Rain, click and repeat: Smartphones that thrive in monsoon mood
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Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max
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1. Leverage Ultra-Wide & Telephoto Lenses for Atmosphere
2. Use ProRAW + Night Mode for Depth & Drama
3. Experiment with Live Photos for Long Exposure
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4. Tell Stories with Cinematic Mode
5. Get Close with Macro Photography
6. Use Rain as a Natural Filter
7. Edit for Mood in Apple Photos (or similar apps)
8. Stay Dry, Shoot Smart
Vivo X200 Pro
Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge
OnePlus 13
Xiaomi 15
The monsoon brings with it more than just rain; it's a season of mood, memories, and magic. And what better way to celebrate it than by capturing it in all its glory? We've put together a carefully curated monsoon gifting guide featuring some of the most powerful, camera-focused smartphones of the year perfect for those who love documenting rainy-day moments. Each of these devices has been tested by us in real-world conditions, from misty mornings to thunderous downpours, so you can trust they'll deliver come rain or high humidity.Rain-soaked streets, vibrant skies, and spontaneous chai breaks, the monsoon is full of fleeting moments worth capturing. The iPhone 16 Pro Max, Apple's most powerful and photography-centric iPhone yet, is built to turn those moments into memories.The latest iPhone features a revamped triple-lens camera system, including a 48MP main sensor, a 48MP ultra-wide lens perfect for capturing dramatic monsoon skies, and a 12MP telephoto lens with 5x optical zoom ideal for those candid umbrella shots from afar.Apple introduces its new AI-powered 'Clean Up' tool, letting you instantly erase raindrops on lenses or unwanted background clutter much like Google's Magic Eraser. Every photo is crisp, vibrant, and beautifully processed, thanks to Apple's top-tier computational photography.With a 6.9-inch 120Hz LTPO AMOLED display, scrolling through rainy-day portraits or watching monsoon reels is buttery smooth. Powered by the A17 Pro Bionic chip and running on iOS 18, it offers performance that's as reliable as your favorite rain playlist.Starting at ₹1,44,900, the iPhone 16 Pro Max isn't just a device, it's your monsoon storytelling tool. Whether you're gifting it or getting it, it's built for those who love capturing life, rain or shine.Apple also has a very active community of photographers who have curated some suggestions on how you can capture monsoons with an iPhone using its best capabilities. Here are some tips from Gursimran Basra.- Ultra-Wide: Capture sweeping monsoon skies, cloud formations, and wide reflective landscapes.- 5x Telephoto: Focus on distant, rain-wrapped subjects from a lone umbrella to mist-covered buildings or raindrops on glass.- Shoot in ProRAW to retain dynamic range in low-contrast, overcast scenes.- Night Mode helps capture twilight storms and dimly lit rain scenes while preserving natural mood and reducing noise.- Capture motion in Live Photo mode for waterfalls, ripples, or bustling wet streets.- In editing, select 'Long Exposure' to create silky water flows or dreamy, blurred rain.- Use Cinematic Mode in 4K at 24 fps to shoot compelling monsoon sequences like someone walking through the drizzle or post-rain cityscapes.- Utilise rack focus between raindrops in the foreground and subjects in the distance to add depth.- Highlight the little details: dewdrops, wet leaves, and textures of soaked surfaces.- Use the macro lens to explore reflections in puddles or intricate rain-soaked patterns.- Shoot through car windows, transparent umbrellas, or wet glass for layered textures, bokeh, and dreamy distortions.- These elements add an organic, storybook quality to your compositions.- Boost contrast and shadows to emphasise the drama of overcast scenes.- Slightly desaturate greens and blues to avoid overly vibrant monsoon tones and achieve a more cinematic feel.- Use a clip-on rain cover, umbrella rig, or waterproof pouch to protect your gear.- A dry lens means sharper images even in pouring rain.From misty mornings to rain-kissed streets, the Vivo X200 Pro is designed to turn monsoon moments into cinematic memories. Co-engineered with Zeiss, it features a powerful triple-camera setup: a 50MP main sensor for everyday brilliance, a stunning 200MP 85mm periscope telephoto lens for dramatic rain-soaked zoom shots, and a 50MP ultrawide lens perfect for capturing sweeping monsoon vistas.Whether it's the glisten of raindrops on leaves or the moody charm of a stormy skyline, the X200 Pro ensures every detail is captured with clarity and depth. Its smart AI tools, including generative enhancements and a Clean-Up feature akin to Magic Eraser let you effortlessly remove unwanted elements and bring your rainy-day shots to life.The 6.78-inch 1.5K LTPO AMOLED display makes visuals pop, even on grey days, while the MediaTek Dimensity 9400 chip ensures smooth performance across photography, editing, and streaming. A massive 6,000mAh battery keeps you powered through every spontaneous monsoon photo walk or content session.Priced at ₹94,999, the Vivo X200 Pro is more than a smartphone; it's your creative companion this monsoon season.The Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge marks the return of the iconic 'Edge' branding with a refreshed focus on elegance and flagship power just in time for monsoon season. At only 5.8mm thin and weighing 163g, its titanium frame and Gorilla Glass Ceramic 2 body are built to handle everyday splashes in style. Available in Titanium Silver, Jetblack, and Icyblue, it's as striking as a monsoon skyline.Capture the mood of overcast days and rain-lit nights with a 200MP main camera offering 40% better brightness in low light, and a 12MP ultrawide lens with autofocus perfect for landscape shots under dramatic clouds. AI tools like Audio Eraser and Drawing Assist give you more creative control in every frame.Powered by the Snapdragon 8® Elite chipset, the S25 Edge stays smooth and cool with its upgraded vapor chamber ideal for editing content or binge-watching indoors during a rainy day. Its display is enhanced with ProScaler and Samsung's mDNIe engine, making every scene vivid and immersive, even in low-light conditions.Packed with Galaxy AI features like Brief, Now Bar, and Gemini Live, the S25 Edge turns productivity into a seamless, intelligent experience all while safeguarding your data with Knox Vault.Priced at ₹1,09,999, the Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge is built for those who want style, speed, and smarts rain or shine.Blending flagship performance with refined design, the OnePlus 13 is ready to take on the monsoon with confidence and style. Powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset, it delivers seamless performance whether you're capturing rain-soaked streets, hopping on video calls, or multitasking through your day.Its advanced triple-camera system, co-developed with Hasselblad, ensures that every cloudy sky, wet pavement, or dramatic thunderstorm is captured with rich detail and vibrant color no matter the lighting.The AMOLED ProXDR display brings monsoon moods to life with deep contrast and punchy visuals, while the 5500mAh battery with fast charging keeps you going from sunrise showers to midnight drizzles, without interruption.Starting at ₹66,990, the OnePlus 13 is the perfect companion for anyone looking to blend speed, reliability, and style this monsoon season.Sleek, smart, and ready for the season, the Xiaomi 15 packs flagship-grade performance into a compact frame — making it an ideal tech companion for the monsoon. Priced at ₹64,999, it's built for those who want cutting-edge features without compromising on portability.At its core is the Snapdragon 8 Elite processor, paired with a Leica-engineered triple-camera system, including a 50MP main sensor that captures every rain-drenched detail with pro-level clarity. Whether you're shooting moody monsoon portraits or reflective street scenes, it delivers sharp, true-to-life results.The 6.3-inch LTPO AMOLED display brings out vivid visuals even on grey, overcast days — perfect for catching up on your favorite shows or reading indoors while it pours outside. A 5410mAh battery ensures day-long use, and fast charging gets you back up in no time if you're caught in a storm.Lightweight, durable, and effortlessly stylish, the Xiaomi 15 is a perfect balance of power, performance, and portability — designed to keep up with you, rain or shine.
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