Not many people remember the pains they went through to take a photo even a decade ago. You needed a high-end camera with expensive lenses, get yourself the best editing software, learn how to use it, and then put your pics out there for the world to see and applaud.

Today, with more than 81% of people in the country are becoming smartphone users, and given the huge presence of social media in our lives, it’s easy to see why the best smartphone cameras occupy an important place on the device.

These cameras have replaced the old point and shoot varieties of big brand cameras, and in some cases, even the professional kinds.

1. Great new features
Today’s best smartphone cameras are loaded with an amazing range of features. It means that the modern smartphone user can manage pretty well with just the one device. These modern-day marvels seek to bridge the gap between the image quality available on smartphones and DSLR cameras that pros use.

Dual camera phones have been around since 2011. But, today, multiple camera set-ups are almost a staple on most smartphones with the numbers going up with nearly every new product launch.

Smartphones also have a comprehensive suite of camera features that give you top-quality photos and the convenience of clicking a pic when and where you like. Some of these features include:

• Multiple camera set-ups
• Sophisticated imaging sensors
• Range of lenses including telephoto, ultra-wide, etc.
• Range of zoom, optical, hybrid, etc.
• Great resolution
• Pixel binning
• Bigger aperture

2. Clicking great pics
The camera on your smartphone is a constantly evolving feature. While taking great pics is an art, having the best camera smartphones gives you access to the best tools.

There are lots of smart ways to improve picture quality:

• Ignore default settings
  While there’s no doubt that the smartphone configuration enhances convenience in point and shoot, sometimes the default settings may not be the ideal option. Light-metering, white balance, exposure, color temperature, shutter speed, spot/center metering, etc. can be fine-tuned in manual mode. Get to know what your auto-mode is all about, and experiment with adjustments until you get comfortable.
• Hold it right
  Stability is crucial to avoid blur while clicking with the smartphone. Adjust your posture, and make this a habit before you click. To get it even more right, invest in a mini-tripod.
• Don’t skimp on shots
  The nicest thing about the best camera smartphones is that they have lots of space. Click multiple shots, especially if you’re shooting moving objects, animals, birds, people, etc. Some phones provide neat-burst features so you can compile a selection of shots into one, or analyze the shots and select the best, etc.
• Editing
  The best camera smartphones have awesome editing capabilities that allow you to play with exposure, saturation, warmth, highlights, contrast, etc. You can also capture pics in RAW format if space is not a constraint on your phone. Use portrait mode when you want to simulate background blur provided by pro DSLR cams.
• Get app-happy
  Google camera app, Touch Color, various editing apps, Foodie, etc. are some of the apps that you can play with, get creative, and enjoy.