Camera Comparison: iPhone 16 Pro Max vs. Galaxy S25 Ultra

[MacRumors]

Samsung just recently announced the Galaxy S25 Ultra, its latest flagship smartphone that's designed to compete with the iPhone. We did a hands-on video last week, but this week we're back with an in-depth camera comparison.

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In this article and our accompanying video, we've included blind photos from the Galaxy S25 Ultra and the iPhone 16 Pro Max so you can judge for yourself which smartphone camera you prefer, but we'll let you know which is which at the very end of the video.

The iPhone 16 Pro Max has a 50-megapixel Main lens (which is wide angle), a 12-megapixel Ultra Wide lens, and a 12-megapixel Telephoto lens. In sheer specs, Samsung wins because the S25 Ultra has a quad camera setup with a 200-megapixel wide lens, a 50-megapixel ultra wide lens, a 50 megapixel telephoto lens, and an extra 10-megapixel telephoto lens. The extra telephoto lens allows for more versatility with different optical zoom options.

Adding more megapixels lets you crop in more and it can preserve detail when doing so, but smartphone cameras these days are advanced enough that you're going to get fantastic pictures regardless of whether you have an iPhone or a Samsung device.

That said, there are notable differences in under-the-hood processing techniques, plus some areas where Apple has an edge and some areas where Samsung excels.

The iPhone 16 Pro Max simply cannot compete with the Galaxy S25 on optical and software-enhanced digital zoom. The Galaxy S25 has 5x optical zoom like the iPhone, but 10x "optical quality" zoom that uses AI, and it works well.

Further, Samsung has a 100x zoom feature that's been getting better every year. Apple's digital zoom is limited to 25x, and there's so much noise that 25x images are unusable, but Samsung's comparable 30x images look decent.

Comparing zoomed in photos is where you'll see the biggest difference between the S25 Ultra and the 16 Pro Max.

When it comes to everyday photos, there are some areas where the S25 Ultra struggled. Low-light and night photos in particular showed some significant light flare and blur, and the iPhone 16 Pro Max performed better in these scenarios. Apple's image processing tends to be high contrast with vivid color, and that's clear here. Shots from the S25 Ultra tend to be a little more washed out, but which you like better is a matter of preference.

Portraits were similar with both smartphones, and both did a good job separating the subject from the background and applying attractive blur.

To match the iPhone's video recording capabilities, Samsung added a new LOG video recording mode for pros, along with an Expert RAW mode that lets you adjust aperture before capturing a shot. Apple still has an edge when it comes to video, including stabilization.

Make sure to watch the video to see which smartphone is which, and let us know in the comments below whether you prefer the images from the Galaxy S25 Ultra or the iPhone 16 Pro Max.

Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Samsung. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.

Article Link: Camera Comparison: iPhone 16 Pro Max vs. Galaxy S25 Ultra

 

[I7guy]

For some of them it’s a matter of preference.

 

[cocky jeremy]

I split A and B pretty close to half. A had the most clear winners probably.

 

[LoveToMacRumors]

Option B, except the zoom stuff

 

[LoveToMacRumors]

Dam, i thought b was iPhone. What a letdown lmao.

 

[contacos]

I haven't really been able to tell differences in camera quality since the iPhone 12 Pro Max days besides zoom, which only speaks for how far we have come. Everything since is just a "nice to have". Don't remember the last time I was actually "wowed" by a camera and I currently use a 12, 16 Pro and Galaxy Fold Z6.

Again, it just shows how far we have come. I certainly was able to tell apart a photo taken on my attachable Siemens Phone camera, a Nokia N something and an iPhone 4 haha

 

[jml12286]

I like a little bit of both in the comparisons. The night time ones really have some blur/flare differences. The last 2 pics I think make you realize which phone is which from the zoom capabilities.

 

[Guacamole]

I thought camera A was Samsung ( I liked the pictures better) so Im glad I was wrong and it was the iPhone

 

[canadianreader]

1st pair the winner is B
2nd is also B
3rd A
4th B
5th A
6th A I would have picked B except the sky color
7th A
8th B
9th B
10th B

It's subjective with that B is the winner

 

[citysnaps]

Camera A overall.

 

[WarmWinterHat]

A
A
B
B
B
A
A
A
B

It's personal preference, more than anything.

 

[majkom]

And still samsung processing unable to shoot moving objects.. like wtf samsung, so many years unable to solve that

 

[Delgibbons]

Much of a muchness really.

 

[Anonymous123]

For those who don’t want to watch the video:

Spoiler: Answers

Camera A is iPhone 16 Pro Max
Camera B is Galaxy S25 Ultra

 

[qnssekr]

Wow. The IPhone 16 max sounds like crap compare to Galaxy 25 Ultra

 

[HobeSoundDarryl]

Good try MacRumors. May I suggest next time, hold the who's who for a followup article and maybe make this poll selections so people can click the favorite? This would be an ideal late week post to then not update until about TUE-WED of the following week.

And mix up the A & B, so the answer isn't so simply that "the favorite" is all A or all B.

Showing the answer so promptly would let some "cheat on the test." Consider locking the original voting thread before article #2, so that selections can't be edited after finding out who is who.

I'd love to see one of these where nobody can know until their selections are fully in and locked... a true blind test for all participants.

 

[mjschabow]

And still samsung processing unable to shoot moving objects.. like wtf samsung, so many years unable to solve that

Haha yep, these camera comparisons to me are always pointless unless they include someone taking pics of a moving dog or kids.

 

[HobeSoundDarryl]

For those who don’t want to watch the video:

Anonymous123, consider at least putting the rest (the answers) within the Spoiler tag if you have to let the cat out of the bag so early.

 

[jdavid_rp]

I don’t care about the comparison, but check that anti reflective coating on the Samsung, just perfect

 

[spazzcat]

Wow. The IPhone 16 max sounds like crap compare to Galaxy 25 Ultra

I am guessing you are only looking at megapixels? The sensors in these cameras are so small that the number of megapixels Samsung is using is really a waste and not going to give you that much of an advantage.

 

[System_6]

Thanks for the article, it was great to be able to sample the photos/video/audio "blind".

For me, phone A was better for audio and video, and the majority of the photos.

I was relieved to discover I preferred the iPhone although had it been the other way around I would still stick with Apple as I far prefer the whole ecosystem.

 

[Cuesca]

Low light B performs a better, and B has the better bokeh. The Bokeh on A looks more artificial to me.

 

[zakarhino]

For me it's a tossup which isn't helpful considering I'll be carrying both of these phones. I'd prefer that one be a clear winner over the other. Nothing beats the Vivo X200 Pro so far which is in a league of its own, literally "proper camera" territory.

 

[M5RahuL]

Low light on B ( more shadow detail ) and better daylight pics ( more often than not ) on A ( more natural colors and sharpness ) .. Just my amateur .02

 

[smithsfan]

For some of them it’s a matter of preference.

How would one know what the tone should be if you haven’t seen it with your own eyes? It’s hard to say if, for example, A or B is better on image 2 if you don’t know how dark the wood and foam are in reality.