5 smartphones that can replace your camera

— -- In terms of smartphone technology, we've (mostly) got the basic features of calling, texting, and even e-mail to an acceptable level of speed and clarity. The real innovation in smartphones now comes from the extras that are becoming the new standards, including a brilliant screen, a processor fast enough for gaming, and a great camera. The five smartphones here, featuring some of the best cameras available right now, are capable of actually replacing your standalone camera.

We've listed our choices by phone type (iPhone, Android, Windows Phone 7) rather than any ranking of quality. Don't forget to evaluate the phones' other features when choosing your device.

1. iPhone 4S

Apple's current smartphone offering, the iPhone 4S, contains a much-improved camera over what was released with the iPhone 4. Apple's phone is one of its best sellers, and with its price tag, Apple knows it has to provide a top-quality product in order to outshine its competitors. What can't be overlooked either are the improvements to the iPhone camera app. The hardware and the software work together to help you achieve high-quality photos. Your shots not only look good on your phone screen right now, but they'll look great when displayed proudly at home or shared widely around the web.

2. HTC One X

HTC has just released three shiny new Android phones as part of its flagship HTC One series, the One X, the One S, and the One V. Of these three beauties, the HTC One X and the One S share some extremely good camera hardware packed into these top-range phones. The One X and S have an 8-megapixel camera with an f/2.0 aperture and a 28-millimeter lens, to provide a more than acceptable balance of speed, light, and focus, even compared with some dedicated compact cameras.

3. Samsung Galaxy S II

The Samsung Galaxy S II (known as the Samsung Galaxy S II Epic 4G Touch on Sprint, the Samsung Galaxy S II Skyrocket on AT&T, and simply the Galaxy S II on T-Mobile) is Samsung's current leading Android device. Whichever carrier you buy it from, you'll get an 8-megapixel rear-facing camera capable of recording 1080p video and an LED flash. If you like the Samsung Galaxy S smartphone as a whole, it might be worth hanging on a few months before you make a purchase. The Samsung Galaxy S III is expected soon, naturally bringing the same (or better) camera hardware to go with improved specs all around.

4. Nokia Lumia 900

The Nokia Lumia 900 is Nokia's first foray into the world of Windows Phone 7. The smartphone has a unique and eye-catching design and a great operating system (although 3rd-party app support is nowhere near as strong as you might get with the App Store for iPhone or Google Play for Android.) The Nokia Lumia 900 has a high-quality camera to match the overall finish of the phone, namely an 8-megapixel camera with dual LED flash, and a Carl Zeiss autofocus lens. Carl Zeiss is one of the biggest names in high-end camera hardware, and the partnership between his company and Nokia should produce some excellent smartphone photographs.

5. HTC Titan II