Galaxy S24 Ultra Cameras vs. iPhone 15 Pro Max: Here’s How They Compare

Apple and Samsung’s premium telephones every have completely different approaches to pictures. The shiny titanium-clad and -colored $1,300 Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra comes with 4 rear cameras, together with two devoted to zooming and one with a 200-megapixel sensor. Apple’s titanium-clad and -colored $1,200 iPhone 15 Pro Max packs three rear cameras, one for zooming and a primary one with a 48-megapixel sensor. 

Let me state the plain: Each seize a number of the very best images you’ll be able to take from any telephone as we speak, particularly in difficult environments like high-contrast scenes (suppose a sundown) or locations the place the lighting is dim (suppose a restaurant).

Learn extra: Best Phone to Buy for 2024

Earlier than I took a single snap, I anticipated the S24’s array of zoom cameras to deal with distanced topics higher. And but I additionally knew that Apple isn’t any slouch and may bury Samsung’s greatest efforts with the iPhone’s masterful photograph processing and video picture high quality. How do they stack up towards one another?

I took them round San Francisco to seek out out.

After I shot a whole lot of images and movies with each telephones and in contrast them facet by facet, a extra advanced actuality revealed itself, with the iPhone and Extremely excelling in some conditions and struggling in others.

Chopping-edge digital camera {hardware}, apps

The iPhone 15 Professional Max has a trio of lenses: extensive, ultrawide and telephoto. The principle digital camera has a 48-megapixel sensor, whereas the opposite two have a decision of 12 megapixels. There is a little bit of a gulf when it comes to zooming between the primary 1x digital camera and the 5x telephoto. And that is the place the variations between the 2 telephones begin to reveal themselves.

The Galaxy S24 Extremely has an identical trio of lenses however provides a second telephoto, with a 3x zoom stage. Consider it as if Apple took the 15 Professional Max and added the iPhone 15 Professional’s devoted 3x telephoto to the again, thus creating an really nonexistent iPhone 15 Extremely with each 3x and 5x cameras.

Digital camera {hardware} specs in contrast

Digital camera	Zoom stage	Decision	Aperture	Lens full-frame equal
15 Professional Max ultrawide	0.5x	12 megapixels	f/2.2	13 millimeters
15 Professional Max extensive	1x	48 megapixels	f/1.78	24 millimeters
15 Professional Max telephoto	5x	12 megapixels	f/2.8	120 millimeters
S24 Extremely ultrawide	0.6x	12 megapixels	f/2.2	13 millimeters
S24 Extremely extensive	1x	200 megapixels	f/1.7	23 millimeters
S24 Extremely telephoto No. 1	3x	10 megapixels	f/2.4	69 millimeters
S24 Extremely telephoto No. 2	5x	50 megapixels	f/3.4	115 millimeters

That is numerous rattling cameras. Keep in mind the times when telephones had only one?

The S24 Extremely’s primary digital camera has a 200-megapixel sensor, and the brand new 5x telephoto digital camera has a 50-megapixel one. Each Apple and Samsung use their primary digital camera’s excessive decision sensor (and in Samsung’s case the one on the Extremely’s 5x telephoto digital camera) to combine multiple pixels to create 12-megapixel images which can be brighter and have extra element and fewer picture noise. The telephones may use sensor crop to successfully flip the primary 1x shooter right into a 2x digital camera that takes 12-megapixel images (with out pixel binning). It is curious that the Extremely’s 3x 10-megapixel digital camera takes 12-megapixel pictures. The place does it get these two further megapixels from?

In regard to the capturing expertise, I like the S24 Extremely’s new display, which is much much less reflective than the iPhone’s. I haven’t got bother seeing what’s on the 15 Professional Max, even in direct daylight, however the Extremely’s show feels extra immersive as a result of there’s much less glare when taking images.

The digital camera apps on each are full of acquainted choices like devoted photograph, video and portrait modes, in addition to the power to shoot Uncooked recordsdata and alter decision on a number of the cameras.

The iPhone can seize ProRes video files and spatial videos (which may be seen on the Apple Vision Pro and Meta Quest 3 VR headsets). Samsung’s digital camera app has devoted professional modes for images and movies, and is extra customizable. I can transfer the digital camera modes round to my liking and add ones I desire. I may use the Extremely’s S Pen as a distant shutter button to take a photograph.

Certainly one of my favourite choices is including a floating shutter button that may be positioned wherever on display to take a photograph. It is nice for these instances you’ll be able to’t attain absolutely the backside of the display to faucet the common shutter button, or when utilizing quantity buttons is not an possibility.

Photograph smackdown: Galaxy S24 Extremely vs. iPhone 15 Professional Max

Each telephones take glorious photos. Under are a couple of of my favorites.

However let’s get to the great things: head-to-head photograph comparisons. And let’s begin with the photographs under of a difficult excessive distinction scene of a sundown in San Francisco’s Mission District. The images are from the primary cameras, and I am impressed with each. The most important distinction is the best way every telephone handles the glare from the solar, which is extra pronounced within the iPhone’s photograph. The S24 Extremely’s snap is a tad brighter, particularly if you pinch in a bit. The S24 Extremely boosts the shadow particulars — discover the timber on the underside proper. Within the iPhone’s image, the timber form of get misplaced within the shadows, however within the Extremely’s picture, you’ll be able to really make out extra of the person branches.

Under is one other set of primary digital camera pictures, this time of a plant in a window. At first look they appear related, however discover how the S24 Extremely rolls off the highlights on the leaves — so clean. The textual content on the books underneath the plant is readable in each pictures, although it is crisper within the iPhone’s snap.

I took the images under, of my CNET colleagues Jessica Fierro (left) and Amy Kim taking part in foosball, with the ultrawide cameras. In comparison with the primary digital camera, there is a particular step down in picture high quality from each telephones, however in contrast to one another they’re related.

Each telephones utilized numerous noise discount. The ceiling within the iPhone’s photograph is riddled with picture noise, and within the Extremely’s photograph, the noise is gone however the identical ceiling seems to be overly comfortable and nearly blurry. Discover how the telephones dealt with the picture noise on Jessica and Amy. Within the iPhone’s photograph, Jessica’s pores and skin and hair seems to be extra pure, albeit comfortable from movement blur. Whereas within the Extremely’s picture, she nearly seems to be like a portray from all of the noise discount and over sharpening.

The Galaxy S24 Extremely’s 3x zoom

I completely love this photograph from the Extremely of my CNET pal Celso Bulgatti, taken with the devoted 3x zoom digital camera. There is a good steadiness in terms of element, and the highlights look so good. It is refined, however the cutout impact seems to be clear, with the transition between in-focus and out-of-focus trying pure. His pores and skin tone is a little more saturated than in actual life, but it surely seems to be good.

Talking of 3x, bear in mind the Extremely has a devoted 3x digital camera whereas the iPhone is utilizing a 3x digital zoom to get the identical picture. And you’ll see the distinction under. The iPhone’s photograph is not unhealthy, but it surely has artifacts from the digital zoom, particularly across the flag. Total the iPhone’s photograph seems to be softer — discover the main points within the ornamentation on the constructing within the background but additionally within the bricks within the constructing on the proper.

Here is one other pair of 3x images — of a Star Wars figurine on my desk. The Extremely’s photograph seems to be higher in each manner.

iPhone vs. Extremely: 5x zoom battle

Listed here are some images of downtown San Francisco that I took from a rooftop with the 5x digital camera on each telephones. Immediately, the iPhone nailed the main target, which the Extremely struggled to do. I do not know if it was the solar reflecting off Salesforce Tower, however the Extremely hunted for focus on this setup anytime I used the 5x digital camera, particularly as I began to zoom in digitally.

Under are 5x optical zoom pictures, each in focus. I just like the Extremely’s extra. It feels just like the iPhone is defending highlights by ramping down the publicity, and as a consequence the shadows are darker. The Extremely has good element all through — discover the timber within the foreground and the home windows on Salesforce Tower.

I saved zooming in additional on this scene. Under are 15x digital zoom images. And once more the Extremely struggled to get focus. I took 4 images and all are out of focus, with the fourth one under the least out of focus.

The iPhone’s most digital zoom is 25x. Under are images from each telephones at that magnification. You may get away sharing these on social media, however neither photograph seems to be good. I give the sting to the Extremely’s photograph, which seems to be cleaner.

However the Extremely can zoom much more, with the picture high quality deteriorating much more. Under is a 50x digital zoom photograph. As you’ll be able to see, the noise discount is making the picture look extra like a portray than a photograph from a $1,300 telephone!

And this is one final photograph of this scene, taken at 100x digital zoom. It is so processed and comfortable that it would not appear to be a photograph. And once more the Extremely struggled to get focus.

Under is a pair of 5x images of Maisie the cat. Each look good. The iPhone captured extra of the feel in her fur and is total brighter.

The Extremely’s generative AI issue

I can not imagine I’ve made it this far with out mentioning AI. For years, telephones have used AI, algorithms and machine studying to enhance images and create distinctive modes, like for portraits or night time images. None of that is new to both telephone. However the S24 Extremely has some new generative AI instruments referred to as Galaxy AI, much like the know-how that powers ChatGPT and Dall-E and starting from novelty to helpful.

Most of this occurs within the Extremely’s Gallery app and may be utilized solely after you’re taking a photograph or report a video. As an illustration, I can use the Generative Edit device to take away an individual or object from a photograph and fill within the empty house. I may transfer an individual or object round or change their measurement. This device and others nonetheless really feel extra experimental than reliable. Generally once I eliminated an object or an individual there have been apparent indicators that one thing was manipulated, whether or not it was a wierd texture or an odd halo of what was there earlier than. Different instances, the AI generated one thing random to fill within the house.

For instance, I attempted to have it take away an individual from the photograph under just for the Extremely to exchange him with a round cafe desk. Did it take away the particular person? Sure. Is it odd for there to be a restaurant desk on the roof of a constructing the place there is not a restaurant or different tables? Sure.

One space the place the Generative Edit device is helpful is for straightening images. Once I straighten a photograph on the iPhone (and most different telephones) the image is cropped in to get the specified end result. On the S24 Extremely, Generative Edit can fill within the components of a photograph past the body, that weren’t even there, eliminating the necessity to crop in.

Clearly, the iPhone would not have any of those generative AI options in-built to its Digital camera or Photographs apps. At this level, I do not suppose that is a miss, however as generative AI options enhance and grow to be extra helpful, their absence may very well be an enormous drawback. Regardless that portrait mode would not use generative AI, suppose how significantly better it’s as we speak versus the clumsy background blurs of years previous when the function first got here out.

iPhone vs. Samsung: Last ideas 

As you have seen, each telephones take glorious images. In my time with the Extremely, I have been blown away by the standard of the images, particularly these from the 3x lens. And I completely love that low-reflection display, it is a small however vital enchancment.

Although I did not go into comparisons of all the varied modes or movies, each telephones are evenly matched in these areas as effectively. The iPhone has a slight edge in its means to report ProRes video recordsdata, although there are third-party Android apps that may do the identical. 

The most important barrier for me, and most of the people, goes to be the value. Paying $1,200 or $1,300 or extra for bigger storage is a big funding that goes effectively past simply how good the cameras are. I might seemingly push folks towards a smaller iPhone 15 Professional, or Google’s Pixel 8 Professional. Each nonetheless value a grand, however are a whole lot lower than the Extremely or 15 Professional Max.

Wish to see how the Extremely does towards one of many different best phone cameras? Try our digital camera comparability between the Galaxy S24 Ultra and the Pixel 8 Pro.