When buying a brand-new smartphone, consider factors such as price, specifications, and the various models available. For content creators, selfie enthusiasts, and photography aficionados, the camera capabilities of a smartphone are often the deciding factor in their purchase choice. After spending several weeks with some of the company’s key executives, I rigorously tested their cameras and every available feature.
Within one corner of this taut trinity, you’ll find the. Apple has made some subtle yet notable improvements, headlined by a boost in megapixels for the main camera, featuring an upgraded sensor and faster shutter speed. The most significant innovation is the introduction of a Digital Camera Management button, enabling users to capture video in a manner akin to traditional cameras, such as point-and-shoot or digital single-lens reflex models. Apple has introduced several AI-driven features while maintaining its traditional upgrades, including Cinematic and Spatial modes.
Following the release of the S23 series, Samsung will subsequently introduce the S24 Extreme with an array of innovative AI-aided features.
Finally, though, what’s often overlooked is… While often overlooked, the Pixel has consistently impressed with exceptional photography capabilities, particularly in low-light conditions, where previous models have set the standard for excellence in this regard. Google hasn’t tampered with the formula excessively. The camera boasts an impressive megapixel boost, with a slight physical expansion allowing it to capture even more subtle light. The sensor has been minimally expanded to accommodate a slight increase in sensitivity. The ultra-wide-angle lens also received a boost. Due to advancements in Google Gemini, enhancing photographs and movies has never been easier.
Specs
This year saw a steady evolution in our flagship smartphones’ digital cameras, without any groundbreaking hardware innovations. The iPhone 16 Professional Max boasts a significantly upgraded ultra-wide-angle camera, featuring a 48-megapixel sensor and an aperture of f/2.2, representing a notable jump from the previous year’s 12-megapixel model. The Primary camera of the Fusion digital camera boasts a resolution of 48 megapixels and features an impressive f/1.78 aperture. The camera boasts a 12-megapixel telephoto lens, featuring both 5x and 25x digital zoom capabilities, building upon last year’s advancements. The entrance-level digital camera also features a 12-megapixel sensor with an impressive f/1.9 aperture, ideal for capturing high-quality images in various lighting conditions.
Samsung is saying goodbye to its 10X periscope sensor, opting instead for a 5X, 50-megapixel telephoto digital camera that boasts significantly enhanced resolution, allowing for optical-grade zoom of up to 10X? The sensor retains its predecessor’s innovative features, including a remarkable 100X House Zoom capability. The dual-camera setup features a 200MP primary sensor with an f/1.7 aperture and a 12MP ultra-wide-angle lens with an f/2.2 aperture, mirroring the main shooter’s capabilities.
The Professional XL’s 50-megapixel camera boasts an expansive f/3.4 aperture, carefully calibrated to capture even more subtle nuances in light. The initial digital camera’s 200-megapixel sensor, paired with an f/1.7 aperture, is well-suited for capturing high-quality images in evening mode and achieving impressive depth effects. Here is the rewritten text:
The ultrawide digital camera saw its most significant improvement, boasting a massive leap to a 48-megapixel sensor with an f/1.7 aperture, a substantial increase from last year’s 12-megapixel offering. Notwithstanding the advancements in camera technology, the telephoto digital camera remains steadfast at a resolution of 48 megapixels, consistent with last year’s 5x optical zoom and impressive 30x Super Resolution Zoom capabilities. The main digital camera features a high-resolution 42-megapixel sensor and an adjustable aperture of f/2.2.
The Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra truly pulls ahead with its impressive 200MP primary sensor and an unprecedented telephoto camera that boasts incredible zoom capabilities.
Options
Significant emphasis has been placed on the advanced artificial intelligence features of flagship smartphone cameras in terms of image and video production. Despite the abundance of AI-driven features, every smartphone still harbors some hidden, non-artificial intelligence capabilities waiting to be uncovered. The Pixel features High Shot, a function that captures a short video by pressing the shutter button when taking a motion photo or selecting the best shot from a series of images. While Motion Pan focuses on a shifting theme by obscuring the context, Lengthy Publicity takes the opposite approach, maintaining a sharp focus on the subject while leaving the background in sharp relief. Additionally, there are professional-grade controls that enable capturing at 50MP resolution, in RAW format, or using the Guide mode, allowing you to determine which lens is being utilized.
The iPhone offers a range of camera settings, including a Macro Mode that allows users to take high-quality, up-close photos of small objects or details. Apple has also introduced 14 new photographic features, enhancing the quality of your pictures through contemporary filters. If The Weeknd uses his smartphone to film an entire music video, he can fine-tune the settings to achieve a more professional outcome by accessing Pro-RAW mode and adjusting additional parameters for optimal results. With the introduction of the innovative Digital Camera Management button, effortlessly launch your camera, capture high-quality photographs or videos, and optimize settings at the touch of a finger.
After which there’s Samsung. Before this point, the company had preloaded its smartphones with an abundance of digital camera features, rendering them excessively complicated. As time passed, Samsung refined its focus on features that genuinely resonate with the majority of users. The Galaxy S24 Extreme boasts a ‘Meals mode’ for capturing delectable food images; Single Take enables you to take multiple photos that can be reviewed and selectively chosen from various settings such as Spotlight Movies, Boomerang clips, Filtered footage, and Collages. Similar to its rivals, the S24 also boasts Professional and Knowledgeable RAW modes alongside its other features.
Given the capabilities of the iPhone’s camera system, this sphere is naturally inclined towards the iPhone, boasting an extensive feature set, including 14 Photographic Modes and Spatial Images, which enables the capture of 3D images ideal for Augmented Reality professionals. The cellphone features a convenient and adjustable digital camera management button.
AI
In this era of omnipresent AI, what sets your photographs apart from the rest? As artificial intelligence matures, it’s exceling at transforming our images into breathtaking works of art, rather than creating bizarre amalgamations of limbs. Despite advancements in mobile photography, tech giants like Google, Apple, and Samsung are leveraging AI to elevate onboard photo editing capabilities, striving to match the standards set by established software such as Adobe Photoshop, DaVinci Resolve, and GIMP.
Google has led the way in AI-driven photography enhancements since introducing the Magic Editor, which now seamlessly crops, resizes, extends, and reframes images with ease. You can also transfer and resize objects, remove them, and adjust colouration and lighting. Straightforward and intuitive like a top crime procedural, Zoom Improve enables seamless zooming into topics without compromising image quality, ensuring crisp and clear visuals at all times. The Greatest Shot feature enables simultaneous capture of multiple photos, allowing users to easily choose the most flattering outcome for all individuals within the frame, ideal for capturing memorable moments with groups of people. With its innovative capabilities, Add Me has become a go-to AI tool for me, effortlessly merging two images to include the photographer in the group photograph, allowing for a unique and memorable capturing of special moments. Through the power of generative AI, Reimagine Me enables users to craft a novel image by responding to text-based prompts, potentially yielding a radically new visual representation.
Samsung leverages Galaxy AI technology to integrate AI-powered photo editing capabilities within its native Gallery app. This feature allows for precise image editing using advanced tools such as Remaster, Erase Reflections, and Erase Shadows, enabling users to refine their visual content with ease. Generative editing removes unwanted elements from an image by tracing a circular boundary around the undesired object. By leveraging this feature, you can effortlessly reposition or scale individual elements within the image. You can also integrate AI-generated illustrations into your images using the Sketch to Edit feature. Simultaneously, Portrait Studio enables you to reframe your image in various styles, including watercolor and 3D cartoon effects.
Apple also offers advanced AI-powered photo editing capabilities, enabling users to seamlessly remove unwanted objects or people from images. While Apple has taken significant strides in incorporating AI into its photography features, it appears they are reluctant to overcomplicate matters, acknowledging that photographers generally prefer a more subtle approach and may not appreciate a heavy-handed reliance on artificial intelligence.
As Google expands its range of AI-driven camera features, the tech giant is consistently pushing the boundaries of what its cameras are capable of before and after capture. The Pixel’s unique design takes a spherical shape for a reason?
Broad
This evaluation was incredibly taxing and quite an arduous ordeal? In many of the photographs, the telephones emit a dull, lifeless warmth. After meticulous examination of elements, colors, and nuances, I consulted with my partner, an experienced photographer, to identify the champions.
What’s your take on a Dracula and Tzueta from The Hunger Games mashup? The color tone and temperature were surprisingly uniform across the three photographs, with notable consistency in my bright pink hair and warm skin tone, except for the iPhone 16 Pro Max, which had a slightly deeper undertone. Although the Pixel 9 Professional XL ultimately won out due to its razor-sharp details while zooming in, allowing me to precisely detect even the stray eyebrow hairs that screamed “it’s time for a threading session”?
In a visually striking image of a diverse array of crystals on a desk surface, the Pixel and Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra vie for supremacy in terms of aesthetic appeal. The black and pink orb at the top of the device’s design features stood out as the most defined on the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra, accompanied by a rock-steady reflection. The Samsung’s display boasted flawless reflections, accompanied by a compact pyramid and sleek metallic base. While the Pixel’s design may stand out, should you closely examine the details within the foreground, the real champion emerges in its stunning ivory-and-sandalwood hues, subtly showcasing a masterpiece of craftsmanship that truly sets it apart.
Before releasing the new iPhone model, may I suggest taking a glance at the photos I’ve taken of those luscious pomegranates? While the Professional Max’s output exhibited richer hues, a closer inspection revealed subtle imperfections and striations on the surface of the wax-coated pink rind, not readily apparent in other images unless magnified. Will you be able to discern the subtle grooves on the knife’s surface?
The broadside is a stalemate, as the proximity of this sphere makes naming it impossible.
Ultrawide
Carefully examining the samples, I found the iPhone exhibits the most accurate color rendition, while the Samsung tends to exaggerate saturation levels, and the Google Pixel displays a subtle balance between the two.
Upon comparing the initial shots from my iPhone to those taken by the S24 and Pixel, I found that the results were somewhat underwhelming. Upon closer examination, the S24 revealed a significant enhancement in image clarity, particularly evident when zooming in on architectural details such as building windows and brick facades.
The new iPhone 16 Professional Max effortlessly captured a stunning panorama of the neighborhood street. It most accurately depicted the tree with its vibrant pink foliage and the adjacent pink brick edifice. Upon closer inspection, the development website adjacent to our focus area presented its most discernible features.
The iPhone 14 Pro Max earned this accolade due to its striking color palette, exceptional readability, and outstanding photographic performance.
Low mild
The limitations of smartphone low-light photography have long been a topic of discussion, with many users lamenting the inferior quality of their nighttime snaps compared to those taken with dedicated cameras. Despite advancements in image processing and sensor technology, there is still much room for improvement in this area. In place of indistinct shadows, modern photography often yields vivid images with sharp colors and clear definition, contingent upon the ambient lighting conditions. Whether the flagship cellphone is a top priority, having sufficient lighting remains crucial for producing high-quality night-mode photographs. In low-light conditions, I captured these photographs using settings that accommodated the diminished ambient illumination. I also captured a few images in the dimly lit environment.
In the depths of my basement, I’ve situated myself in a space where the dimmer switch is cranked all the way down to its darkest setting. While visual details are starkly evident in each of the three images, the iPhone’s output is noticeably darker compared to the significantly brighter results from both the Pixel and S24. While my collection of Michonne, Sully, and Hulk figurines verifies the accuracy of the Pixel’s coloring, Notwithstanding the TV’s performance, the S24 Extremely’s sunlight reflections are remarkably crisp and sharp.
After switching off the lights, I retook the same photograph, with the results noticeably worse than yours. The exterior of the gaming desktop’s lighting scheme, juxtaposed against various ambient tech backlighting elements, is bathed in an air of subdued darkness. One consistent element that emerges in every photograph of Sully’s image is his striking silhouette. The display is crispest within the Pixel series, mirroring its clarity in the S24 Ultra, while the iPhone produces a blurry image that resembles a hazy smudge.
The curtains closed on my last chance at redemption within the dimly lit walls of a worn American Legion post, nestled deep in the heart of rural America. The Pixel truly stood out initially with its crystal-clear image and vibrant colour. While the iPhone may be readily available, its camera struggles to match the crisp quality of the Pixel’s. Meanwhile, Samsung has taken its final form. As a consequence of the photograph exhibiting extreme blurriness, every detail is nearly imperceptible in contrast to its sharper counterparts on the other two phones?
The Pixel 9 Professional XL earned this accolade due to its exceptional performance in low-light conditions, consistently delivering outstanding results even in extreme darkness with minimal ambient light.
Portrait
I’m thrilled to see my Halloween costume again, this time captured beautifully in Portrait mode. Ultimately, all three phones produced impressive results, rendering it virtually impossible for me to declare a clear victor without spending an inordinate amount of time deliberating? Despite her expertise, even the most seasoned selector encountered difficulties in choosing the champion. First issues first, the colour. In social media-obsessed times, I once felt a false sense of confidence from the flawless complexion that consistently shone through in every photo. While Samsung phones often exhibit an overabundance of saturation, the S24 Ultra’s photography capabilities strike a precise balance, yielding pleasingly accurate representations. In vibrant photographs, my striking hairstyle and bold pink contact lenses drew attention.
As we examine the key factors closely tied to this shutdown scenario. Though the process left me drained, every detail became apparent: the intricate ridges on my horns, the subtle crevices within my wings, and even the faint indentations on my skin caused by the sharp pink nail tips. Zooming in revealed the winner. Upon close inspection of the corset’s intricate paneling, I noted the iPhone exhibited additional creases, while the skirt’s delicate lace pattern became slightly more defined.
The iPhone 14 Pro Max delivered outstanding results in the subsequent round of photography tests. The man’s pores and skin seemed to radiate an intense heat, with every individual hair on his head – including those trapped in his navy blue cap – standing out in stark relief. I must admit that I also appreciate the bokeh on this phone, even though the S24 Pro has an even more impressive rendition of it.
The iPhone 14 Pro Max effortlessly captures a stunning sphere, rendering warmer hues with crystal-clear clarity.
Selfie
We featured a trio of pink-hued portraits to start, each one showcasing my locks and peepers in a unique shade. The Pixel’s shots exhibited a noticeably faded appearance compared to those of its competitors, while on my end, my complexion was more accurately represented on the S24 Ultra, albeit with an incorrect depiction of my hair shade as lighter than reality. The iPhone’s camera clearly emerged as the victor in terms of colour accuracy and sharpness, capturing a few stray grey hairs and subtle lipstick smudges on my teeth with remarkable precision.
Given the awkward angle and unflattering lighting, my second set of selfies screams for an urgent appointment with my hairstylist. As I gaze at my trusty black Snek plushie, I’m pleased to report that its overall appearance remains quite satisfactory, with no notable signs of wear or tear, despite the presence of some grey hairs – a subtle reminder of life’s passage. Despite its reputation as a premier device for showcasing one’s appearance, the iPhone excels at capturing the intricate details of my pores and skin, as well as the complex topography of my sweater’s collar, with its multitude of crevices and ridges.
Given its precise color palette and sharp details, the iPhone 14 Pro Max takes top spot in this round.
Panorama
Capturing stunning panoramic shots requires a delicate balance of technical expertise and physical skill, combining both knowledge of camera settings and the ability to move steadily while framing your masterpiece.
Examining your panoramic view with the Samsung camera, I notice that it appears to have the greatest imperfections, illustrated by the shaky-looking railing and overall compact nature of the image. The iPhone’s trays are significantly roomier than their Samsung counterparts, offering ample storage space.
Although the railings are more linear than those on older telephones, they still exhibit some imperfections. One minor flaw is at the top of the frame, where a jagged edge appears due to my hand drifting slightly lower than the rest of the composition. Despite efforts to rectify the situation, the damage had already been done.
The Google Pixel 9 Professional XL seamlessly rendered a sweeping landscape featuring expansive scenery, ornate railings, dramatic cloud formations, and a radiant sunset. Google’s intuitive tips help prevent accidental hand slippage, ensuring a consistent and uniform photo capture experience throughout.
The Google Pixel 9 Pro XL stands out for its seamless user experience and impressive performance results.
Digital Zoom
Is this a preview of an innovative product? While it may not quite match the lofty ambitions touted by Samsung in its astrophotography capabilities, the device’s zoom is nonetheless impressive. The photograph captures a distant tree, with the Samsung camera expertly framing the majestic peak of its foliage. Notwithstanding its quest for that coveted close-up shot, the S24 sacrificed some degree of clarity. Nevertheless it’s nonetheless fairly spectacular.
I snapped a photo of the iconic Manhattan skyline from my Brooklyn rooftop perch. The S24 Extreme’s advanced digital zoom capabilities allowed me to focus on the highest point of the building. While pursuing exceptional sharpness, the Google Pixel 9 Pro XL stands out impressively with its pixel-perfect results. While camera shake can be significantly mitigated with a sturdy tripod.
The Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra boasts the most potent digital zoom technology currently available.
Verdict
One of the most challenging matches I’ve ever had the privilege to participate in was undoubtedly this very contest. The rise to prominence of smartphone photography can largely be attributed to the significant advancements in camera technology over the past few decades. So, let’s examine the runners-up, starting with Samsung, which narrowly missed out on the top spot. The Samsung Galaxy S24 unquestionably captures stunning photos. While the photographs may occasionally veer into oversaturation, they often produce stunning results. In digital zoom, no one surpasses this smartphone benchmark. I’d like to see additional AI-assisted photo-editing features incorporated into the software. While Samsung excels in various areas, there is still room for improvement in terms of camera element and overall sharpness to rival its competitors.
Google’s Pixel series boasts some of the most impressive smartphone cameras in the market today, thanks to its innovative storage and processing capabilities? Over the course of my career in smartphone evaluation, I have consistently found that the Google Pixel’s camera performance is unparalleled in capturing exceptional images in low-light conditions. In the case of the Pixel 9 Professional XL, it delivers stunning photographs on its own merits, without relying on AI assistance. As the pioneer in artificial intelligence-driven photography editing, Google’s capabilities in this realm rivet attention, effectively matching the scope and quality of solutions offered by Adobe and DaVinci. Google still has a few minor issues to iron out.
Following which we’re thrilled to announce our top pick, the iPhone 14 Pro Max, a device that truly stands out from the crowd. Traditionally, Apple has held a stronghold on the smartphone market, but when it comes to cameras? Despite consistent incremental upgrades, the iPhone’s digital camera reputation has remained high-quality for several years. The iPhone 16 Pro Max boasts a larger sensor and accelerated shutter speed, yielding impressive results. The digital camera management button is undoubtedly a convenient feature. With AI-driven photography features and burgeoning AI-powered photo-editing capabilities integrated into the iPhone’s digital camera, Apple has a significant lead over competitors at present. As flagship phones like the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra and Google Pixel 10 approach, the possibility of Apple’s iPhone losing its crown is increasingly plausible.
