Samsung vs. Apple: The Galaxy S24 Extremely’s Cameras Battle the iPhone 15 Professional Max’s

On the subject of premium smartphones, the 2 most distinguished 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 principal one with a 48-megapixel sensor. 

Let me state the plain: Each seize a number of the best possible pictures you possibly can take from any telephone at this time, particularly in difficult environments like high-contrast scenes (assume a sundown) or locations the place the lighting is dim (assume 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 is not 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 search out out.

After I shot tons of of pictures and movies with each telephones and in contrast them aspect by aspect, 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: broad, ultrawide and telephoto. The primary 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 by way of 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 truly 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 broad	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 broad	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 a variety of rattling cameras. Keep in mind the times when telephones had only one?

The S24 Extremely’s principal 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 principal 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 pictures which are 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 pictures (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 taking pictures expertise, I like the S24 Extremely’s new display, which is way 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 pictures.

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

The iPhone can seize ProRes video files and spatial videos (which could be considered 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 desire. I may use the Extremely’s S Pen as a distant shutter button to take a photograph.

Considered 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 possibly can’t attain absolutely the backside of the display to faucet the common shutter button, or when utilizing quantity buttons is not an choice.

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

Each telephones take wonderful footage. Under are just a few of my favorites.

However let’s get to the good things: head-to-head photograph comparisons. And let’s begin with the pictures beneath of a difficult excessive distinction scene of a sundown in San Francisco’s Mission District. The pictures are from the primary cameras, and I am impressed with each. The most important distinction is the way in which 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 bushes on the underside proper. Within the iPhone’s image, the bushes form of get misplaced within the shadows, however within the Extremely’s picture, you possibly can truly make out extra of the person branches.

Under is one other set of principal digital camera pictures, this time of a plant in a window. At first look they give the impression of being comparable, however discover how the S24 Extremely rolls off the highlights on the leaves — so easy. 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 pictures beneath, 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 comparable.

Each telephones utilized a variety of 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 gentle 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 gentle 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, however it seems to be good.

Talking of 3x, keep 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 may see the distinction beneath. The iPhone’s photograph is not dangerous, however it has artifacts from the digital zoom, particularly across the flag. General the iPhone’s photograph seems to be softer — discover the main points within the ornamentation on the constructing within the background but in addition within the bricks within the constructing on the proper.

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

iPhone vs. Extremely: 5x zoom battle

Listed here are some pictures of downtown San Francisco that I took from a rooftop with the 5x digital camera on each telephones. Immediately, the iPhone nailed the main focus, 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 bushes within the foreground and the home windows on Salesforce Tower.

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

The iPhone’s most digital zoom is 25x. Under are pictures 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 possibly can see, the noise discount is making the picture look extra like a portray than a photograph from a $1,300 telephone!

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

Under is a pair of 5x pictures 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 am unable to consider 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 night time pictures. None of that is new to both telephone. However the S24 Extremely has some new generative AI instruments known 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 Extremely’s Gallery app and could be utilized solely after you are taking a photograph or file a video. As an example, I can use the Generative Edit instrument to take away an individual or object from a photograph and fill within the empty area. I may transfer an individual or object round or change their dimension. This instrument and others nonetheless really feel extra experimental than reliable. Typically once I eliminated an object or an individual there have been apparent indicators that one thing was manipulated, whether or not it was an odd texture or an odd halo of what was there earlier than. Different instances, the AI generated one thing random to fill within the area.

For instance, I attempted to have it take away an individual from the photograph beneath just for the Extremely to interchange 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 instrument is helpful is for straightening pictures. After I straighten a photograph on the iPhone (and most different telephones) the image is cropped in to get the specified consequence. On the S24 Extremely, Generative Edit can fill within the elements of a photograph past the body, that weren’t even there, eliminating the necessity to crop in.

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

iPhone vs. Samsung: Remaining ideas 

As you have seen, each telephones take wonderful pictures. In my time with the Extremely, I have 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 important enchancment.

Although I did not go into comparisons of all the varied modes or movies, each telephones are evenly matched in these areas as properly. The iPhone has a slight edge in its capacity to file 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 huge funding that goes properly past simply how good the cameras are. I might probably push folks towards a smaller iPhone 15 Professional, or Google’s Pixel 8 Professional. Each nonetheless price a grand, however are tons of 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.

Editors’ observe: CNET is utilizing an AI engine to assist create some tales. For extra, see this post.