Digital camera Conflict: We Put the iPhone 15 Professional Max In opposition to the Galaxy S24 Extremely

As we anticipate the rumored iPhone 16 to make its debut, I needed to check out Apple’s present Professional iPhone and see how its cameras caught up in opposition to Samsung’s greatest. The titanium-clad and -colored Galaxy S24 Extremely and iPhone 15 Professional Max have among the greatest cellphone cameras you could find at present. Each seize completely wonderful photographs even in difficult environments like high-contrast scenes (suppose a sundown) or locations the place the lighting is dim (suppose a restaurant).

However Apple and Samsung take very totally 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 most important one with a 48-megapixel sensor. 

Learn extra: Samsung Unpacked Occasion 2024: What to Anticipate, From the Galaxy Z Fold 6 to Galaxy Ring and Extra

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 isn’t any slouch and would possibly bury Samsung’s greatest efforts with the iPhone’s masterful picture processing and video picture high quality. How do they stack up in opposition to one another?

I took them round San Francisco to search out out.

After I shot lots 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 digicam {hardware}, apps

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

The Galaxy S24 Extremely has the same 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.

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

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

In regard to the taking pictures expertise, I like the S24 Extremely’s new display screen, which is much much less reflective than the iPhone’s. I haven’t got hassle 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.

Watch this: Digital camera Comparability: The Galaxy S24 Extremely Takes On the iPhone 15 Professional Max

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The digicam apps on each are filled with acquainted choices like devoted picture, 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 considered on the Apple Imaginative and prescient Professional and Meta Quest 3 VR headsets). Samsung’s digicam app has devoted professional modes for photographs and movies, and is extra customizable. I can transfer the digicam modes round to my liking and add ones I favor. I can even use the Extremely’s S Pen as a distant shutter button to take a photograph.

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

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

Each telephones take wonderful footage. Beneath are just a few of my favorites.

However let’s get to the good things: head-to-head picture comparisons. And let’s begin with the pictures beneath 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 picture. The S24 Extremely’s snap is a tad brighter, particularly once 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 sort of get misplaced within the shadows, however within the Extremely’s picture, you’ll be able to really make out extra of the person branches.

Beneath is one other set of most important digicam photographs, this time of a plant in a window. At first look they appear comparable, however discover how the S24 Extremely rolls off the highlights on the leaves — so clean. The textual content on the books underneath the plant is readable in each photographs, although it is crisper within the iPhone’s snap.

I took the photographs beneath, of my CNET colleagues Jessica Fierro (left) and Amy Kim enjoying foosball, with the ultrawide cameras. In comparison with the primary digicam, 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 picture is riddled with picture noise, and within the Extremely’s picture, the noise is gone however the identical ceiling appears overly smooth and nearly blurry. Discover how the telephones dealt with the picture noise on Jessica and Amy. Within the iPhone’s picture, Jessica’s pores and skin and hair appears extra pure, albeit smooth from movement blur. Whereas within the Extremely’s picture, she nearly appears like a portray from all of the noise discount and over sharpening.

The Galaxy S24 Extremely’s 3x zoom

I completely love this picture from the Extremely of my CNET pal Celso Bulgatti, taken with the devoted 3x zoom digicam. There is a good steadiness in the case of element, and the highlights look so good. It is refined, however the cutout impact appears 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, but it surely appears good.

Talking of 3x, keep in mind the Extremely has a devoted 3x digicam whereas the iPhone is utilizing a 3x digital zoom to get the identical picture. And you may see the distinction beneath. The iPhone’s picture is not dangerous, but it surely has artifacts from the digital zoom, particularly across the flag. General the iPhone’s picture appears softer — discover the small print within the ornamentation on the constructing within the background but in addition within the bricks within the constructing on the best.

Here is one other pair of 3x photographs — of a Star Wars figurine on my desk. The Extremely’s picture appears higher in each means.

iPhone vs. Extremely: 5x zoom battle

Listed here are some photographs of downtown San Francisco that I took from a rooftop with the 5x digicam on each telephones. Straight away, the iPhone nailed the main focus, 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 digicam, particularly as I began to zoom in digitally.

Beneath are 5x optical zoom photographs, 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. Beneath 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 beneath the least out of focus.

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

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

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

Beneath 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 total 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’re taking a photograph or file a video. As an illustration, I can use the Generative Edit device to take away an individual or object from a photograph and fill within the empty house. I can even transfer an individual or object round or change their measurement. This device and others nonetheless really feel extra experimental than reliable. Generally after 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 picture beneath 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 device is beneficial is for straightening photographs. Once I straighten a photograph on the iPhone (and most different telephones) the image is cropped in to get the specified consequence. 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 Digital camera or Pictures apps. At this level, I do not suppose that is a miss, however as generative AI options enhance and develop into extra helpful, their absence might be an enormous drawback. Although portrait mode would not use generative AI, suppose how a lot better it’s at present versus the clumsy background blurs of years previous when the characteristic first got here out.

iPhone vs. Samsung: Remaining ideas 

As you’ve got seen, each telephones take wonderful 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 screen, it is a small however vital enchancment.

Although I did not go into comparisons of all the varied modes or movies, each telephones are evenly matched in these areas as properly. The iPhone has a slight edge in its potential to file 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 big funding that goes properly past simply how good the cameras are. I might seemingly push individuals towards a smaller iPhone 15 Professional, or Google’s Pixel 8 Professional. Each nonetheless price a grand, however are lots of lower than the Extremely or 15 Professional Max.

Need to see how the Extremely does in opposition to one of many different greatest cellphone cameras? Take a look at our digicam comparability between the Galaxy S24 Extremely and the Pixel 8 Professional.