We’ve been watching some of these partnerships for years, and other collaborations are new territory for consumers.

Phone manufacturers can generate a lot of buzz and generate some healthy headlines when announcing a partnership with a camera company. It’s exciting to see a fancy new label printed on the back of our phones, highlighting a photography reputation designed to impress us. A logo is slapped on the side of the box. Companies deliver press releases, but when actually using the fruits of those partnerships, do consumers actually benefit from these licensing deals? Do we really get better cameras?

Smartphones have absolutely decimated the casual photography market, and fewer folks these days are likely to invest in a “point and shoot” camera after buying a newer smartphone. It makes sense that traditional photo and video manufacturers would want to produce hardware for the devices most people carry around in their pockets.

We’re taking a look at three phones which proudly wear their camera collaborations on their cases. The Microsoft Lumia 950 with Zeiss optics, the Blackberry Priv with a Schneider lens, and the new Huawei P9 with a Leica “inspired” dual camera module will help us examine this branding phenomenon.

Huawei P9 Real Camera Review
Galaxy S7 vs iPhone 6S vs Lumia 950 Camera Battle
Does phone aperture size matter?