Buying Guide for the Best Telescope With Smartphone
Choosing a telescope that works well with your smartphone can open up new ways to enjoy stargazing, allowing you to capture impressive photos and share your discoveries easily. The key to finding the right model is to consider how you'll use the telescope, whether it's for casual moon-watching, planet-spotting, or deeper sky exploration. Start by thinking about your main interests: Do you want to take pictures, simply observe, or both? Then, learn about the basic features that affect what you'll see and how easy it will be to use your telescope with your phone.ApertureAperture is the diameter of your telescope's main lens or mirror, and it's one of the most important features because it determines how much light the telescope can gather. More light means you’ll be able to see fainter objects and get clearer details. Small apertures up to about 70mm are best for casual use and bright objects like the moon; telescopes with apertures between 70mm and 130mm are good for viewing planets and brighter deep sky objects; larger apertures above 130mm are better for observing faint nebulae and galaxies. Think about what you'd most like to observe—if you want crisp images of the moon or planets to share with your smartphone, you don't need a huge aperture. For more serious sky photography, consider a larger one.
Mount TypeThe mount is what holds your telescope steady and lets you point it around the sky. The main types are 'alt-azimuth' (moves up/down and side-to-side easily) and 'equatorial' (tracks the motion of the sky, useful for longer stargazing sessions and astrophotography). If you’re mainly snapping quick pictures with your smartphone and want simplicity, an alt-azimuth mount is fastest to set up and use. For those interested in capturing more detailed sky images over time, an equatorial mount can help you keep the object centered for longer exposures.
Focal LengthFocal length is the distance light travels inside your telescope from the lens or mirror to the eyepiece. It affects the magnification and the field of view you get, which impacts what you’ll see (and photograph) through your smartphone. Short focal lengths (up to about 500mm) give wide views, making it easier to photograph large objects like star clusters or whole regions of the sky. Longer focal lengths (over 700mm) are better if you want close-ups of planets or the moon. Consider what you want to capture—wide sky scenes or detailed close-ups—when thinking about the right focal length.
Smartphone Adapter CompatibilityTo connect your smartphone to a telescope, you’ll need an adapter. Some telescopes come with a built-in or included phone adapter, while others require you to buy one separately. A good adapter lines up your phone’s camera with the telescope’s eyepiece and holds it steady. Make sure the adapter fits your phone’s size and your telescope’s eyepiece diameter. If you plan on using your phone regularly for both viewing and taking pictures, check that the attaching and adjusting process is simple and secure.
Eyepieces and MagnificationEyepieces are what you look through, and they control the level of magnification you get. Most beginner telescopes come with one or two, offering different viewing experiences. Lower magnification makes it easier to find objects and gives sharper images, while higher magnification shows more detail but can be harder to use, especially with a smartphone. Think about what you want to see and photograph: for the moon and bright planets, mid-to-high magnifications are great, but for star clusters or bigger sky scenes, a lower magnification works better. Having a choice of eyepieces helps you experiment and pick what suits you best.
Portability and Setup EaseSome telescopes are big and heavy, while others are compact enough to carry outdoors or on trips. If you’ll move your telescope often or want something you can pack easily, look for lighter models that are simple to assemble. Smaller telescopes are easier to set up for quick stargazing sessions and make attaching your smartphone less of a hassle. If you want to capture the sky from different places, portability is a key feature to keep in mind.