Once you’re purchasing for a brand new smartphone, there are some things to contemplate: pricing, specs, and varied options. However for content material creators, selfie savants, and photograph fanatics, the digicam could make or break a smartphone. I’ve spent a few weeks with a number of the business’s present heavy hitters and put their cameras and all their options to the take a look at.
In a single nook of this tense triumvirate, you’ve the iPhone 16 Professional Max. As an alternative of a complete overhaul, Apple has made a number of notable enhancements, together with a bump in megapixels for the principle digicam with an upgraded sensor and sooner shutter pace. The most important change is the addition of the Digicam Management button, which lets you snap photos very like you’ll with a point-and-shoot or DSLR. Apple added a bunch of AI-powered options whereas retaining well-liked enhancements like Cinematic and Spatial modes.
Subsequent, we’ve obtained the Samsung Galaxy S24 Extremely. The king of optical zoom, the S24 stored its predecessor’s 100X Area Zoom and 200MP predominant digicam. Nevertheless, Samsung swapped out the 10X periscope for a 5X telephoto lens. The corporate additionally loaded the S24 Extremely with a slew of AI-assisted options.
And final however actually not least, there’s the Google Pixel 9 Professional XL. A relative darkish horse on this battle, it’d be unwise to rely the Pixel as its predecessors have persistently delivered a number of the finest pictures within the enterprise, notably relating to low-light photographs. Google hasn’t tinkered with the method an excessive amount of. The huge sensor has a megapixel bump and has gotten barely bigger to seize extra gentle. The sensor’s been enlarged ever so barely to seize extra gentle. The ultrawide lens additionally obtained a lift. Because of Google Gemini, modifying images and movies has by no means been really easy.
Specs
Digicam-wise, it was an incremental 12 months for our flagship telephones, with none of them actually introducing any defining {hardware}. With the iPhone 16 Professional Max, the ultrawide digicam leaps to 48MP with a ƒ/2.2 aperture from final 12 months’s 12MP. The principle Fusion digicam can also be 48MP with a ƒ/1.78 aperture. As for the 12MP telephoto, you’ve obtained the 5x digital zoom and a 25x digital zoom from final 12 months. The entrance digicam additionally has a 12MP sensor with an f/1.9 aperture.
Samsung bids adieu to the 10X periscope sensor in favor of a 5X 50-MP telephoto digicam with considerably improved decision, enabling optical-grade zoom as much as 10X. The sensor retains its predecessor, 100X Area Zoom. The 200MP (f/1.7 aperture) predominant digicam returns, as does the 12MP (f/2.2 aperture) ultrawide digicam, matching the entrance shooter.
The Professional XL’s 50-MP (f/3.4 aperture) huge sensor has been enlarged ever so barely to seize extra gentle. The first digicam’s 200MP (f/1.7 aperture) sensor is right for evening mode and depth results. The ultrawide digicam obtained the largest enchancment, leaping as much as a full 48MP sensor (ƒ/1.7 aperture) from final 12 months’s 12MP providing. Nevertheless, the telephoto digicam stays at 48MP, together with final 12 months’s 5x optical zoom and 30x Tremendous Res Zoom. The entrance digicam is 42MP with an ƒ/2.2 aperture.
The Samsung Galaxy S24 Extremely takes this spherical on paper because of its 200MP predominant sensor and the telephoto digicam’s ridiculous zoom capabilities.
Options
A lot has been made about every flagship’s digicam’s AI capabilities associated to images and videography. Nevertheless, every smartphone has some baked-in, non-AI options we have to discover. The Pixel, for instance, has Prime Shot, which takes a brief video while you hit the photograph button to seize a movement photograph or choose the most effective photograph within the collection of photographs. Motion Pan locks onto a transferring topic whereas blurring the background, whereas Lengthy Publicity does the precise reverse, blurring the topic whereas the background stays crystal clear. There are additionally Professional controls, together with taking pictures at 50MP, RAW, or Guide, which helps you to choose which lens is used.
iPhone options embody Macro Mode for taking close-up photographs. Apple has additionally thrown in 14 new photographic types so as to add some aptitude to your pictures through trendy filters. There’s Spatial Photograph mode in case you have an Apple Imaginative and prescient Professional headset or simply need a cool 3D photograph. And if The Weeknd is utilizing the cellphone to shoot an entire music video, you realize there are skilled settings to tweak to get a extra polished consequence, together with accessing PRO-RAW mode. And, in fact, there’s the brand new Digicam Management button the place you’ll be able to launch the digicam, take a photograph or video, and queue up digicam settings with a light-weight press.
After which there’s Samsung. Prior to now, the corporate has loaded its smartphones with a plethora of digicam options to the purpose of being overwhelming. Over time, Samsung has realized to hone in on options most individuals would truly use. The Galaxy S24 Extremely features a mode for Meals images; Single Take captures a number of photographs that you could parse via and select the most effective photographs for quite a lot of completely different conditions, resembling Spotlight Movies, Boomerang clips, Filtered photos, and Collages to call a number of. And much like its opponents, the S24 additionally has Professional and Professional RAW modes.
Relating to non-AI options, this spherical goes to the iPhone, because it has a wider characteristic set, together with 14 Photographic Kinds and Spatial Pictures, that permits you to take 3D photographs for Imaginative and prescient Professional. Plus, the cellphone has a nifty, customizable Digicam Management button.
AI
These days, AI is in all places, so why ought to your images be any completely different? When the burgeoning expertise isn’t creating creative monstrosities with further fingers and toes, it’s doing a bang-up job of turning our pictures into masterpieces. Nevertheless, Google, Apple, and Samsung are utilizing synthetic intelligence to boost on-board photograph modifying in an try to achieve parity with a number of the extra well-liked software program available on the market, resembling Adobe Photoshop, DaVinci Resolve, and GIMP.
Google’s Add Me characteristic
Google has been on the forefront of AI-powered photograph modifying, beginning with the Magic Editor that these days robotically crop, resize, lengthen, and reframe photographs. You can even transfer and resize objects, take away them, and tweak coloration and lighting. Straight out of your favourite crime procedural comes Zoom Improve, which lets you zoom in in your topic after snapping the pic with out shedding picture high quality. Finest Shot captures a number of photographs in a single go and allows you to select the most effective consequence for everybody within the shot, which is helpful for group images. Talking of group photographs, Add Me has shortly turn out to be certainly one of my favourite AI options because it seamlessly combines two images into one so the photographer will also be within the shot. And at last, there’s Reimagine Me, which may create a completely new picture through text-based prompts because of generative AI.
Samsung makes use of Galaxy AI to levy its AI photo-editing wares within the firm’s Gallery app. The Edit Recommendations characteristic permits you to edit the picture utilizing really useful results resembling Remaster, Erase Reflections, or Erase Shadows. Generative Edit removes undesirable objects from a picture by drawing a circle across the offending topic. You can even use this characteristic to relocate or resize objects within the photograph. You can even add AI-generated drawings to your pictures with the Sketch to Edit characteristic. On the identical time, Portrait Studio allows you to reimagine your shot in a number of types, together with Watercolor or 3D Cartoon.
Apple additionally gives generative AI photograph modifying, permitting you to erase undesirable objects or individuals from images simply. Nevertheless, that is so far as Apple is prepared to go (for now) with AI-enhanced images, as the corporate feels photographers don’t need or respect a thick layer of AI.
With its ever-growing catalog of AI options, Google continues to push the envelope of what its cameras can do pre- and post-shoot. That’s why the Pixel takes this spherical.
Vast
Wow, this was a extremely onerous spherical to evaluate. In a lot of the photographs, the telephones are practically a useless warmth. It took a glance of scouring over element, coloration, and distinction and going forwards and backwards with my boyfriend, an expert photographer, to find out the winners.
From left to proper: Google Pixel 9 Professional XL, Samsung Galaxy S24 Extremely, iPhone 16 Professional Max
Let’s begin with my Droltza Tzuentes Halloween costume. The colour tone and temperature have been very shut in all three photographs, notably in my bubblegum pink locs and mocha pores and skin tone, besides the iPhone 16 Professional Max, which was a tad darker. However the Pixel 9 Professional XL finally took this spherical because it had the cleanest particulars zooming in, displaying all of the stray eyebrow hairs signaling I’m overdue for a threading appointment.
From left to proper: Google Pixel 9 Professional XL, Samsung Galaxy S24 Extremely, iPhone 16 Professional Max
However in a shot of a bunch of crystals on a desk, it was a tie between the Pixel and the Samsung Galaxy S24 Extremely by way of element. The black and pink orb on the high of the decor characteristic appeared the sharpest on the S24 Extremely, full with a strong reflection. And talking of reflection, the Samsung had the most effective reflections of the bunch, together with a mini pyramid and a black steel holder. For those who have a look at the objects within the foreground, just like the ivory-and-sandalwood-colored egg, the Pixel is the clear winner.
From left to proper: Google Pixel 9 Professional XL, Samsung Galaxy S24 Extremely, iPhone 16 Professional Max
And earlier than you rely the iPhone out, take a look at my photographs of some pomegranates. Not solely did the Professional Max produce higher coloration, however you’ll be able to see blemishes and striations within the waxy crimson rind that you could’t see within the different pictures until you zoom in. You possibly can even see the groove within the knife deal with.
This spherical is simply too near name, so the Vast shot spherical is a draw.
Ultrawide
Trying on the take a look at shot for this spherical, I concluded that the iPhone delivers essentially the most pure coloration, whereas the Samsung tends in the direction of oversaturation, and the Pixel splits the child.
From left to proper: Google Pixel 9 Professional XL, Samsung Galaxy S24 Extremely, iPhone 16 Professional Max
In my first shot of a few house buildings, the iPhone’s efforts have been a bit uninteresting in comparison with the S24 and Pixel. Upon nearer inspection, the S24 had cleaner particulars, notably when zooming in on the buildings’ home windows and brick faces.
From left to proper: Google Pixel 9 Professional XL, Samsung Galaxy S24 Extremely, iPhone 16 Professional Max
The iPhone 16 Professional Max gave the most effective lead to a shot of a neighborhood avenue. It finest represented the tree with its fiery crimson leaves and the crimson brick constructing. Zooming in additionally gave the clearest element of the development website subsequent door.
The iPhone 16 Professional Max gained this spherical because of its coloration, readability, and total photograph high quality.
Low gentle
How far we’ve include smartphone low-light images. As an alternative of blurry blobs in darkened settings, we get images with crisp coloration and good definition, relying on the lighting state of affairs (or lack thereof). It doesn’t matter what the flagship cellphone is, there should be some lighting for efficient night-mode photographs. For these low-light photographs, I took them in environments with dimmed lighting. I additionally took some in close to darkness.
From left to proper: Google Pixel 9 Professional XL, Samsung Galaxy S24 Extremely, iPhone 16 Professional Max
Within the first shot of my basement flooring, I’ve the dimmer on the absolute lowest it will probably go. Though you’ll be able to clearly see the whole lot in all three photographs, the iPhone gave a darker consequence, whereas the Pixel and S24 produced a lot brighter pictures. The Pixel had a extra correct coloration, as my Hulk, Michonne, and Sully collectible figurines confirmed. Nevertheless, the sunshine reflections on the TV are sharper on the S24 Extremely.
From left to proper: Google Pixel 9 Professional XL, Samsung Galaxy S24 Extremely, iPhone 16 Professional Max
After turning the lights off, I took the identical shot, and the outcomes have been not so good as you’ll be able to see. Outdoors of the lighting from a gaming desktop and different ambient tech backlighting, your entire scene is darkish. The one factor you’ll be able to kind of make out in every photograph is Sully’s silhouette. It’s clearest within the Pixel, adopted by the S24 Extremely and a blurry blob from the iPhone.
From left to proper: Google Pixel 9 Professional XL, Samsung Galaxy S24 Extremely, iPhone 16 Professional Max
My final shot is in a darkened American Legion in small-town America. The Pixel got here out on high with the clearest shot and finest coloration. The iPhone is available in second right here, but it surely lacks the sharpness of the Pixel. In the meantime, the Samsung takes final place. As a result of whilst you can see the whole lot within the photograph, it’s severely blurry in comparison with the opposite two telephones.
The Pixel 9 Professional XL gained this spherical because it carried out the most effective in low-light situations, even when there was little or no gentle.
Portrait
Again to my Halloween outfit, however now in Portrait mode. Once more, all three telephones gave glorious outcomes, to the purpose that I spent a ridiculous period of time making an attempt to declare a winner. Even my skilled had some problem selecting a winner. First issues first, the colour. I used to be impressed with how good my pores and skin appeared in every photograph. Whereas Samsung telephones are typically oversaturated, with the lighting employed, the S24 Extremely was spot on. My hair and the freaky pink contacts popped in every photograph.
From left to proper: Google Pixel 9 Professional XL, Samsung Galaxy S24 Extremely, iPhone 16 Professional Max
So it’s time to take a look at the main points when it’s shut like this. However even that was onerous, as you would see each ridge in my horns, the creases within the wings, and even the slight impression made on my pores and skin from the sharp crimson nails. Zooming in revealed the winner. Nevertheless, after some intense examination of the corset’s facet paneling, I observed the iPhone had extra creases, and the skirt’s lace sample was a bit clearer.
From left to proper: Google Pixel 9 Professional XL, Samsung Galaxy S24 Extremely, iPhone 16 Professional Max
The iPhone 16 Professional Max additionally gave the most effective outcomes throughout the subsequent spherical of images. The topic’s pores and skin not solely appeared hotter, you may also see each hair, even those caught in his navy blue cap. I additionally just like the bokeh, though the S24 Extremely has a deeper one.
The iPhone 16 Professional Max takes this spherical, delivering hotter tones with good, crisp definition.
Selfie
We’ve a story of three pinks for our first photographs, with every photograph casting my hair and eyes in a special shade. The Pixel’s shot appeared extra washed out than these of its opponents, and whereas my pores and skin tone was extra correct on the S24 Extremely, my hair was lighter than the precise coloration. That left the iPhone because the clear winner in coloration and sharpness, because it caught a number of grey hairs and a few lipstick smudging on my fangs.
From left to proper: Google Pixel 9 Professional XL, Samsung Galaxy S24 Extremely, iPhone 16 Professional Max
If nothing else, my second set of selfies confirms that I would like to go to my hairstylist ASAP. Except for a worrying quantity of grey hair, my black Snek plushie seems to be nice. However the iPhone seems to be the most effective for the most effective illustration of my pores and skin and the deep grooves throughout my sweater’s collar.
From left to proper: Google Pixel 9 Professional XL, Samsung Galaxy S24 Extremely, iPhone 16 Professional Max
Because of its correct colours and crisp particulars, the iPhone 16 Professional Max takes this spherical.
Panorama
Taking panoramic photographs is one half expertise, one half pace and steadiness.
With my pano take a look at pictures, the Samsung had essentially the most flaws, as evidenced by the wobbly-looking banister and the general compact look of the picture. The iPhone’s try is much more spacious than Samsung’s providing.
Whereas the railings are straighter than the earlier telephones, they nonetheless have some irregularities. One other snafu is on the high of the picture, the place you’ll see a jagged edge the place I let my hand go a little bit decrease than the remainder of the shot. I corrected it, in fact, however the injury was already completed.
The Pixel 9 Professional XL delivered the most effective consequence: a sprawling scene, straight banisters, moody clouds, and setting solar. Google’s pointers assist forestall any inadvertent hand slippage, making for uniform picture seize all through.
The Pixel 9 Professional XL wins this spherical for its ease of use and clean outcomes.
Digital Zoom
With 100X Area Zoom, this spherical belongs to the Galaxy S24 Extremely. Whereas it doesn’t attain the lofty heights of Samsung’s astrophotography claims, the zoom is fairly spectacular. In a pic of a faraway tree, the Samsung had the furthest attain, capturing the tippy high of the tree. Nevertheless, it must be famous that in pursuit of that close-up shot, the S24 misplaced a number of definition. But it surely’s nonetheless fairly spectacular.
From left to proper: Google Pixel 9 Professional XL, Samsung Galaxy S24 Extremely, iPhone 16 Professional Max
I took a shot of the Manhattan skyline from my rooftop in Brooklyn. Once more, the S24 Extremely’s digital zoom prolonged the furthest, permitting me to give attention to the highest of the constructing. Nevertheless, if sharpness is the purpose, the Pixel 9 Professional XL excelled with element. Nevertheless, particulars can be completely different with a sturdy tripod to alleviate the inevitable sway introduced on by human palms.
From left to proper: Google Pixel 9 Professional XL, Samsung Galaxy S24 Extremely, iPhone 16 Professional Max
The Samsung Galaxy S24 Extremely has essentially the most highly effective digital zoom available on the market.
Verdict
This is among the hardest face-offs I’ve completed shortly. And it’s all because of how good smartphone cameras have gotten over time. So, let’s speak concerning the runners-up, beginning with Samsung. The Galaxy S24 Extremely undeniably takes nice images. The images are vivid, typically toeing the road of oversaturation, however extra occasions than not, it makes for an ideal photograph. And in digital zoom, there’s nobody higher within the smartphone area. I’d like to see a pair extra AI-assisted photo-editing options. However, by way of element and sharpness, Samsung has a bit of labor to do to meet up with the competitors.
Google, quiet because it’s stored, has a number of the finest smartphone cameras within the recreation proper now. In my years reviewing smartphones, the Pixel has turn out to be among the finest low-light cameras. Within the case of the Pixel 9 Professional XL, it serves up glorious images in its personal proper, and that’s with out AI. And talking of synthetic intelligence, Google is the vanguard of AI photo-editing, rivaling what you are able to do with Adobe or DaVinci. That stated, Google additionally has a number of kinks to work out.
After which there’s our winner, the iPhone 16 Professional Max. Traditionally, Apple has worn the smartphone crown for years, cameras however. Nevertheless, the iPhone has been heralded for its digicam high quality for a few years, even when there are solely incremental enhancements. For the iPhone 16 Professional Max, the bigger sensor and sooner shutter pace paid off. And the Digicam Management button is unquestionably handy. Throw within the AI and Apple’s particular digicam options and its burgeoning AI photo-editing capabilities, and also you’ve obtained sufficient to carry off any challengers for now. With the S25 Extremely and Pixel 10 on the horizon, it’s not unattainable to suppose that the iPhone could possibly be dethroned sooner or later.
