When you are on the lookout for the very best digital camera to hold in your pocket, it’s worthwhile to contemplate right this moment’s top-tier telephones. The imaging capabilities of the iPhone 16 Pro and Galaxy S25 Ultra are among the many finest cash can purchase. And with journey season ramping up, carrying a telephone will be the most handy digital camera. But for photograph particulars how do these two cellular titans evaluate?To discover out, I shot a whole bunch of photographs utilizing each telephones in a wide range of situations to see which telephone takes the best-looking photographs. What’s “best” is usually down to non-public perspective so whereas I’ll be giving my private tackle every take a look at as knowledgeable photographer and giving my the reason why I want one over the opposite, it’s possible you’ll effectively discover that you just want the opposite. So take a look by the vary of examples right here and see should you come to a special conclusion. Read extra: Best Camera Phone of 2025All photographs proven have been taken utilizing every telephone’s default digital camera mode utilizing default settings, until in any other case said. While photographs from the Galaxy S25 have been uploaded as taken, the iPhone’s photographs have needed to be transformed by Adobe Lightroom as our publishing platform would not help Apple’s default HEIF picture format. This course of would not have an effect on the picture in any manner. Ready? Let’s dive in. iPhone 16 Pro, essential digital camera Andrew Lanxon/CNET Galaxy S25 Ultra, essential digital camera Andrew Lanxon/CNETStarting out with a simple out of doors scene. Both telephones have accomplished an amazing job capturing a fair publicity right here and each photographs are filled with element. It’s troublesome to decide on between them, however the iPhone has the sting for me because it’s achieved a barely hotter picture with extra natural-looking tones. The S25 Ultra’s picture appears too saturated, particularly within the blue sky, which I discover fairly distracting. iPhone 16 Pro, ultrawide lens Andrew Lanxon/CNET Galaxy S25 Ultra, ultrawide lens Andrew Lanxon/CNETIt’s a lot the identical story once we change to the ultrawide lenses on each telephones. I want the hotter tones within the iPhone’s shot, which makes the S25 Ultra’s look fairly chilly by comparability. I additionally want the lighter shadows on the iPhone’s picture, making it a simple win for the iPhone right here. Notably, each telephones are doing an excellent job of compensating for the ultrawide lenses on the edges (a perform turned on by default on each telephones); the railing stays straight in every shot and never curving as you’d sometimes see utilizing a lens this huge. iPhone 16 Pro, essential digital camera Andrew Lanxon/CNET Galaxy S25 Ultra, essential digital camera Andrew Lanxon/CNETThere’s nearly no distinction between these two out of doors scenes. The blossom appears crisp on each photographs, with glorious general publicity. The iPhone’s picture is once more barely hotter in tone nevertheless it’s negligible. iPhone 16 Pro, essential digital camera Andrew Lanxon/CNET Galaxy S25 Ultra, essential digital camera Andrew Lanxon/CNETThe Galaxy S25 takes a simple win with this picture of bluebells. The colours are far more vibrant, particularly within the greens on the blades of grass, which look fairly washed out on the iPhone’s picture. It truly appears just like the S25’s digital camera lens is barely polarized to scale back reflections and improve saturation, however I do not know if that is the case. Either manner, Samsung takes the win right here. iPhone 16 Pro, 5x zoom Andrew Lanxon/CNET Galaxy S25 Ultra, 5x zoom Andrew Lanxon/CNETAt 5x zoom issues worsen for the iPhone. Despite the bluebells being fairly far-off, the telephone appeared unable to attain a pointy deal with the flowers. The S25 Ultra, in the meantime, managed to attain a pointy picture with richer colours. iPhone 16 Pro, essential digital camera Andrew Lanxon/CNET Galaxy S25 Ultra, essential digital camera Andrew Lanxon/CNETI want the iPhone’s picture right here although. It’s brighter and the hotter colours on the bricks on the encompassing buildings look far more true to life. iPhone 16 Pro, 5x zoom Andrew Lanxon/CNET Galaxy S25 Ultra, 5x zoom Andrew Lanxon/CNETThe iPhone’s picture is once more brighter right here and I want its colours too. The Galaxy S25 Ultra does have the sting in tremendous element, although. You actually need to zoom in to see it however the tiny traces on the constructing are barely sharper on the S25. Galaxy S25 Ultra, 10x zoom Andrew Lanxon/CNETThe S25 Ultra does have a bodily benefit over the iPhone with its 10x optical zoom lens, which permits it to zoom in even additional whereas nonetheless sustaining a pin-sharp picture. iPhone 16 Pro, 10x digital zoom Andrew Lanxon/CNET Galaxy S25 Ultra, 10x optical zoom. Andrew Lanxon/CNETYou can nonetheless digitally zoom in with the iPhone to 10x, and the outcomes aren’t dangerous. I want the colours of the S25 Ultra’s shot right here, however the distinction intimately is not that noticeable. Close crop of iPhone 16 Pro (left) and S25 Ultra (rigiht) Andrew Lanxon/CNETZooming in near see the tremendous particulars, the S25 Ultra’s optical zoom picture undoubtedly has a bit extra readability however the digital upscaling on the iPhone’s shot has accomplished an amazing job right here, because the distinction is not immense.iPhone 16 Pro vs. Galaxy S25 Ultra: Night modes in contrast iPhone 16 Pro (left), Galaxy S25 Ultra (proper), each at 5x zoom Andrew Lanxon/CNETAt first look, the one actual distinction between the iPhone’s 5x shot and the S25 Ultra’s 5x shot is the colour stability. And truthfully, I haven’t got a choice between the hotter tone of the iPhone or the extra magenta bias of the S25. Detail crop on iPhone (left) and S25 Ultra (proper) Andrew Lanxon/CNETHowever, if you zoom in near the main points, the iPhone has produced a sharper picture right here, with an odd form of digital blurring across the lamp put up within the S25 Ultra’s picture. So typically the S25 Ultra’s zoom is sharper, different instances it is the iPhone’s. I’m glad they’re making this straightforward for me. iPhone 16 Pro, essential digital camera Andrew Lanxon/CNET S25 Ultra, essential digital camera Andrew Lanxon/CNETAgain, the one actual distinction right here is within the colour stability and I do not actually know which I want. The publicity, noise ranges and quantity of element are virtually an identical. iPhone 16 Pro, ultrawide lens Andrew Lanxon/CNET Galaxy S25 Ultra, ultrawide lens Andrew Lanxon/CNETThings modified after I switched to the ultrawide lenses, although. The S25 Ultra’s shot is unquestionably brighter, capturing extra element within the cobblestones within the foreground and within the buildings within the distance. The iPhone’s picture is far darker general. iPhone 16 Pro, ultrawide lens Andrew Lanxon/CNET Galaxy S25 Ultra, ultrawide lens Andrew Lanxon/CNETJust to confuse issues additional, the iPhone’s nighttime picture with its ultrawide lens is noticeably brighter than the S25 Ultra’s on this instance that I shot within the Arctic. I truly needed to double-check the picture metadata to ensure I hadn’t combined these up, however I have not. The iPhone’s picture has captured extra gentle info right here and produced extra element on the ice door to the appropriate. iPhone 16 Pro, essential digital camera Andrew Lanxon/CNET S25 Ultra, essential digital camera Andrew Lanxon/CNETThe iPhone’s nighttime picture is once more barely brighter right here nevertheless it’s additionally saved the intense highlights on the pub signal beneath management. On the S25 Ultra’s picture, these highlights are nearly misplaced to pure white however the pretty inexperienced and yellow tones have been retained within the iPhone’s picture. The colours general are noticeably hotter on the iPhone’s shot, nonetheless, which is probably not to your style. Here, I believe they work effectively. iPhone 16 Pro, essential digital camera Andrew Lanxon/CNET S25 Ultra, essential digital camera Andrew Lanxon/CNETBut on this instance, the iPhone has produced a weirdly warm-looking picture that I actually do not like. Those heat colours weren’t current on the time of seize and it would not work for the scene, particularly not with such robust orange tones within the sky. The S25 Ultra’s picture is far more balanced general and it is a barely sharper picture too. It’s an easy win for Samsung right here. iPhone 16 Pro, ultrawide lens Andrew Lanxon/CNET S25 Ultra, ultrawide lens Andrew Lanxon/CNETThings do not enhance for the iPhone when utilizing the ultra-wide lens. Its picture is once more stricken by overly heat tones, whereas the S25 Ultra’s shot is each extra color-accurate and brighter. iPhone 16 Pro vs. Galaxy S25 Ultra: Which takes higher selfies? iPhone 16 Pro, selfie digital camera Andrew Lanxon/CNET S25 Ultra, selfie digital camera Andrew Lanxon/CNETWhile the Galaxy S25 Ultra’s selfie is barely brighter, I do not like what it is accomplished with the colours. My face has been made a bizarre shade of orange and my denim jacket is a a lot deeper blue than it truly is. The pores and skin tones on the iPhone’s shot are far more correct, and its shot is sharper as effectively. iPhone 16 Pro, selfie digital camera in huge mode Andrew Lanxon/CNET S25 Ultra, selfie digital camera in huge mode Andrew Lanxon/CNETBoth telephones have a wider-angle mode for the selfie digital camera, though the iPhone’s appears to be rather a lot wider. That’s undoubtedly value preserving in thoughts should you incessantly prefer to cram a number of pals into your group pics. You may in all probability squeeze no less than one or two additional pals in should you used the iPhone, or must determine who you want least and depart them out of body should you used the S25 Ultra. Otherwise, the picture variations are the identical as earlier than. iPhone 16 Pro Vs Galaxy S25 Ultra: Which digital camera is healthier?I’ve written many of those comparability items on numerous generations of telephones in my 14 years at CNET and I do not bear in mind having accomplished one which’s felt this shut. The drawback is that neither telephone excels constantly in a single space; the iPhone 16 Pro’s ultra-wide photographs aren’t as vivid because the S25 Ultra’s, besides on these events after they truly are, confusingly. I’ve taken many extra photographs not included right here that each help a few of my conclusions and argue in opposition to them. Go determine.But there are some takeaways I can provide with confidence. Generally talking, the iPhone’s colours are extra pure than the S25 Ultra’s, which might typically look overly saturated. This has been the case with nearly each Samsung telephone for the reason that firm began placing cameras in them and it is nonetheless the case right this moment. Those on the lookout for a extra pure base picture to use your personal filters and results over shall be higher suited with the iPhone 16 Pro.But that is much less the case at evening, when the iPhone extra constantly delivers hotter tones that look much less pure than the S25 Ultra’s. So, if evening images is essential to you, the S25 Ultra will be the higher possibility. Overall, its evening mode photographs from all lenses had been brighter and sharper. James Martin/CNETSure, the S25 Ultra has the prolonged zoom vary however you’d actually need to know you will benefit from a 10x zoom to justify choosing one over the opposite. Personally, I discover the 5x zoom stage an ideal candy spot and right here the telephones are just about on par. And on these uncommon events it’s possible you’ll wish to push issues additional, the iPhone’s digital zoom can nonetheless ship sharp outcomes. There are different issues for photographers to think about too: Apple’s ProUncooked is great and whereas the corporate’s Photographic Styles will be good for including a inventive look to your photographs, Samsung’s new instrument for mimicking the colour grade from instance photographs you feed it really works surprisingly effectively — I truly suppose I would get extra use out of that general. I have not even gone into video high quality both, which is a complete different article, particularly when you think about each telephones shoot Log video, though solely the iPhone makes use of ProRes. Deciding between the telephones primarily based solely on the cameras is nigh on inconceivable. Which one it’s best to get will as an alternative come right down to the larger query of iOS versus Android; which platform you are already utilizing and which one will work finest with different items of tech in your life. But for easy image high quality, it’s possible you’ll as effectively toss a coin.
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