I took over 200 photographs with the iPhone 16 Professional Max vs Galaxy S24 Extremely — here is the winner

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I’m placing the 2 best camera phones round in a head-to-head showdown to see which is healthier for pictures. In my iPhone 16 Pro Max and Galaxy S24 Ultra, I’ve taken over 200 photographs in various conditions to check their important cameras, telephoto zooming, macrophotography, low-light efficiency and extra.

iPhone 16 Professional Max vs Galaxy S24 Extremely: The Cameras

Earlier than I get into the great things, I need to shortly speak concerning the cameras. In our iPhone 16 Pro Max review, it makes use of an analogous triple digicam setup as earlier than, however this 12 months’s change is discovered within the ultrawide. It’s now a 48MP one with a wider f/2.2 aperture, which suggests it has higher mild gathering than the iPhone 15 Professional Max. Paired with its 48MP important shooter and 12MP telephoto with 2x zoom, it’s nonetheless an influence packed digicam system.

In the meantime, I stated in my Galaxy S24 Ultra review that it set the bar early within the 12 months in what I need in a digicam cellphone — and that’s regardless of the controversy round its zoom digicam, which matches from a 10x optical zoom to a 5x one as an alternative. Nonetheless, I’ve seen that it nonetheless pulls out unbelievable outcomes, nevertheless it’s going to want much more to beat the newer iPhone 16 Professional Max. You will have a 200MP important digicam, 12MP ultrawide, 10MP telephoto with 3x zoom, and a 50MP telephoto with 5x zoom.

After Apple’s Glowtime event in Cupertino, I traveled with the 2 flagship telephones to Half Moon Bay to seize the identical set of photographs with each. Afterwards, I seemed by means of all of the comparability photographs on a monitor to raised inform their variations. I’m excited for this one as a result of it may successfully present me which is the best camera phone for the remainder of the 12 months, particularly understand how my 200 photo shoot out with the iPhone 15 Pro Max vs. Galaxy S24 Ultra turned out earlier this 12 months.

iPhone 16 Professional Max vs Galaxy S24 Extremely: daytime

I used to be on the seashore for these pictures and it’s an ideal spot to see how their important cameras evaluate. Look shortly and also you may assume they’re the identical, however they’re not.

In the event you zoom into the pink Adirondack chair, there’s extra element with the iPhone, particularly with the textures across the chair and the screws round it. And whereas the Galaxy S24 Extremely delivers a superb shot, it’s too aggressive with the colour saturation — which supplies the iPhone the extra true-to-life look.

Winner: iPhone 16 Professional Max

iPhone 16 Professional Max vs Galaxy S24 Extremely: dynamic vary

Subsequent up, I finished by this brewery in Half Moon Bay with the Tom’s Information group to seize a drink and the bar was the proper place to see how they deal with dynamic vary. That’s as a result of the within was fairly darkish, however the home windows on the skin let in sturdy mild.

My eyes immediately gravitate in direction of the sturdy distinction look with the Galaxy S24 Extremely, however after I evaluate it to the iPhone 16 Professional Max, it blows out the highlights. In consequence, the skin space loses element — whereas the iPhone does a greater job of neutralizing the publicity all through the shot.

Winner: iPhone 16 Professional Max

iPhone 16 Professional Max vs Galaxy S24 Extremely: colours

This subsequent one’s robust as a result of it’s so shut between them. In many of the photographs I captured, the Galaxy S24 Extremely tends to forged the extra saturated coloration. However with this mosaic I shot in downtown Half Moon Bay, it’s an almost even matchup.

I actually like the colours right here, they’re shiny and punchy to the attention — so for me, it comes all the way down to the publicity. The iPhone 16 Professional Max does a greater job as a result of the Galaxy S24 Extremely is a smidge shiny, which ends up in the colours turning into too washed out.

Winner: iPhone 16 Professional Max

iPhone 16 Professional Max vs Galaxy S24 Extremely: macro

Apple wasn’t kidding round when it stated that the iPhone 16 Professional Max is far improved with macro pictures. Not solely was I in a position to get a lot nearer to this flower whereas conserving most of it in focus, it additionally captures extra element. In the event you look within the center, you may even make a hidden spider there.

The Galaxy S24 Extremely additionally captures an unbelievable shot, however the over-sharpening impact makes it look too processed after I zoom into it.

Winner: iPhone 16 Professional Max

iPhone 16 Professional Max vs Galaxy S24 Extremely: zoom

Once more these two digicam telephones are evenly matched within the zoom division as a result of they carry telephoto cameras with 5x optical zoom lenses. For these pictures, I actually need to pixel peep as a result of they’re comparable after I have a look at the general image. They’re evenly uncovered for probably the most half, however the iPhone 16 Professional Max does higher within the shadows, which you’ll be able to see within the tree within the decrease left.

Nonetheless, the Galaxy S24 Extremely’s shot has a barely sharper look. It’s onerous to see except you zoom in, just like the letters beneath the large eye within the center — in addition to the identical tree within the decrease left nook.

Winner: Galaxy S24 Extremely

iPhone 16 Professional Max vs Galaxy S24 Extremely: selfie

If protection is necessary, you’ll get extra of it with the iPhone 16 Professional Max’s 12MP front-facing digicam. At arm’s size, it provides a wider area of view in comparison with the Galaxy S24 Extremely’s 12MP one. However in terms of picture high quality, I want the Samsung due to the higher particulars.

In the event you zoom into my face, the Galaxy does a greater job of gathering extra element and definition with my facial options — like my eyebrows and scruff round my chin. However I’ll say that the iPhone has a extra even publicity.

Winner: Galaxy S24 Extremely

iPhone 16 Professional Max vs Galaxy S24 Extremely: portrait

I shot these portrait photographs of my colleague Kate who’s exhibiting off the brand new Apple Watch Series 10 on her wrist. The very first thing that stands out to me are the saturated colours of the Galaxy S24 Extremely. You would say it provides the photograph that further pop, however the iPhone’s extra true to life.

On high of that, the iPhone 16 Professional Max’s important digicam once more pulls in crisper particulars in these pictures at 1x zoom. Check out the band on her Apple Watch, it has extra definition on it, whereas the Galaxy S24 Extremely seems to be extra smudgy. Each do an awesome job at isolating her from the background, however I just like the softer look of the background with the iPhone.

Winner: iPhone 16 Professional Max

iPhone 16 Professional Max vs Galaxy S24 Extremely: ultrawide

Apple’s refreshed ultrawide digicam primarily will get my consideration in these pictures due to its brighter seems to be and higher dynamic vary efficiency. The colours are additionally extra practical, particularly when the Galaxy provides much more saturation to the greens within the shot.

Winner: iPhone 16 Professional Max

iPhone 16 Professional Max vs Galaxy S24 Extremely: panorama

The panoramas they seize have large file sizes, however rightfully so as a result of they include a whole lot of element. Overlooking Half Moon Bay itself, there’s loads of particulars captured in each — just like the boat within the water and the pink flowers on the correct. The one motive I’m giving it to the iPhone 16 Professional Max is due to its even publicity.

The correct half off the picture retains the identical publicity because the left, whereas the Samsung comes out a tad underneath uncovered. And for those who zoom into the shadowed a part of the bush within the center, the iPhone’s higher dynamic vary efficiency attracts out extra particulars.

Winner: iPhone 16 Professional Max

iPhone 16 Professional Max vs Galaxy S24 Extremely: low mild

On the similar brewery from earlier, I took these pictures of my beer in a darker half on the bar. I like how the iPhone 16 Professional Max pulls off the brighter picture and the way it handles the sturdy mild supply that’s reflecting off the again. The Galaxy S24 Extremely seems to be darkish and has this coloration fringing within the space within the again the place the sunshine displays off from.

I additionally need to share these different low mild pictures that my colleague, Mark Spoonauer, took at a park within the late night. The iPhone once more simply pulls off the brighter shot, which I can see with the grass within the foreground — however the signal on the left seems to be a lot sharper.

Winner: iPhone 16 Professional Max

iPhone 16 Professional Max vs Galaxy S24 Extremely: Verdict

The iPhone 16 Professional Max advantages from a a lot improved efficiency that lets it cruise to the end line right here. The areas the place I see the largest enchancment is the way it performs higher with its dynamic vary, which brightens up shadows to attract out particulars which are in any other case hidden. I additionally know that the iPhone 16 Professional Max’s upgraded ultrawide digicam will get a lift to ship sharper particulars.

As for the Galaxy S24 Extremely? It’s nonetheless a superb digicam cellphone that solely loses out by a sliver in every of the classes — however then once more, it’s been out for the reason that starting of the 12 months. In fact, I’m desperate to see how Samsung responds with the Galaxy S25 Ultra.

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