Yes, you can justify getting a top & phone for the quality of its camera, but which one is better? Unless we see what the iPhone 17 Pro photo system will bring (I have some suggestions), I set up the iPhone 16 Pro against the Samsung Galaxy S25 ultra, which is capable of capturing both amazing images. How do these mobile titans compare?
To learn this, I used hundreds of photos using both phones in variations to see the best photos. What is “best” often comes to a personal point of view. So although I would share my share on each test as a professional photographer – which includes why I prefer more than one another – you can have the contrary preference. Take a look at the examples below and see if you come to a different conclusion.
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All the images shown have been taken using the default camera mode and default settings of each phone, unless it is noted otherwise. Photos of Galaxy S25 have been uploaded as an option, but the iPhone images have to be replaced through the Adobe Light Room, as our publishing platform does not support Apple’s default hyp image format. This process does not affect the image in any way.
Are ready? Let’s sink.
IPhone 16 Pro, Main Camera
Galaxy S. 25 Ultra, Main Camera
Starting with an easy outer scene. Both phones have done a good job here to get a special task here and both photos are filled in detail. It is difficult to choose between them, but the iPhone has the edges for me because it has received a slightly hot image with more natural -looking tons. The S25 Ultra image looks very seducted, especially in the blue sky, which makes me feel very disturbing.
IPhone 16 Pro, Ultra Wide Lens
Galaxy S. 25 Ultra, Ultra Wide Lens
This is the same story when we switch to ultra -wide lenses on both phones. I prefer hot tons in the iPhone shot, which makes the S25 ultra -elastic look quite cool. I also prefer a light shadow over the icon of the iPhone, which makes it easier for the iPhone here. Specifically, both of them are doing a good job for compensation of ultra -wide lenses on the edges (a function that has been default on both phones as default); Railing is upright in every shot and not curved because you usually see using this wide lens.
IPhone 16 Pro, Main Camera
Galaxy S. 25 Ultra, Main Camera
There is almost no difference between these two outdoor scenes. Flowers look crisp on both pictures, which contains a good overall exhibition. The icon of the iPhone is once again warm in the tone but it is not equal.
IPhone 16 Pro, Main Camera
Galaxy S. 25 Ultra, Main Camera
The Galaxy S. 25 Blue Bills wins an easy win. The colors are very dynamic, especially in green on the grass blades, which are largely washed on the icon of the iPhone. It seems in fact that the S25 camera lens is a bit polarized to reduce the reflection and increase saturation, but I do not know if this is the case. In any way, Samsung wins here.
IPhone 16 Pro, 5 x zoom
Galaxy S. 25 Ultra, 5 x zoom
5x zoom items for the iPhone get worse. Despite the Blue Bills being reasonably away, the phone failed to get faster focus on flowers. In the meantime, the S25 ultra managed to get a sharp image with more colors.
IPhone 16 Pro, Main Camera
Galaxy S. 25 Ultra, Main Camera
Although I prefer the iPhone image here. It is bright and the hot colors on the surrounding buildings seem to be very true for life.
IPhone 16 Pro, 5 x zoom
Galaxy S. 25 Ultra, 5 x zoom
The iPhone image is once again bright here and I prefer its colors as well. However, the Galaxy S25 has excellent details. You really need to zoom in, but the small lines of the building are slightly faster on the S25.
Galaxy S. 25 Ultra, 10 x zoom
The S25 Ultra has a physical benefit with its 10x optical zoom lens on the iPhone, which allows it to zoom further while maintaining a sharp pin.
IPhone 16 Pro, 10 x Digital Zoom
Galaxy S25 ultra, 10 x optical zoom.
You can still zoom digitally with the iPhone, and the results are not bad. I prefer the colors of the S25 Ultra shot here, but the difference in detail is not so noticeable.
Turn off the iPhone 16 Pro (left) and S25 Ultra (Righat) crop
Zooming near to see excellent details, the S25 ultra -Optical Zoom image is certainly a bit more clear but digital appscling on the iPhone shot has done a great job here, because the difference is not too much.
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IPhone 16 Pro vs Galaxy S25 Ultra: Compared to night methods
IPhone 16 Pro (left), Galaxy S. 25 Ultra (right), both on 5x zoom
At first glance, the only real difference between the iPhone’s 5x shot and 5x shot of S25 ultra is the color balance. And honestly, I don’t have the priority of the iPhone’s hot accent or more mensa bias of the S25.
Crop in detail on iPhone (left) and S25 Ultra (right)
However, when you zoom near the details, the iPhone has created a sharp picture here, which has a strange digital blurring around the lamp post in the S25 ultra -iconic image. So sometimes the S25 ultra zoom is faster, the second time it is an iPhone. I’m glad they are making it easy for me.
IPhone 16 Pro, Main Camera
S25 Ultra, Main Camera
Once again, the real difference here is in the color balance and I don’t really know who I prefer. Exhibition, noise level and the amount of detail is practically identical.
IPhone 16 Pro, Ultra Wide Lens
Galaxy S. 25 Ultra, Ultra Wide Lens
When I turned into ultra -wide lenses, matters changed. The S25 Ultra shot is certainly bright, which has further found more details in the cobalt rocks in the buildings and at the distance. The iPhone image is deeper overall.
IPhone 16 Pro, Ultra Wide Lens
Galaxy S. 25 Ultra, Ultra Wide Lens
To further confuse things, the image of the iPhone’s night time is significantly brighter than its ultra -wide lens, compared to the S25 ultra, for example I have shot in the Arctic. I really had to check the image metad data to ensure that, but I didn’t mix them, but I don’t have. The iPhone icon has received more light information here and offered more details on the ice door to the right.
IPhone 16 Pro, Main Camera
S25 Ultra, Main Camera
The picture of the iPhone night is a bit bright again here, but it has also controlled bright highlights on the pub’s mark. At the icon of the S25 ultra, those highlights are almost lost from pure white, but the iPhone icon has maintained beautiful green and yellow heads. Overall colors on the iPhone shot are significantly heated, however, which may not be in accordance with your taste. Here, I think they work well.
IPhone 16 Pro, Main Camera
S25 Ultra, Main Camera
But in this example, the iPhone has created a weird -looking picture that I don’t really like. They were not present at the time of warm arrest and it does not work for the scene, especially in the sky, not with such strong tons of orange. The icon of the S25 ultra is more balanced overall and is also a slightly faster image. Here is a very easy win for Samsung.
IPhone 16 Pro, Ultra Wide Lens
S25 Ultra, Ultra Wide Lens
When using ultra -wide lenses, iPhone things do not improve. Its image is once again suffering from excessive hot tones, while the S25 ultra -shot is both more colorful and bright.
IPhone 16 Pro vs Galaxy S25 Ultra: which takes better selfies?
IPhone 16 Pro, Selfie Camera
S25 Ultra, selfie camera
Although the Galaxy S25 Ultra selfie is slightly bright, I do not like what the colors have done. My face has a strange shadow of orange and my denim jacket is much deeper than really. Skin tones are very accurate on an iPhone shot, and its shot is sharp.
Selfie camera in iPhone 16 Pro, Wide mode
S25 Ultra, selfie camera in wide mode
Both phones have a wider angle mode for selfie camera, though it seems that the iPhone is much wide. If you often like to penetrate a lot of friends into your group pictures, it’s definitely able to keep in mind. If you use an iPhone, you may squeeze at least one or two additional friends, or you have to decide who you like the least and leave them out of the frame if you have used the S25 ultra. Otherwise, image differences are the same as before.
IPhone 16 Pro vs Galaxy S25 Ultra: Which camera is better?
I have written many of their comparisons on the phones of different races in CNET in my 14 years and I do not remember that he did what he felt close. The problem is that neither the phone grows the most Permanently In an area; Extremely wide shots of the iPhone 16 Pro are not as bright as the S25 ultra, except for the occasions when they are in fact confused. I have taken many more photos that are not included here Supportive Some of my consequences and discussions Against Go to them data.
But there are some paths I can give with confidence. Generally, the colors of the iPhone are more natural than the S25 ultra, which can sometimes see excessive saturated. The case has happened to almost every Samsung phone since the company started putting cameras in them and it is still today. People who are looking for a more natural base image to apply their filters and its effects will be better suitable with the iPhone 16 Pro.
But at night the matter is less, when the iPhone provides a more warm tone that looks less natural than S25 ultra. Therefore, if night photography is important to you, the S25 ultra can be better options. Overall, all the lenses were bright and sharp with the photos of her nightmodies.
Certainly, the S25 is an extended zoom range, but you will really need to know that you will benefit the maximum of 10 X zoom to justify choosing each other. Personally, I get a perfect sweet place to 5x zoom surface, and here the phones are quite high. And on these rare occasions you want to move things further, the iPhone’s digital zoom can still produce sharp results.
There are more things to consider for photographers too: Apple’s spirits are excellent and when the company’s photography styles can be a good look of creative looks in your photos, a new tool to imitate Samsung’s color grade, for example, makes you wonder more – I think it is more than I think. I didn’t even go to the video standard, which is a complete second article, especially when you consider both phones shoot -log video, though only the iPhone uses only Pales.
It is impossible to decide between a completely camera -based phone. Instead, IOS vs. Android will go down on the big question. Which platform are you using and which will work with other pieces of tech in your life. But the simplest quality of the picture, you can also toss a coin.
