wireless charging, so you can stay connected all day without worry.
Google Pixel 10 Smartphone
The Google Pixel 10 is a powerful and versatile unlocked Android phone designed to give you freedom and performance. It runs on Google’s fastest chip, the Tensor G5, offering smooth and efficient use for everyday tasks. The triple rear camera system, featuring a 5x telephoto lens and 20x zoom, lets you capture sharp, detailed photos even from far away or in low light, perfect for photography lovers. Its durable design includes scratch-resistant glass and water and dust protection, so it can handle daily wear. The bright 6.3" Actua display ensures clear viewing, even outdoors in sunlight, making it easy for you to see everything on your screen.
Samsung Galaxy Note 20 5G Unlocked Cell Phone
This pre-owned or refurbished Samsung Galaxy Note 20 5G smartphone has been professionally inspected and tested to work and look like new. It features a 6.7-inch Infinity-O Super AMOLED+ display, 128GB of storage, and 8GB of RAM. The Android 10 operating system is upgradable to Android 11 with One UI 3.0. The smartphone has a long-lasting 4300mAh battery and is compatible with most GSM and CDMA carriers like T-Mobile, AT&T, MetroPCS, Verizon, and Sprint. The rear camera is a triple-lens system with 12MP, 64MP, and 12MP lenses, and the front camera is 10MP. The smartphone supports 5G and has connectivity technologies like Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, USB, and NFC.
Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra
The Samsung Note 20 Ultra offers a stunning 6.9-inch Dynamic AMOLED screen that delivers sharp, colorful visuals and smooth motion, making it great for watching videos, playing games, or working on projects. Its powerful camera setup lets you take clear, detailed photos and shoot crisp 8K videos, even in low light. The enhanced S Pen feels natural and responsive, helping you jot notes, draw, or control your phone with simple gestures. With a fast processor and up to 12GB of RAM, the phone runs apps and games smoothly, while Samsung DeX lets you connect to a bigger screen for a PC-like experience. This phone is designed to help you stay productive and entertained wherever you go.
Samsung Galaxy S20+ 5G, US Version
The Samsung Galaxy S20+ 5G 128GB Fully Unlocked Smartphone (Renewed) is a great phone choice for anyone looking for a great phone at an affordable price. It has a 6.7" Quad HD+ Dynamic AMOLED 2X, Infinity-O Display, 525ppi, 120Hz, HDR10+, 3200x1440 pixels, 128GB ROM, 12GB RAM, Qualcomm SM8250 Snapdragon 865 5G (7nm+), Octa-core, Adreno 650, 4500mAh Battery, Rear Camera: 64MP, f/2.0 + 12MP, f/1.8 + 12,MP, f/2.2 + 0.3MP, TOF, Front Camera: 10MP, f/2.2, and is compatible with most GSM and CDMA carriers like T-Mobile, AT&T, MetroPCS, etc. It is a great phone for the price, with excellent battery life and camera features, as well as compatibility with many carriers.
Google Pixel 8 Pro Smartphone
The Google Pixel 8 Pro is a powerful smartphone that features a stunning 6.7-inch LTPO OLED display, perfect for enjoying vibrant visuals and smooth scrolling at 120Hz. With a robust 5050mAh battery, you can confidently use your phone all day without worrying about recharging. The device is equipped with a high-performance Google Tensor G3 processor, ensuring fast and efficient multitasking. Capture stunning photos with its impressive camera setup, which includes a 50MP wide lens and a 48MP telephoto lens, allowing you to take detailed shots from various distances.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. Is a telephoto lens worth it on a phone?
You can actually track and capture the action better while honing in on a specific subject. On that last point, finding a subject that you may not have seen is another benefit of a telephoto lens. Sometimes you miss a specific element trying to take in an entire scene.
2. What does a telephoto lens on a phone do?
Telephoto mode allows you to zoom in (up to 2 times Optical zoom) on a scene or a single subject, meaning you can get close when you're taking a photo, without losing detail.
3. What is the best telephoto lens on a phone?
Apexel High Power Telephoto This Apexel glass is the best mobile camera lens for those who want to get up close and personal with far-away subjects. It has 36x magnification, far surpassing phones with the best optical zoom capabilities. Those usually stand at around 10x, maximum.
4. Do zoom lenses for cell phones work?
Optical zoom is always going to be better than digital zoom so if you find yourself regularly using the zoom feature on your phone, invest in a zoom lens instead. The Moment 58mm lens is equivalent to a 2x zoom which may not seem like much but on a smartphone is makes all the difference.
During our telephoto lens phone research, we found 24 telephoto lens phone products and shortlisted 10 quality products. We collected and analyzed 67,092 customer reviews through our big data system to write the telephoto lens phones list. We found that most customers choose telephoto lens phones with an average price of $469.21.
The telephoto lens phones are available for purchase. We have researched hundreds of brands and picked the top brands of telephoto lens phones, including Google, Apple, Samsung. The seller of top 1 product has received honest feedback from 2,054 consumers with an average rating of 4.6.
Mike Davis is a professionally trained electrician with six years of working experience in the electronics industry. He has written an array of web and mobile-based articles for e-magazines and blogs. He loves trying out some novel and popular gadgets and his expertise is in the areas of electronics and computers which is built over many years of working and personal experiences.