iPhone 16 Pro Max vs. Galaxy S24 Ultra camera test: it shocked me

The iPhone 16 Pro Max and the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra are each large telephones with large screens, large energy, and massive value tags. The cameras are additionally spectacular, however which one in all these two archrivals takes higher pictures?

I’ve been using the Galaxy S24 Ultra again over the previous few weeks and have put it in opposition to Apple’s newest prime iPhone to seek out out. And the outcomes are fairly stunning.

The cameras

Earlier than we have a look at the telephones, let’s have a look at the numbers behind the cameras, beginning with the iPhone 16 Professional Max. There are three cameras on the again, beginning with the principle 48-megapixel digicam with optical picture stabilization, which may additionally take 2x zoom pictures. It’s joined by a 12MP telephoto digicam for 5x optical zoom pictures and a 48MP ultrawide digicam with a 120-degree area of view.

The Galaxy S24 Extremely has 4 cameras. It’s led by a major 200MP digicam, together with a pair of telephoto cameras — a 10MP digicam for a 3x optical zoom and a 50MP periscope zoom for 5x optical pictures — plus a 12MP ultrawide digicam. In contrast to earlier Galaxy Extremely telephones, the S24 Extremely has “optical high quality” 10x zoom pictures, which have confirmed to be just as good as optical zoom shots.

For reference, I used the Commonplace Photographic Type on the iPhone 16 Professional Max for all of the pictures beneath, and every cellphone’s digicam was utilized in auto mode. All of the pictures had been downloaded onto an Apple Mac mini and examined on a color-calibrated monitor. They’ve all been resized for friendlier on-line viewing.

Most important digicam

When utilizing the principle digicam, the iPhone 16 Professional Max persistently took extra visually pleasing pictures than the S24 Extremely, other than its long-time challenge with publicity sometimes rearing its head. Within the first photograph of the leafy lane, you possibly can see the place it causes the digicam issues and the place the S24 Extremely’s colours are punchier and extra vibrant.

Nonetheless, as you possibly can see within the second photograph of the Aston Martin Valkyrie automotive, the S24 Extremely’s eagerness ends in noise, which is completely absent from the iPhone’s pin-sharp, extra precisely coloured picture. Though its publicity could cause points typically, right here, it will get it precisely proper — to the purpose the place I can simply learn the Automobile Identification Quantity (VIN) on the windscreen, which is blurred and jumbled in Samsung’s photograph.

The Galaxy S24 Extremely usually will get a sure kind of photograph proper, corresponding to the instance on the prime, however in every single place else, the iPhone improves. The photograph contained in the church reveals the fantastic tone and heat of the iPhone’s digicam, fairly than the starkness of the S24 Extremely, proper all the way down to the colour of the padding on the seats and the picket beams on the ceiling.

Check out our closing photograph to see how the iPhone’s super-sharp focus and depth of area assist it take detailed, emotional pictures, even of the only topics. The froth and bubbles on prime of the espresso are so sharp, and the depth of area is precisely proper, making for a extra real looking, engaging photograph than the S24 Extremely’s photograph, which appears much less conscious of its topic.

Winner: Apple iPhone 16 Professional Max

Ultrawide digicam

On paper, the iPhone 16 Professional Max’s ultrawide digicam ought to simply enhance on the Galaxy S24 Extremely’s digicam, however in actuality, it’s the alternative. The S24 Extremely’s ultrawide digicam reveals up the iPhone’s digicam actually badly. The primary photograph of the Ferrari FF was taken indoors in good lighting (the identical surroundings because the Aston Martin Valkyrie photograph above), and the iPhone’s photograph is filled with noise and blur, whereas the Galaxy S24 Extremely avoids many of the identical points to supply a sharper, much less blurred picture. It’s not excellent, however it’s much better than the iPhone’s photograph.

Outdoors, issues don’t enhance a lot for the iPhone 16 Professional Max, however it will probably nonetheless impress with its heat tones. The photograph of the fields and sky reveals the S24 Extremely’s vibrant colours however general coldness. Nonetheless, it has a much less noisy foreground and extra element, corresponding to across the fence submit. Within the distance, the 2 cameras introduce some blur and noise.

Within the closing photograph of the church, you possibly can see how a lot sharper the S24 Extremely’s ultrawide pictures are, with the stonework on the spire far clearer and fewer muddy than within the iPhone’s picture. Sure, the S24 Extremely does use numerous software program enhancement, however it’s simpler to forgive it when the stability and sharpness is correct.

Winner: Samsung Galaxy S24 Extremely

2x zoom and 3x zoom

The 2 telephones have completely different “brief” zooms, with the iPhone 16 Professional Max providing a 2x optical zoom and the S24 Extremely a 3x optical zoom. You possibly can see examples of them each right here, and we’ll be judging this class as one fairly than two separate classes. The 2x zoom is pretty constant throughout each cameras for stability and focus, however the iPhone can introduce some noise, whereas the S24 Extremely’s pictures have a softer look.

Transfer on to the 3x zoom throughout the 2 cameras, and the iPhone 16 Professional Max can’t match the S24 Extremely’s efficiency. Pictures are far noisier and fewer sharp, whereas the Samsung cellphone’s 3x zoom produces glorious pictures with loads of life and element. That is to be anticipated, given Samsung’s devoted optical 3x mode.

However as a result of the S24 Extremely’s 2x mode isn’t terrible in comparison with the iPhone 16 Professional Max’s 2x pictures, it’s going to win this class for being extra versatile, as you would realistically use each zooms on it, however would wish to stick to the 2x on the iPhone 16 Professional Max.

Winner: Samsung Galaxy S24 Extremely

5x zoom

Each cameras have 5x optical zooms, and Samsung continues its run of zoom superiority right here too. The iPhone 16 Professional Max has an issue with sharpness and focus, leading to grainy, blurry, or noisy photographs that look worse the extra you crop them down. These points are lacking from the S24 Extremely’s digicam, and its pictures look nice at 5x zoom.

Take the picket angel for instance. Not solely are the colours and textures much more real looking within the S24 Extremely’s photograph, however while you crop it down, there’s element within the wooden that the iPhone struggles to seize. The general sharpness makes the depth of area pop extra, whereas the iPhone 16 Professional Max’s photograph seems flatter.

Images taken outdoors have related points, however the iPhone does win a couple of factors with typically extra real looking colours. Many will just like the S24 Extremely’s pretty saturated colours, which keep constant throughout all lenses. The donkey’s fur is sharper and extra outlined within the S24 Extremely’s photograph, and there’s clearly much less noise on the picket fence submit and the crimson strap. Samsung wins the 5x zoom class, so will it make it three-for-three as we transfer to the 10x class?

Winner: Samsung Galaxy S24 Extremely

10x zoom

Neither cellphone has a 10x optical zoom, however Samsung does make some extent of highlighting its optical high quality pictures at 10x and does embody a shortcut in its digicam app. The iPhone doesn’t, and issues do begin out fairly properly.

The horse photograph reveals an identical degree of element, however while you get very shut, there’s much more proof of software program enhancements within the S24 Extremely’s photograph, with some haloing seen alongside the horse’s again and ears. This glow will not be within the iPhone’s photograph in any respect, giving it a extra pure look.

However the iPhone doesn’t at all times win right here, as seen within the subsequent photograph of the picket pub signal. The S24 Extremely’s photograph has much less noise than the iPhone’s photograph, notably on the inexperienced board, and its extra dynamic coloring means the autumn leaves glow extra attractively.

The Galaxy S24 Extremely is much extra constant when capturing 10x pictures, as the ultimate photograph of the automotive proves. The variations are clear — correct colours, spot-on white stability, and no apparent noise. The iPhone can’t sustain at 10x zoom.

Winner: Samsung Galaxy S24 Extremely

Night time mode

When it got here to capturing pictures in low gentle, the Galaxy S24 Extremely’s preview on the cellphone made me anticipate the worst, because it didn’t present a very consultant picture straight after taking it. The iPhone didn’t have any such downside, so once I was amassing pictures, I feared for the S24 Extremely’s efficiency. Nonetheless, the pictures seemed completely completely different within the gallery, and at first, the 2 appeared fairly evenly matched.

The surface of the brightly lit pub is a superb instance. The iPhone overexposes in lots of locations whereas displaying extra element than the S24 Extremely’s pictures in others. Nonetheless, in most different areas — the seating and foliage, for instance — each deal with the low gentle properly. The iPhone’s photograph does have a bit extra blur, although, and the overexposure hides particulars, corresponding to within the pub’s signage.

Within the photograph of the village store, the iPhone’s extra correct colours shine by way of, and it’s additionally much less blurry than the S24 Extremely, the place the software program smooths out quite a lot of element, displaying each are very delicate to lighting situations when taking pictures at the hours of darkness. The 2 commerce blows like this in all of the lowlight photographs I took, and whereas the iPhone’s overexposure usually induced issues, the S24 Extremely’s smoothing usually did the identical.

Nonetheless, the S24 Extremely was nice in tough, harsh lighting situations. Taking pictures into the sundown, the S24 Extremely captured the golden glow within the sky, the blue sky, the inexperienced of the grass, and the scene as a complete. The iPhone 16 Professional Max’s photograph comprises a lot shadow that it robs it of emotion and element. The true-world surroundings was someplace in between the 2, however the S24 Extremely’s photograph is the one I’d preserve or share.

Winner: Samsung Galaxy S24 Extremely

Samsung’s flagship comes out on prime

It might come as a shock to some, however the Samsung Galaxy S24 Extremely — a cellphone launched firstly of the yr — has taken a victory in all however one class in opposition to the brand new Apple iPhone 16 Professional Max. It has by far the superior digicam while you wish to take any zoom or ultrawide photograph.

It couldn’t fairly match the iPhone 16 Professional Max in the principle digicam class, although, and I persistently most popular it to the S24 Extremely. Nonetheless, it ought to be famous the iPhone’s publicity and distinction can nonetheless upset the stability of some photographs, particularly in difficult gentle. This has affected iPhone cameras for a number of generations, so it’s not distinctive to the 16 Professional Max.

What’s very attention-grabbing is that the iPhone 16 Pro comprehensively beat the Google Pixel 9 Pro in a current check, proving its prime digicam credentials. It additionally confirmed several improvements over the iPhone 15 Pro. The Galaxy S24 Extremely has been a winner from the beginning by enhancing on its predecessor, beating the Google Pixel 8 Pro, and equaling the performance of our favourite Android digicam cellphone, the Xiaomi 14 Ultra.

It might not be the newest available on the market, however the Galaxy S24 Extremely continues to tackle the perfect digicam telephones and simply holds its personal.