Weekly poll: are macro-enabled ultra wide cameras useful or useless?

Many of you think it’s useless – the dedicated 2MP macro module that is there to pad out the camera count on cheaper phones. But if the phone has autofocus on its ultra wide-angle camera, then it can produce far higher quality photos.

Is this a feature that you use regularly? Or ever? Note that we’re asking specifically about macro photography with AF-enabled ultrawide cameras, not about dedicated modules like the aforementioned 2MP units or even the higher quality telemacro modules.

High-end phones like the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra and iPhone 14 Pro/14 Pro Max do have autofocus on their ultrawide cameras to enable macro photography. Other flagships and high-end phones don’t, including the Galaxy S23/S23+ and iPhone 14/14 Plus.

Macro photos with iPhone 14 Pro Max's ultra wide camera

For whatever reason Samsung and Apple see this as a premium feature. They are not alone, the Xiaomi 13 Ultra has an AF ultrawide lens, the Xiaomi 13/13 Lite do not.

But this doesn't actually have to cost premium. For example, the Motorola Edge 30 neo (available for €300 or so right now, €400 MSRP) has a 13MP ultrawide camera with 120° lens complete with autofocus. The Nothing Phone (1), which was €470 at launch and closer to €350 now, has an even better 50MP 114° ultrawide with AF.

Another interesting option is to use in the telephoto camera instead – that’s what the Xiaomi 13 does, thanks to its floating lens that allows its 50MP 75mm tele camera to focus at just 10cm/4in distance.

Macro photos with Xiaomi 13 Pro's telephoto camera

Are good quality macro photos something that the industry should focus on? Or is this a feature that you rarely if ever use?