Best smartphones for recording long video content

Gone are the days of using bulky video cameras or even the relatively compact camcorders to shoot video content. You no longer need specialised equipment or gadgets for this, or even a standalone camera. It’s now possible to shoot high-quality, high-resolution videos even from your smartphone. Apart from the convenience, you also often hear reports of professional content such as short films and advertisements, being shot entirely on a smartphone. 

So if your use cases involve shooting a lot of long video content on the go, you can seriously consider a smartphone as a convenient and capable device for the job. A good camera is obviously the key requirement here, but modern smartphones also have different features which might make them particularly well suited to video work. Here is our list of the best smartphones for shooting long videos, which you can buy in India right now.

Best smartphones for video recording

Here are all the top options.

ALSO READ: Best budget phones with 4K video recording

• Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max
• Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra
• Google Pixel 9 Pro XL
• Vivo X200 Pro

Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max

The biggest and best iPhone there is right now, the Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max features among the best mobile camera systems for videography. The triple-camera setup features a 48-megapixel primary camera, along with a 12-megapixel periscope telephoto camera and a 48-megapixel ultra-wide camera. The camera tuning and setup of the iPhone is among the best in the smartphone space right now. 

Video recording at up to 4K resolution and 120fps is possible, along with support for Dolby Vision HDR in video recordings. You can also get up to 1TB of storage on the smartphone, which will give you plenty of room to record lots of high-resolution video clips.

Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra

Among the best Android smartphones for photography and video recording is the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra. Featuring a quad-camera setup with a massive 200-megapixel primary sensor, 10-megapixel telephoto, 50-megapixel periscope telephoto, and 50-megapixel ultra-wide cameras, the S25 Ultra is among the most versatile and capable camera phones around.

For video recording, the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra can record at up to 8K resolution at 30fps for those looking for very high-resolution recording capabilities, as well as 4K at up to 120fps. HDR10+, stereo sound recording, and support for 240fps slow-motion videos helps deliver even more versatility for recording long videos. Professionals will also appreciate the ability to record videos in log format.

Google Pixel 9 Pro XL

The Google Pixel series has long been known for its excellent camera capabilities, and the Pixel 9 Pro XL is currently the best in the range. With a triple-camera setup featuring 50-megapixel primary, 48-megapixel periscope telephoto, and 48-megapixel ultra-wide cameras, the Pixel brings a fair amount of capabilities which can be used for varied video recording styles.

The Pixel 9 Pro XL can natively record video at 4K resolution at up to 60fps, and can even do slow-motion video at full-HD resolution going up to 240fps. Notably, there is a ‘Video Boost’ feature which uses AI to upscale video content to 8K resolution if needed. On the Google Pixel 9 Pro XL, you’ll benefit from the excellent detail and camera tuning for your video recordings.

Vivo X200 Pro

Among the best camera phones right now, the Vivo X200 Pro is well regarded for its photography chops. Notably, it’s also great for video recording, thanks to a triple-camera setup featuring a 50-megapixel primary camera, 200-megapixel periscope telephoto camera, and 50-megapixel ultra-wide camera, giving the smartphone versatility and flexibility.

You can also record video at up to 8K resolution at 30fps natively, as well as at 4K resolution at up to 120fps. There is also support for Dolby Vision HDR and 10-bit log video recording.

The video recording capabilities of the above smartphones can even rival certain dedicated video cameras.