I’ve lastly accomplished it. I’ve examined out two of one of the best digital camera telephones that you may purchase proper now, and pitted Apple’s iPhone 16 Professional Max, in opposition to Samsung’s latest flagship, the Samsung Galaxy S25 Extremely sequence. Each of those telephones are infused with AI energy and have some critically spectacular digital camera specs on paper, however there can solely be one winner right here, so which is it?
In the event you’re accustomed to a few of the greatest iPhones for images, then you definitely’ll know that these smartphones are very able to capturing a pointy shot. The iPhone 16 sequence is the primary, nevertheless, to introduce the progressive new Digital camera Management Button, and I am shocked by how a lot I actually loved utilizing this function. In the event you’re extra of an Android fan (responsible), then Samsung smartphones are one of the best alternate options to Apple handsets for photographers and content material creators, because of progressive options like personalised filters, tremendous Nightography, and extra element with the AI ProVisual Engine.
Keep in mind, it is not all about proudly owning the most costly gadget to get nice pictures, and a few of the greatest price range digital camera telephones have pleasantly shocked us too. Concerned with extra digital camera telephone comparisons? Check out my shootout between the Honor Magic 7 Professional and my S24 Extremely to see how these fashions tackled beautiful Slovenian landscapes. Extra lately, I additionally pitted the Nothing Telephone 3a Professional in opposition to my Samsung, and the outcomes had been spectacular.
Check out the spec desk under to see what we’re working with, after which take a look at the outcomes and picture sliders (drag the slider to see the complete picture) and see for your self how the iPhone 16 Professional Max faired in opposition to the Samsung Galaxy S25 Extremely.
Digital camera Telephone Specs
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iPhone 16 Professional Max Vs Samsung S25 Extremely specs
Throughout at present’s digital camera telephone shootout, I took to the sunny streets of Bathtub armed with each of those flagship digital camera telephones, with the intent to seize the very same shot with every gadget. I’ve by no means shot with both of those telephones earlier than, as my present smartphone of selection is the S24 Extremely.
To maintain issues truthful, I stood in the identical spot, used the identical facet ratio (16 by 9), and shot utilizing the very best potential high quality setting (excluding RAW modes) that each digital camera telephones may muster, which is 48MP for the iPhone 16 Professional Max, and 200MP for the S25 Extremely.
I am all the time fascinated with how AI assists with smartphone images, as I feel that typically it may be overused to extend saturation and vibrancy the place it is not wanted. I feel the picture sliders above exhibit that the photographs captured have correct true-to-life colors, for a extra natural-looking picture fairly than an Instagram-ready one.
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The principle focus of this digital camera telephone shootout has been panorama imagery, however take a look at Rankin’s 8 steps to Smartphone Pictures Success in the event you’re looking for some wonderful recommendations on capturing portraiture with a smartphone.
The iPhone 16 Professional Max comes geared up with a 48 MP f/1.8, 24mm (large) digital camera, in addition to a 48 MP f/2.2, 13mm ultrawide digital camera which is not far off what the Samsung S25 is sporting. One space the place the iPhone 16 Professional Max is missing is with its zoom, with solely a 12 MP f/2.8, 120mm (periscope telephoto) lens. With that stated, I didn’t discover any points or distortion with the iPhone 16 Professional Max’s zoom digital camera, and it carried out properly in testing.
As compared, the Samsung Galaxy S25 Extremely boasts a 200MP principal digital camera (f/1.7), a 10MP telephoto (f/2.4), a 50MP periscope telephoto (f/3.4), and a brand new 50MP (beforehand 12MP) ultrawide (f/1.9) digital camera array. By way of footage, my Samsung can shoot 8K at 30fps, in contrast with 4K at 120fps with the iPhone 16 Professional Max.
Zoom take a look at
As you possibly can see from the picture sliders above, the distinction in high quality between these two digital camera telephones is minimal and actually splitting hairs. I’ve struggled to inform the distinction between which telephone captured which shot in the course of the add course of and the one giveaway was the bigger 20MB+ file sizes of the photographs shot with the 200MP S25 Extremely.
I am unable to imagine that I am saying this publicly on the web as a Samsung fan, however I’ve to confess that the iPhone 16 Professional Max is perhaps the winner right here (although it’s extremely very shut). Throughout at present’s shootout, having by no means used both digital camera telephone earlier than, I discovered it a lot simpler to make use of the iPhone 16 Professional Max and alter digital camera settings on the fly because of the brand new Digital camera Management Button. Having the ability to management the aperture so simply actually is a game-changer.
Nonetheless, I did discover when utilizing the digital camera management button that it will lively and alter fairly simply with out me that means to regulate it, and I feel this will have been right down to the Apple silicone case that we had on the telephone throughout testing. The Samsung S25 Extremely carried out exquisitely, as I had little question that it will, however the motive I feel the iPhone succeeds right here just isn’t solely ease of use – however the truth that Samsung had the benefit on this shootout with a 200MP principal digital camera in contrast with the iPhone 16 Professional Max’s 48MP lens, but the outcomes captured had been very comparable.
