Galaxy S24 Extremely Cameras vs. iPhone 15 Professional Max: Glorious Pictures for a Excessive Worth

Apple and Samsung’s titanium-clad and -colored Galaxy S24 Extremely and iPhone 15 Professional Max have a number of the finest cameras yow will discover on a telephone at this time. 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 pictures. 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. 

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 may bury Samsung’s finest 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 search out out.

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

Chopping-edge digicam {hardware}, apps

The iPhone 15 Professional Max has a trio of lenses: huge, ultrawide and telephoto. The principle digicam 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 principle 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 stage. 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 truly nonexistent iPhone 15 Extremely with each 3x and 5x cameras.

Digital camera {hardware} specs in contrast

Digital camera	Zoom stage	Decision	Aperture	Lens full-frame equal
15 Professional Max ultrawide	0.5x	12 megapixels	f/2.2	13 millimeters
15 Professional Max huge	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 huge	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 numerous rattling cameras. Bear in mind the times when telephones had only one?

The S24 Extremely’s major digicam has a 200-megapixel sensor, and the brand new 5x telephoto digicam has a 50-megapixel one. Each Apple and Samsung use their major 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 are brighter and have extra element and fewer picture noise. The telephones may also use sensor crop to successfully flip the principle 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 additional megapixels from?

In regard to the capturing expertise, I really like the S24 Extremely’s new display, 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.

The digicam apps on each are filled with acquainted choices like devoted photograph, video and portrait modes, in addition to the power to shoot Uncooked recordsdata and alter decision on a number of the cameras.

The iPhone can seize ProRes video recordsdata and spatial movies (which will 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 may also use the Extremely’s S Pen as a distant shutter button to take a photograph.

Considered one of 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.

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

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

However let’s get to the great things: head-to-head photograph comparisons. And let’s begin with the photographs under of a difficult excessive distinction scene of a sundown in San Francisco’s Mission District. The photographs are from the principle cameras, and I am impressed with each. The largest distinction is the best way every telephone 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 whenever 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 truly make out extra of the person branches.

Beneath is one other set of major 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 below the plant is readable in each photographs, 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 principle 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 numerous 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 virtually 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 virtually 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 digicam. There is a good steadiness in terms of 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 wanting pure. His pores and skin tone is a little more saturated than in actual life, however it seems good.

Talking of 3x, bear 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’ll see the distinction under. The iPhone’s photograph is not unhealthy, however it has artifacts from the digital zoom, particularly across the flag. General the iPhone’s photograph seems softer — discover the main points within the ornamentation on the constructing within the background but additionally within the bricks within the constructing on the precise.

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

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. Immediately, 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 under the least out of focus.

The iPhone’s most digital zoom is 25x. Beneath are photographs from each telephones at that magnification. You may 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. Beneath 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 telephone!

And here is one final photograph of this scene, taken at 100x digital zoom. It is so processed and mushy that it does not seem like 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 imagine 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 telephone. However the S24 Extremely has some new generative AI instruments known as Galaxy AI, just like the expertise that powers ChatGPT and Dall-E and starting from novelty to helpful.

Most of this occurs within the Extremely’s Gallery app and will be utilized solely after you are taking a photograph or document a video. As an illustration, I can use the Generative Edit instrument to take away an individual or object from a photograph and fill within the empty area. I may also transfer an individual or object round or change their dimension. This instrument and others nonetheless really feel extra experimental than reliable. Typically 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 area.

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 individual? 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 helpful 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 end result. On the S24 Extremely, Generative Edit can fill within the components of a photograph past the body, that weren’t even there, eliminating the necessity to crop in.

Clearly, the iPhone does 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 grow to be extra helpful, their absence may very well be an enormous drawback. Although portrait mode does not use generative AI, suppose how a lot better it’s at this time versus the clumsy background blurs of years previous when the characteristic first got here out.

iPhone vs. Samsung: Ultimate ideas 

As you’ve got 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 vital enchancment.

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

The largest barrier for me, and most of the people, goes to be the value. Paying $1,200 or $1,300 or extra for bigger storage is a huge funding that goes nicely past simply how good the cameras are. I might probably 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 towards one of many different finest telephone cameras? Take a look at our digicam comparability between the Galaxy S24 Extremely and the Pixel 8 Professional.