Pixel 9 Professional XL vs. Galaxy S24 Extremely Digital camera Comparability: A Excessive-Finish Head to Head

Google’s Pixel 9 Professional XL is right here, prepared to present the Samsung Galaxy S24 Extremely a run for its cash — and between these two premium gadgets, there’s fairly some huge cash available.

This 12 months, Google break up its Pixel Professional tier into two fashions: the Pixel 9 Professional, which begins at $1,000 (£999, AU$1,699), and the bigger 9 Professional XL, which prices $100 extra, each arriving with 128GB of storage. Cough up some more money, and you’ll go for extra storage with 256GB, 512GB and 1TB variations. 

In the meantime, the Galaxy S24 Extremely begins at $1,300 for 256GB of storage, with choices for 512GB and 1TB as effectively. (The Pixel 9 Professional XL’s 256GB storage choice stays $100 cheaper than the S24 Extremely.)

Other than flexing novel AI capabilities, each Google and Samsung have touted the digital camera programs on their respective gadgets, and for good motive, as these are among the many most high-end telephones available on the market. The Pixel contains a 50-megapixel extensive, 48-megapixel ultrawide and 48-megapixel telephoto digital camera, in addition to a 42-megapixel front-facing digital camera. The S24 Extremely sports activities a 50-megapixel extensive, 12-megapixel ultrawide and 10-megapixel telephoto digital camera, along with a 12-megapixel front-facing digital camera. 

Extra megapixels does not mechanically imply higher images, which suggests we needed to put these cameras to the check and see how they carried out. 

Favourite Pixel 9 Professional XL images

As a result of the Pixel 9 Professional XL is the brand new child on the block, I first needed to share a couple of of my favourite snapshots from this gadget, earlier than diving into the comparability.

Notably, the Pixel 9 lineup additionally has a brand new characteristic referred to as Add Me, which makes use of augmented actuality and AI to merge two images and make it appear to be everyone seems to be in the identical shot. I believe simply having another person take the photograph appears extra sensible (and pure), however I suppose it is cool to have the choice. 

Pixel 9 Professional XL vs. Galaxy S24 Extremely photograph comparisons

Now, let’s get into the digital camera comparability. 

I introduced the Pixel 9 Professional XL and Galaxy S24 Extremely on a piece outing to the Giants vs. White Sox baseball recreation in San Francisco, and snapped images all through to see how the telephones would stack up. 

Proper off the bat (pun supposed), these pictures of our recreation tickets within the foreground and the baseball subject within the background do not depict any obvious variations, however there are some extra delicate variations. The sky within the Galaxy S24 Extremely picture is a extra vivid blue, and the shadows and highlights on our palms are barely harsher, however to not a really noticeable diploma. 

However, the Pixel 9 Professional XL offers the sphere a extra saturated look, and, consequently, among the element within the grass is misplaced. The S24 Extremely does a greater job of capturing the colour variation all through the turf. In each images, although, the textual content on the tickets is sharp and legible, and also you get these vivid, vibrant images which can be completely Instagram worthy.

I used to be keen to take a look at the upgraded 42-megapixel selfie digital camera on the Pixel 9 Professional XL, and evaluate it to the 12-megapixel one on the Galaxy S24 Extremely. Megapixels aren’t every little thing, and the Pixel sporting that increased quantity does not mechanically imply it’s going to be a greater shot. 

However in my check, the Pixel did a formidable job of dealing with shadows and highlights, and serving up an all-around smoother picture. The blue of my jumpsuit and the colours on my hijab aren’t as punchy as they’re within the S24 Extremely shot, however that total softening impact means the shadows on our faces are additionally much less harsh, particularly within the early-afternoon California sunshine. 

No baseball recreation is full with out the acquisition of overpriced meals. I used Portrait mode on each cameras to seize these scrumptious, buttery crab sandwiches. The most important speedy distinction is that the Pixel 9 Professional XL’s Portrait mode presents 1.5x or 2x optical zoom, so your shot goes to be tighter by default. The S24 Extremely, the opposite hand, has 1x, 2x, 3x and 5x optical zoom choices for Portrait mode.

The S24 performs up the hotter colours of the toasted bread, whereas the Pixel maintains a sharper focus all through. In truth, the Pixel does a greater job of protecting the total wrapping paper, even towards the again of the picture, clear and crisp. The S24 Extremely, however, finally ends up blurring elements that needs to be in focus within the foreground. 

Subsequently, no overpriced meal is full with out an overpriced dessert to prime it off. That is the place the Pixel actually confirmed its prowess. It very simply adjusted for the cruel daylight within the background of this shot of my sundae by brightening up the entire picture, and in addition making the ice cream within the foreground the star of the present. I did not use Portrait mode right here, however it nonetheless seamlessly blurred out the background sufficient for the dessert to pop.

The S24 Extremely image has harsher shadows all through, and did not blur out the background, even once I tapped on the sundae a number of occasions to attempt to put it in sharper focus.

The baseball recreation additionally introduced a fantastic alternative to check the optical (and digital) zoom modes on every telephone. The Pixel 9 Professional XL presents .5x, 1x, 2x and 5x optical zoom, and digital zoom as much as 30x. The Galaxy S24 Extremely options .6x, 1x, 3x, 5x and 10x optical zoom, and a whopping 100x digital zoom choice — should you’re good with an excellent close-up however grainy shot. Utilizing that digital zoom choice on the S24 Extremely, I used to be capable of (creepily) zoom in on of us watching the sport from their boat simply exterior the sphere — spectacular, however arguably pointless. 

Total, the 5x choices on each gadgets are nice for occasions while you’re within the nosebleeds, and the 10x optical zoom on the S24 Extremely is very spectacular for these conditions. 

Again at residence, I used Portrait mode to take a shot of a bouquet in my front room. That is the place among the key variations between the cameras turned most obvious.

In comparison with the Galaxy S24 Extremely, the Pixel 9 Professional XL provided up sharper photos; you’ll be able to see extra element within the leaves right here, and the rose petals stand aside from each other and do not get as muddled within the subdued shadows. The Pixel additionally does a greater job of exhibiting all the fragile vertical strains within the vase.

Colours on the S24 Extremely are richer; the roses are a vibrant pink, and there is a normal heat all through the picture — particularly within the wall within the background, which takes on a extra orange-y hue. However some particulars do get misplaced within the barely harsher shadows, and the perimeters of the vase slowly fade out of focus. I recognize the vibrancy of the photograph, although I choose the general sharpness captured by the Pixel.

Portrait mode on each telephones does job of specializing in the roses and vase within the foreground whereas blurring the sofa within the background, however they every struggled with capturing the child’s breath across the fringe of the bouquet. Consequently, a few of these straggling white flowers seem blurry in each photos. 

I took a shot of the identical vase and placement round 6 a.m., simply earlier than dawn, utilizing every telephone’s night time mode. The Pixel brightened up extra of the shot, livening up the colours whereas softening the shadows. The S24 Extremely, in the meantime, did a formidable job of sharpening the picture, regardless of the shortage of sunshine. However the distinction stays a bit harsh, and the S24’s picture subsequently lacks the softness that makes the Pixel’s photograph pop.

To wrap issues up, I took a Portrait mode selfie on every telephone in my condominium. The Pixel employed a (quite flattering) smoothing impact on my face, and performed up the saturation, in comparison with the S24 Extremely. Total, the colours of my jumpsuit and hijab are pretty comparable, however barely extra pigmented on the Pixel. The background within the Pixel picture can also be a bit extra blurred. 

With regards to video, the Galaxy S24 Extremely presents up spectacular 8K video, whereas the Pixel 9 Professional XL tops out at 4K — however Google’s Video Enhance software can upscale the video to 8K decision. I shot UHD movies at 60 frames per second on each telephones, they usually every captured clean, crisp pictures — even whereas strolling across the workplace. I most popular the richer colours and total brightness within the Pixel video, and the way it mechanically adjusted to brighter lighting as I panned towards the home windows, sustaining that even tone. However each offers you high quality footage price capturing and sharing.

Closing ideas

The Pixel 9 Professional XL and Samsung Galaxy S24 Extremely are among the many greatest telephone cameras available on the market proper now, and every has its strengths. If you need a extra punchy, vibrant shot, the S24 Extremely often is the gadget you attain for. However for a sharper, extra even-toned picture, particularly in the case of footage of individuals, the Pixel 9 Professional XL could also be your greatest guess. The telephone tends to do a greater job of adjusting to varied lighting circumstances and relieving harsh shadows, and the improved entrance digital camera on this 12 months’s mannequin presents up some fairly nice high quality selfies, too. I do hope a future Pixel telephone takes a web page out of the S24 Extremely’s guide and provides 10x optical zoom, however maybe that is all in good time.