Our Bonkers Digicam Conflict: We Put the iPhone 15 Professional Max Towards the Galaxy S24 Extremely

As we look ahead to the rumored iPhone 16 to make its seemingly debut on Monday, I wished to try Apple’s present Professional iPhone and see how its cameras caught up towards Samsung’s greatest. The titanium-clad and -colored Galaxy S24 Extremely and iPhone 15 Professional Max have among the greatest cellphone cameras you’ll find right this moment. Each seize completely wonderful photographs even in difficult environments like high-contrast scenes (assume a sundown) or locations the place the lighting is dim (assume a restaurant).

However Apple and Samsung take very completely different approaches to images. The shiny $1,300 Galaxy S24 Extremely comes with 4 rear cameras, together with two devoted to zooming and one with a 200-megapixel sensor. Apple’s $1,200 iPhone 15 Professional Max packs three rear cameras, one for zooming and a major one with a 48-megapixel sensor. 

Learn extra: Apple’s iPhone 16 Reveal: What to Anticipate from Monday’s ‘Glowtime’ Occasion

Earlier than I took a single snap, I anticipated the S24’s array of zoom cameras to deal with distanced topics higher. And but I additionally knew that Apple is not any slouch and would possibly bury Samsung’s greatest efforts with the iPhone’s masterful photograph processing and video picture high quality. How do they stack up towards one another?

I took them round San Francisco to seek out out.

After I shot tons of of photographs and movies with each telephones and in contrast them facet by facet, a extra complicated actuality revealed itself, with the iPhone and Extremely excelling in some conditions and struggling in others.

Slicing-edge digital camera {hardware}, apps

The iPhone 15 Professional Max has a trio of lenses: vast, ultrawide and telephoto. The principle digital camera has a 48-megapixel sensor, whereas the opposite two have a decision of 12 megapixels. There is a little bit of a gulf by way of zooming between the primary 1x digital camera and the 5x telephoto. And that is the place the variations between the 2 telephones begin to reveal themselves.

The Galaxy S24 Extremely has an analogous trio of lenses however provides a second telephoto, with a 3x zoom degree. Consider it as if Apple took the 15 Professional Max and added the iPhone 15 Professional’s devoted 3x telephoto to the again, thus creating an really nonexistent iPhone 15 Extremely with each 3x and 5x cameras.

Digicam {hardware} specs in contrast

Digicam	Zoom degree	Decision	Aperture	Lens full-frame equal
15 Professional Max ultrawide	0.5x	12 megapixels	f/2.2	13 millimeters
15 Professional Max vast	1x	48 megapixels	f/1.78	24 millimeters
15 Professional Max telephoto	5x	12 megapixels	f/2.8	120 millimeters
S24 Extremely ultrawide	0.6x	12 megapixels	f/2.2	13 millimeters
S24 Extremely vast	1x	200 megapixels	f/1.7	23 millimeters
S24 Extremely telephoto No. 1	3x	10 megapixels	f/2.4	69 millimeters
S24 Extremely telephoto No. 2	5x	50 megapixels	f/3.4	115 millimeters

That is a number of rattling cameras. Keep in mind the times when telephones had only one?

The S24 Extremely’s major digital camera has a 200-megapixel sensor, and the brand new 5x telephoto digital camera has a 50-megapixel one. Each Apple and Samsung use their major digital camera’s excessive decision sensor (and in Samsung’s case the one on the Extremely’s 5x telephoto digital camera) to mix a number of pixels to create 12-megapixel photographs which might be brighter and have extra element and fewer picture noise. The telephones may use sensor crop to successfully flip the primary 1x shooter right into a 2x digital camera that takes 12-megapixel photographs (with out pixel binning). It is curious that the Extremely’s 3x 10-megapixel digital camera takes 12-megapixel photos. The place does it get these two further megapixels from?

In regard to the capturing expertise, I like the S24 Extremely’s new display, which is way much less reflective than the iPhone’s. I haven’t got bother seeing what’s on the 15 Professional Max, even in direct daylight, however the Extremely’s show feels extra immersive as a result of there’s much less glare when taking photographs.

The digital camera apps on each are filled with acquainted choices like devoted photograph, video and portrait modes, in addition to the power to shoot Uncooked information and alter decision on among the cameras.

The iPhone can seize ProRes video information and spatial movies (which may be seen on the Apple Imaginative and prescient Professional and Meta Quest 3 VR headsets). Samsung’s digital camera app has devoted professional modes for photographs and movies, and is extra customizable. I can transfer the digital camera modes round to my liking and add ones I want. I may use the Extremely’s S Pen as a distant shutter button to take a photograph.

One in all my favourite choices is including a floating shutter button that may be positioned wherever on display to take a photograph. It is nice for these instances you possibly can’t attain absolutely the backside of the display to faucet the common shutter button, or when utilizing quantity buttons is not an choice.

Photograph smackdown: Galaxy S24 Extremely vs. iPhone 15 Professional Max

Each telephones take glorious photos. Under are a couple of of my favorites.

However let’s get to the good things: head-to-head photograph comparisons. And let’s begin with the pictures under of a difficult excessive distinction scene of a sundown in San Francisco’s Mission District. The photographs are from the primary cameras, and I am impressed with each. The most important distinction is the best way every cellphone handles the glare from the solar, which is extra pronounced within the iPhone’s photograph. The S24 Extremely’s snap is a tad brighter, particularly if you pinch in a bit. The S24 Extremely boosts the shadow particulars — discover the timber on the underside proper. Within the iPhone’s image, the timber type of get misplaced within the shadows, however within the Extremely’s picture, you possibly can really make out extra of the person branches.

Under is one other set of major digital camera photos, this time of a plant in a window. At first look they give the impression of being comparable, however discover how the S24 Extremely rolls off the highlights on the leaves — so clean. The textual content on the books beneath the plant is readable in each photos, although it is crisper within the iPhone’s snap.

I took the photographs under, of my CNET colleagues Jessica Fierro (left) and Amy Kim taking part in foosball, with the ultrawide cameras. In comparison with the primary digital camera, there is a particular step down in picture high quality from each telephones, however in contrast to one another they’re comparable.

Each telephones utilized a number of noise discount. The ceiling within the iPhone’s photograph is riddled with picture noise, and within the Extremely’s photograph, the noise is gone however the identical ceiling seems overly mushy and nearly blurry. Discover how the telephones dealt with the picture noise on Jessica and Amy. Within the iPhone’s photograph, Jessica’s pores and skin and hair seems extra pure, albeit mushy from movement blur. Whereas within the Extremely’s picture, she nearly seems like a portray from all of the noise discount and over sharpening.

The Galaxy S24 Extremely’s 3x zoom

I completely love this photograph from the Extremely of my CNET pal Celso Bulgatti, taken with the devoted 3x zoom digital camera. There is a good stability relating to element, and the highlights look so good. It is delicate, however the cutout impact seems clear, with the transition between in-focus and out-of-focus trying pure. His pores and skin tone is a little more saturated than in actual life, nevertheless it seems good.

Talking of 3x, keep in mind the Extremely has a devoted 3x digital camera whereas the iPhone is utilizing a 3x digital zoom to get the identical picture. And you’ll see the distinction under. The iPhone’s photograph is not unhealthy, nevertheless it has artifacts from the digital zoom, particularly across the flag. Total the iPhone’s photograph seems softer — discover the small print within the ornamentation on the constructing within the background but additionally within the bricks within the constructing on the best.

This is one other pair of 3x photographs — of a Star Wars figurine on my desk. The Extremely’s photograph seems higher in each method.

iPhone vs. Extremely: 5x zoom battle

Listed below are some photographs of downtown San Francisco that I took from a rooftop with the 5x digital camera on each telephones. Instantly, the iPhone nailed the main target, which the Extremely struggled to do. I do not know if it was the solar reflecting off Salesforce Tower, however the Extremely hunted for focus on this setup anytime I used the 5x digital camera, particularly as I began to zoom in digitally.

Under are 5x optical zoom photos, each in focus. I just like the Extremely’s extra. It feels just like the iPhone is defending highlights by ramping down the publicity, and as a consequence the shadows are darker. The Extremely has good element all through — discover the timber within the foreground and the home windows on Salesforce Tower.

I saved zooming in additional on this scene. Under are 15x digital zoom photographs. And once more the Extremely struggled to get focus. I took 4 photographs and all are out of focus, with the fourth one under the least out of focus.

The iPhone’s most digital zoom is 25x. Under are photographs from each telephones at that magnification. You would possibly get away sharing these on social media, however neither photograph seems good. I give the sting to the Extremely’s photograph, which seems cleaner.

However the Extremely can zoom much more, with the picture high quality deteriorating much more. Under is a 50x digital zoom photograph. As you possibly can see, the noise discount is making the picture look extra like a portray than a photograph from a $1,300 cellphone!

And here is one final photograph of this scene, taken at 100x digital zoom. It is so processed and mushy that it would not appear like a photograph. And once more the Extremely struggled to get focus.

Under is a pair of 5x photographs of Maisie the cat. Each look good. The iPhone captured extra of the feel in her fur and is general brighter.

The Extremely’s generative AI issue

I can not consider I’ve made it this far with out mentioning AI. For years, telephones have used AI, algorithms and machine studying to enhance photographs and create distinctive modes, like for portraits or evening photographs. None of that is new to both cellphone. However the S24 Extremely has some new generative AI instruments known as Galaxy AI, just like the know-how that powers ChatGPT and Dall-E and starting from novelty to helpful.

Most of this occurs within the Extremely’s Gallery app and may be utilized solely after you are taking a photograph or document a video. As an example, I can use the Generative Edit instrument to take away an individual or object from a photograph and fill within the empty house. I may transfer an individual or object round or change their dimension. This instrument and others nonetheless really feel extra experimental than reliable. Generally once I eliminated an object or an individual there have been apparent indicators that one thing was manipulated, whether or not it was a wierd texture or an odd halo of what was there earlier than. Different instances, the AI generated one thing random to fill within the house.

For instance, I attempted to have it take away an individual from the photograph under just for the Extremely to exchange him with a round cafe desk. Did it take away the particular person? Sure. Is it odd for there to be a restaurant desk on the roof of a constructing the place there is not a restaurant or different tables? Sure.

One space the place the Generative Edit instrument is beneficial is for straightening photographs. After I straighten a photograph on the iPhone (and most different telephones) the image is cropped in to get the specified outcome. On the S24 Extremely, Generative Edit can fill within the elements of a photograph past the body, that weren’t even there, eliminating the necessity to crop in.

Clearly, the iPhone would not have any of those generative AI options in-built to its Digicam or Images apps. At this level, I do not assume that is a miss, however as generative AI options enhance and grow to be extra helpful, their absence might be an enormous drawback. Despite the fact that portrait mode would not use generative AI, assume how a lot better it’s right this moment versus the clumsy background blurs of years previous when the characteristic first got here out.

iPhone vs. Samsung: Closing ideas 

As you have seen, each telephones take glorious photographs. In my time with the Extremely, I have been blown away by the standard of the photographs, particularly these from the 3x lens. And I completely love that low-reflection display, it is a small however important enchancment.

Although I did not go into comparisons of all the assorted modes or movies, each telephones are evenly matched in these areas as effectively. The iPhone has a slight edge in its skill to document ProRes video information, although there are third-party Android apps that may do the identical. 

The most important barrier for me, and most of the people, goes to be the worth. Paying $1,200 or $1,300 or extra for bigger storage is a huge funding that goes effectively past simply how good the cameras are. I would seemingly push individuals towards a smaller iPhone 15 Professional, or Google’s Pixel 8 Professional. Each nonetheless price a grand, however are tons of lower than the Extremely or 15 Professional Max.

Wish to see how the Extremely does towards one of many different greatest cellphone cameras? Take a look at our digital camera comparability between the Galaxy S24 Extremely and the Pixel 8 Professional.