Vibe & Tech

The rivalry between Samsung and Apple continues, with the Galaxy S25 Ultra and iPhone 16 Pro Max battling for the title of the best smartphone camera of the year. This year, Samsung made significant improvements to its camera system, and while the hardware remains largely unchanged, it’s the software upgrades that promise to level the playing field. Here’s a deep dive into how these two flagship devices compare across various aspects of photography and videography.

First Impressions and General Camera Experience

The very first photo taken with the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra surprised me. Samsung has barely tweaked the camera hardware from its predecessor, the S24 Ultra, yet the difference in image quality is tangible. Skin tones look more natural, and there’s noticeably more detail across every part of the image.

Samsung has also revamped its camera app, making it more streamlined and user-friendly. Features like AR emojis have been removed, and settings are now easier to access with just a thumb. Switching between modes and zooming in and out feels smoother and faster than before.

That said, while Samsung’s app has seen major improvements, Apple still has the edge in terms of speed and fluidity, particularly in low-light conditions. The iPhone 16 Pro Max remains the king of ease-of-use, but Samsung is closing the gap.

Photography: Daylight and General Shots

In daylight photography, Samsung has narrowed the gap with Apple. Its 50MP ultra-wide camera eliminates the color inconsistencies between wide and ultra-wide shots that plagued previous generations. However, the iPhone still holds a slight edge in default photo resolution, capturing 24MP images compared to Samsung’s 12MP. The difference in detail is subtle but noticeable when zooming in on shots.

Samsung does make up for this with its robust editing suite. Features like object removal, reflection reduction, and generative editing provide Samsung users with far more post-processing options than Apple’s Photos app. For those who enjoy tweaking their shots, Samsung takes the lead in flexibility.

Portrait Mode

Samsung’s portrait mode has seen a significant upgrade. The Galaxy S25 Ultra delivers stunning edge detection and vibrant, lifelike colors, often outperforming the iPhone in terms of depth and detail. Portraits shot at 3x or 5x zoom look proportionally accurate and more professional.

However, Samsung’s aggressive AI processing can occasionally overdo it, adding artificial textures to skin. Apple’s portrait mode, while not as vivid, maintains a more natural look, which some users may prefer.

Zoom Capabilities

Samsung dominates the zoom category. With two telephoto lenses (a 10MP 3x zoom and a 50MP 5x zoom), the Galaxy S25 Ultra delivers sharper, more detailed zoom shots compared to the iPhone 16 Pro Max, which relies on a single 12MP 5x telephoto lens. Samsung’s software enhancements further improve long-range shots, making it the clear winner for zoom photography and videography.

Videography

Samsung has made noticeable improvements in video quality. The S25 Ultra now separates static and moving objects intelligently, leading to smoother, more detailed footage, especially in medium-light conditions. In low light, Samsung’s video quality has improved, but it still falls short of Apple’s superior night videography, which delivers cleaner, more detailed footage without relying on heavy smoothing.

For selfie videos, Apple retains its crown, thanks to optical image stabilization on the front camera, which ensures steadier and sharper footage. Samsung relies on electronic stabilization, which struggles in dimmer environments.

Special Features and Editing Tools

Samsung’s editing suite is unmatched. Its generative editing features allow users to manipulate images in ways Apple simply doesn’t support. Whether it’s resizing objects, changing the sky in a photo, or removing shadows, Samsung provides tools that cater to creative users.

Apple’s cinematic mode for video remains a strong point, delivering higher-quality slow-motion and stabilized footage. However, Samsung’s macro mode has improved significantly, thanks to its upgraded ultra-wide camera, and now holds its own against Apple.

Low-Light Performance

Low-light photography and videography remain Apple’s stronghold. While Samsung has reduced noise and improved overall image quality compared to the S24 Ultra, it still struggles with softness and lacks the intricate detail that the iPhone captures effortlessly. Apple’s ability to produce clean, detailed night shots and videos without relying on smoothing gives it the edge in this category.

Audio Recording

Samsung introduced the Audio Eraser feature, allowing users to reduce background noise after recording videos. While effective, it doesn’t quite match Apple’s audio mix feature, which leverages its four microphones for superior directional sound elimination. Apple’s audio quality still comes out on top, especially in noisy environments.

Selfies and Front Camera Performance

Samsung’s selfies have dramatically improved. Skin tones are more accurate, and textures are handled with greater finesse. The S25 Ultra now leads in selfie photography, offering vibrant and sharp results.

However, for selfie videos, Apple’s optical image stabilization gives it an edge, delivering smoother, clearer footage in both bright and dim conditions.

Conclusion: Which Camera is Better?

On balance, the iPhone 16 Pro Max still edges out the Galaxy S25 Ultra as the better all-around camera, especially for videography and low-light performance. However, Samsung’s improvements in daylight photography, zoom capabilities, and editing tools make it a formidable contender.

Category Winners:

• Zoom: Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra

• Portrait Mode: Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra

• Low-Light Performance: iPhone 16 Pro Max

• Videography: iPhone 16 Pro Max

• Selfies: Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra

• Editing Tools: Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra

Samsung is closer than ever to dethroning Apple, but to fully claim the crown, it needs to refine its low-light performance and video capabilities. With these two giants pushing each other forward, the future of smartphone photography has never looked brighter. Stay tuned for the full review!