When it involves premium smartphones, the 2 most outstanding choices have totally different approaches to taking 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 most important one with a 48-megapixel sensor. Let me state the plain: Both seize a few of the best possible pictures you possibly can take from any cellphone right this moment, particularly in difficult environments like high-contrast scenes (assume a sundown) or locations the place the lighting is dim (assume a restaurant).Read extra: Best Phone to Buy for 2024Earlier 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 is not any slouch and may bury Samsung’s finest efforts with the iPhone’s masterful picture processing and video picture high quality. How do they stack up towards one another?I took them round San Francisco to search out out.After I shot lots of of pictures and movies with each telephones and in contrast them aspect by aspect, a extra complicated actuality revealed itself, with the iPhone and Ultra excelling in some conditions and struggling in others.Cutting-edge digital camera {hardware}, appsThe iPhone 15 Pro Max has a trio of lenses: broad, ultrawide and telephoto. The most important digital camera has a 48-megapixel sensor, whereas the opposite two have a decision of 12 megapixels. There’s a little bit of a gulf by way of zooming between the principle 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 Ultra has an identical trio of lenses however provides a second telephoto, with a 3x zoom degree. Think of it as if Apple took the 15 Pro Max and added the iPhone 15 Pro’s devoted 3x telephoto to the again, thus creating an truly nonexistent iPhone 15 Ultra with each 3x and 5x cameras.Camera {hardware} specs in contrast Camera Zoom levelResolutionApertureLens full-frame equal15 Pro Max ultrawide 0.5×12 megapixelsf/2.213 millimeters15 Pro Max broad 1×48 megapixelsf/1.7824 millimeters15 Pro Max telephoto 5×12 megapixelsf/2.8120 millimetersS24 Ultra ultrawide 0.6×12 megapixelsf/2.213 millimetersS24 Ultra broad 1×200 megapixelsf/1.723 millimetersS24 Ultra telephoto No. 1 3×10 megapixelsf/2.469 millimetersS24 Ultra telephoto No. 2 5×50 megapixelsf/3.4115 millimeters That’s quite a lot of rattling cameras. Remember the times when telephones had only one?The S24 Ultra’s most important digital camera has a 200-megapixel sensor, and the brand new 5x telephoto digital camera has a 50-megapixel one. Both Apple and Samsung use their most important digital camera’s excessive decision sensor (and in Samsung’s case the one on the Ultra’s 5x telephoto digital camera) to mix a number of pixels to create 12-megapixel pictures which can be brighter and have extra element and fewer picture noise. The telephones may also use sensor crop to successfully flip the principle 1x shooter right into a 2x digital camera that takes 12-megapixel pictures (with out pixel binning). It’s curious that the Ultra’s 3x 10-megapixel digital camera takes 12-megapixel photographs. Where does it get these two additional megapixels from?In regard to the capturing expertise, I really like the S24 Ultra’s new display, which is way much less reflective than the iPhone’s. I haven’t got bother seeing what’s on the 15 Pro Max, even in direct daylight, however the Ultra’s show feels extra immersive as a result of there’s much less glare when taking pictures. Watch this: Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra Review: More AI at a Higher Cost
12:23 The digital camera apps on each are filled with acquainted choices like devoted picture, video and portrait modes, in addition to the flexibility to shoot Raw recordsdata and alter decision on a few of the cameras.The iPhone can seize ProRes video recordsdata and spatial movies (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 pictures and movies, and is extra customizable. I can transfer the digital camera modes round to my liking and add ones I want. I may also use the Ultra’s S Pen as a distant shutter button to take a photograph.One of my favourite choices is including a floating shutter button that may be positioned anyplace on display to take a photograph. It’s nice for these occasions you possibly can’t attain absolutely the backside of the display to faucet the common shutter button, or when utilizing quantity buttons is not an possibility.Photo smackdown: Galaxy S24 Ultra vs. iPhone 15 Pro MaxBoth telephones take glorious footage. Below are a number of of my favorites. Galaxy S24 Ultra 3x telephoto digital camera. Patrick Holland/CNET iPhone 15 Pro Max 5x telephoto digital camera. Patrick Holland/CNET Galaxy S24 Ultra ultrawide digital camera. Patrick Holland/CNET iPhone 15 Pro Max 5x telephoto digital camera. Patrick Holland/CNET
I Took 600+ Photos With the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max. Look at My Favorites
See all pictures But let’s get to the great things: head-to-head picture 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 pictures are from the principle cameras, and I’m impressed with each. The greatest distinction is the way in which every cellphone handles the glare from the solar, which is extra pronounced within the iPhone’s picture. The S24 Ultra’s snap is a tad brighter, particularly once you pinch in a bit. The S24 Ultra boosts the shadow particulars — discover the timber on the underside proper. In the iPhone’s image, the timber sort of get misplaced within the shadows, however within the Ultra’s picture, you possibly can truly make out extra of the person branches. Galaxy S24 Ultra most important digital camera. Patrick Holland/CNET iPhone 15 Pro Max most important digital camera. Patrick HollandCNETBelow is one other set of most important digital camera photographs, this time of a plant in a window. At first look they appear comparable, however discover how the S24 Ultra rolls off the highlights on the leaves — so easy. The textual content on the books underneath the plant is readable in each photographs, although it is crisper within the iPhone’s snap. Galaxy S24 Ultra most important digital camera. Patrick HollandCNET iPhone 15 Pro Max most important digital camera. Patrick HollandCNETI took the pictures under, of my CNET colleagues Jessica Fierro (left) and Amy Kim enjoying foosball, with the ultrawide cameras. Compared to the principle digital camera, there is a particular step down in picture high quality from each telephones, however in contrast to one another they’re comparable.Both telephones utilized quite a lot of noise discount. The ceiling within the iPhone’s picture is riddled with picture noise, and within the Ultra’s picture, the noise is gone however the identical ceiling seems overly comfortable and virtually blurry. Notice how the telephones dealt with the picture noise on Jessica and Amy. In the iPhone’s picture, Jessica’s pores and skin and hair seems extra pure, albeit comfortable from movement blur. Whereas within the Ultra’s picture, she virtually seems like a portray from all of the noise discount and over sharpening. Galaxy S24 Ultra ultrawide digital camera. Patrick HollandCNET iPhone 15 Pro Max ultrawide digital camera. Patrick HollandCNETThe Galaxy S24 Ultra’s 3x zoomI completely love this picture from the Ultra of my CNET pal Celso Bulgatti, taken with the devoted 3x zoom digital camera. There’s stability on the subject of element, and the highlights look so good. It’s refined, however the cutout impact seems clear, with the transition between in-focus and out-of-focus wanting pure. His pores and skin tone is a little more saturated than in actual life, however it seems good. Galaxy S24 Ultra portrait mode with 3x telephoto digital camera. Patrick HollandCNETSpeaking of 3x, bear in mind the Ultra has a devoted 3x digital camera whereas the iPhone is utilizing a 3x digital zoom to get the identical picture. And you possibly can see the distinction under. The iPhone’s picture is not unhealthy, however it has artifacts from the digital zoom, particularly across the flag. Overall the iPhone’s picture seems softer — discover the main points within the ornamentation on the constructing within the background but additionally within the bricks within the constructing on the suitable. Galaxy S24 Ultra 3x telephoto digital camera. Patrick HollandCNET iPhone 15 Pro Max 3x digital zoom. Patrick HollandCNETHere’s one other pair of 3x pictures — of a Star Wars figurine on my desk. The Ultra’s picture seems higher in each approach. Galaxy S24 Ultra 3x telephoto digital camera. Patrick HollandCNET iPhone 15 Pro Max 3x digital zoom. Patrick HollandCNETiPhone vs. Ultra: 5x zoom battleHere are some pictures of downtown San Francisco that I took from a rooftop with the 5x digital camera on each telephones. Right away, the iPhone nailed the main target, which the Ultra struggled to do. I do not know if it was the solar reflecting off Salesforce Tower, however the Ultra hunted for focus on this setup anytime I used the 5x digital camera, particularly as I began to zoom in digitally.Below are 5x optical zoom photographs, each in focus. I just like the Ultra’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 Ultra has good element all through — discover the timber within the foreground and the home windows on Salesforce Tower. Galaxy S24 Ultra 5x telephoto digital camera. Patrick HollandCNET iPhone 15 Pro Max 5x telephoto digital camera. Patrick HollandCNETI stored zooming in additional on this scene. Below are 15x digital zoom pictures. And once more the Ultra struggled to get focus. I took 4 pictures and all are out of focus, with the fourth one under the least out of focus. Galaxy S24 Ultra 15x digital zoom (out of focus). Patrick HollandCNET iPhone 15 Pro Max 15x digital zoom. Patrick HollandCNETThe iPhone’s most digital zoom is 25x. Below are pictures from each telephones at that magnification. You may get away sharing these on social media, however neither picture seems good. I give the sting to the Ultra’s picture, which seems cleaner. Galaxy S24 Ultra 25x digital zoom. Patrick HollandCNET iPhone 15 Pro Max 25x digital zoom. Patrick HollandCNETBut the Ultra can zoom much more, with the picture high quality deteriorating much more. Below is a 50x digital zoom picture. As you possibly can see, the noise discount is making the picture look extra like a portray than a photograph from a $1,300 cellphone! Galaxy S24 Ultra 50x digital zoom. Patrick HollandCNETAnd here is one final picture of this scene, taken at 100x digital zoom. It’s so processed and comfortable that it would not appear like a photograph. And once more the Ultra struggled to get focus. Galaxy S24 Ultra 100x digital zoom. Patrick HollandCNETBelow is a pair of 5x pictures of Maisie the cat. Both look good. The iPhone captured extra of the feel in her fur and is general brighter. Galaxy S24 Ultra 5x telephoto digital camera. Patrick HollandCNET iPhone 15 Pro Max 5x telephoto digital camera. Patrick HollandCNETThe Ultra’s generative AI factorI cannot imagine I’ve made it this far with out mentioning AI. For years, telephones have used AI, algorithms and machine studying to enhance pictures and create distinctive modes, like for portraits or evening pictures. None of that is new to both cellphone. But the S24 Ultra has some new generative AI instruments referred to as Galaxy AI, much like the expertise that powers ChatGPT and Dall-E and starting from novelty to helpful.Most of this occurs within the Ultra’s Gallery app and may be utilized solely after you are taking a photograph or report a video. For occasion, 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 also transfer an individual or object round or change their dimension. This device and others nonetheless really feel extra experimental than reliable. Sometimes 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. Other occasions, the AI generated one thing random to fill within the house.For instance, I attempted to have it take away an individual from the picture under just for the Ultra to switch him with a round cafe desk. Did it take away the individual? Yes. 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? Yes. Galaxy S24 Ultra most important digital camera — unedited. Patrick HollandCNET Galaxy S24 Ultra most important digital camera after Generative Edit. Patrick HollandCNETOne space the place the Generative Edit device is beneficial is for straightening pictures. When I straighten a photograph on the iPhone (and most different telephones) the image is cropped in to get the specified consequence. On the S24 Ultra, Generative Edit can fill within the elements of a photograph past the body, that weren’t even there, eliminating the necessity to crop in.Obviously, the iPhone would not have any of those generative AI options inbuilt to its Camera or Photos apps. At this level, I do not assume that is a miss, however as generative AI options enhance and change into extra helpful, their absence could possibly be an enormous drawback. Even although portrait mode would not use generative AI, assume how significantly better it’s right this moment versus the clumsy background blurs of years previous when the characteristic first got here out.iPhone vs. Samsung: Final ideas As you have seen, each telephones take glorious pictures. In my time with the Ultra, I’ve been blown away by the standard of the pictures, particularly these from the 3x lens. And I completely love that low-reflection display, it is a small however vital enchancment.Though I did not go into comparisons of all the assorted modes or movies, each telephones are evenly matched in these areas as effectively. The iPhone has a slight edge in its capability to report ProRes video recordsdata, although there are third-party Android apps that may do the identical. The greatest barrier for me, and most of the people, goes to be the worth. 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’d probably push individuals towards a smaller iPhone 15 Pro, or Google’s Pixel 8 Pro. Both nonetheless value a grand, however are lots of lower than the Ultra or 15 Pro Max.Want to see how the Ultra does towards one of many different finest cellphone cameras? Check out our digital camera comparability between the Galaxy S24 Ultra and the Pixel 8 Pro.Editors’ observe: CNET is utilizing an AI engine to assist create some tales. For extra, see this put up.
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