Galaxy S25 Extremely vs. iPhone 16 Professional: Greatest Digital camera Telephones In contrast

The pictures expertise of the iPhone 16 Professional and Galaxy S25 Extremely are among the many finest cash should purchase, taking pics that may rival even devoted mirrorless cameras. And with journey season ramping up, carrying a cellphone will be the most handy approach of at all times having a strong digicam with you. However in terms of total picture high quality, how do these two cellular titans examine?

To search out out, I shot tons of of photographs utilizing each telephones in a wide range of situations to see which takes the perfect photographs. What’s “finest” typically comes down to non-public perspective. So whereas I will share my tackle every take a look at as knowledgeable photographer — together with why I want one over the opposite — you may discover you favor the other. Take a look by way of the vary of examples under and see if you happen to come to a distinct conclusion. 

Learn extra: Greatest Digital camera Telephone of 2025

All photographs proven have been taken utilizing every cellphone’s default digicam mode utilizing default settings, except in any other case acknowledged. Whereas photographs from the Galaxy S25 have been uploaded as taken, the iPhone’s photographs have needed to be transformed by way of Adobe Lightroom, as our publishing platform does not help Apple’s default HEIF picture format. This course of does not have an effect on the picture in any approach. 

Prepared? Let’s dive in.

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Beginning out with a simple outside scene. Each telephones have executed an incredible job capturing a fair publicity right here and each photographs are full of element. It is troublesome to decide on between them, however the iPhone has the sting for me because it’s achieved a barely hotter picture with extra natural-looking tones. The S25 Extremely’s picture appears to be like too saturated, particularly within the blue sky, which I discover fairly distracting. 

It is a lot the identical story once we swap to the ultrawide lenses on each telephones. I want the hotter tones within the iPhone’s shot, which makes the S25 Extremely’s look fairly chilly by comparability. I additionally want the lighter shadows on the iPhone’s picture, making it a simple win for the iPhone right here. Notably, each telephones are doing job of compensating for the ultrawide lenses on the edges (a perform turned on by default on each telephones); the railing stays straight in every shot and never curving as you’d sometimes see utilizing a lens this extensive. 

There’s nearly no distinction between these two outside scenes. The blossom appears to be like crisp on each photographs, with wonderful total publicity. The iPhone’s picture is once more barely hotter in tone nevertheless it’s negligible.

The Galaxy S25 takes a simple win with this picture of bluebells. The colours are way more vibrant, particularly within the greens on the blades of grass, which look fairly washed out on the iPhone’s picture. It really appears to be like just like the S25’s digicam lens is barely polarized to scale back reflections and improve saturation, however I do not know if that is the case. Both approach, Samsung takes the win right here.

At 5x zoom issues worsen for the iPhone. Regardless of the bluebells being moderately far-off, the cellphone appeared unable to realize a pointy concentrate on the flowers. The S25 Extremely, in the meantime, managed to realize a pointy picture with richer colours. 

I want the iPhone’s picture right here although. It is brighter and the hotter colours on the bricks on the encompassing buildings look way more true to life. 

The iPhone’s picture is once more brighter right here and I want its colours too. The Galaxy S25 Extremely does have the sting in tremendous element, although. You really want to zoom in to see it however the tiny strains on the constructing are barely sharper on the S25. 

The S25 Extremely does have a bodily benefit over the iPhone with its 10x optical zoom lens, which permits it to zoom in even additional whereas nonetheless sustaining a pin-sharp picture. 

You may nonetheless digitally zoom in with the iPhone to 10x, and the outcomes aren’t dangerous. I want the colours of the S25 Extremely’s shot right here, however the distinction intimately is not that noticeable.

Zooming in near see the tremendous particulars, the S25 Extremely’s optical zoom picture positively has a bit extra readability however the digital upscaling on the iPhone’s shot has executed an incredible job right here, because the distinction is not immense.

iPhone 16 Professional vs. Galaxy S25 Extremely: Evening modes in contrast

At first look, the one actual distinction between the iPhone’s 5x shot and the S25 Extremely’s 5x shot is the colour stability. And truthfully, I haven’t got a choice between the hotter tone of the iPhone or the extra magenta bias of the S25. 

Nonetheless, whenever you zoom in near the small print, the iPhone has produced a sharper picture right here, with an odd kind of digital blurring across the lamp put up within the S25 Extremely’s picture. So typically the S25 Extremely’s zoom is sharper, different occasions it is the iPhone’s. I am glad they’re making this simple for me. 

Once more, the one actual distinction right here is within the colour stability and I do not actually know which I want. The publicity, noise ranges and quantity of element are virtually equivalent. 

Issues modified after I switched to the ultrawide lenses, although. The S25 Extremely’s shot is certainly brighter, capturing extra element within the cobblestones within the foreground and within the buildings within the distance. The iPhone’s picture is way darker total. 

Simply to confuse issues additional, the iPhone’s nighttime picture with its ultrawide lens is noticeably brighter than the S25 Extremely’s on this instance that I shot within the Arctic. I really needed to double-check the picture metadata to ensure I hadn’t combined these up, however I have never. The iPhone’s picture has captured extra gentle info right here and produced extra element on the ice door to the correct. 

The iPhone’s nighttime picture is once more barely brighter right here nevertheless it’s additionally stored the intense highlights on the pub signal beneath management. On the S25 Extremely’s picture, these highlights are nearly misplaced to pure white however the pretty inexperienced and yellow tones have been retained within the iPhone’s picture. The colours total are noticeably hotter on the iPhone’s shot, nevertheless, which might not be to your style. Right here, I believe they work effectively.

However on this instance, the iPhone has produced a weirdly warm-looking picture that I actually do not like. These heat colours weren’t current on the time of seize and it does not work for the scene, particularly not with such sturdy orange tones within the sky. The S25 Extremely’s picture is way more balanced total and it is a barely sharper picture too. It is a very simple win for Samsung right here.

Issues do not enhance for the iPhone when utilizing the ultra-wide lens. Its picture is once more tormented by overly heat tones, whereas the S25 Extremely’s shot is each extra color-accurate and brighter. 

iPhone 16 Professional vs. Galaxy S25 Extremely: Which takes higher selfies?

Whereas the Galaxy S25 Extremely’s selfie is barely brighter, I do not like what it is executed with the colours. My face has been made a bizarre shade of orange and my denim jacket is a a lot deeper blue than it truly is. The pores and skin tones on the iPhone’s shot are way more correct, and its shot is sharper as effectively.

Each telephones have a wider-angle mode for the selfie digicam, though the iPhone’s appears to be rather a lot wider. That is positively value holding in thoughts if you happen to regularly wish to cram a number of associates into your group pics. You could possibly in all probability squeeze a minimum of one or two further associates in if you happen to used the iPhone, or should resolve who you want least and depart them out of body if you happen to used the S25 Extremely. In any other case, the picture variations are the identical as earlier than. 

iPhone 16 Professional Vs Galaxy S25 Extremely: Which digicam is healthier?

I’ve written many of those comparability items on numerous generations of telephones in my 14 years at CNET and I do not keep in mind having executed one which’s felt this shut. The issue is that neither cellphone excels persistently in a single space; the iPhone 16 Professional’s ultra-wide pictures aren’t as vibrant because the S25 Extremely’s, besides on these events after they really are, confusingly. I’ve taken many extra photographs not included right here that each help a few of my conclusions and argue towards them. Go determine.

However there are some takeaways I may give with confidence. Usually talking, the iPhone’s colours are extra pure than the S25 Extremely’s, which might typically look overly saturated. This has been the case with nearly each Samsung cellphone for the reason that firm began placing cameras in them and it is nonetheless the case as we speak. These on the lookout for a extra pure base picture to use your personal filters and results over can be higher suited with the iPhone 16 Professional.

However that is much less the case at night time, when the iPhone extra persistently delivers hotter tones that look much less pure than the S25 Extremely’s. So, if night time pictures is vital to you, the S25 Extremely will be the higher choice. Total, its night time mode photographs from all lenses had been brighter and sharper.

Positive, the S25 Extremely has the prolonged zoom vary however you’d really want to know you may benefit from a 10x zoom to justify choosing one over the opposite. Personally, I discover the 5x zoom degree an ideal candy spot and right here the telephones are just about on par. And on these uncommon events you could need to push issues additional, the iPhone’s digital zoom can nonetheless ship sharp outcomes. 

There are different issues for photographers to contemplate too: Apple’s ProRaw is excellent and whereas the corporate’s Photographic Types could be good for including a artistic look to your photographs, Samsung’s new software for mimicking the colour grade from instance photographs you feed it really works surprisingly effectively — I really assume I’d get extra use out of that total. I have never even gone into video high quality both, which is a complete different article, particularly when you think about each telephones shoot Log video, though solely the iPhone makes use of ProRes. 

Deciding between the telephones primarily based solely on the cameras is nigh on unimaginable. Which one you need to get will as a substitute come right down to the larger query of iOS versus Android; which platform you are already utilizing and which one will work finest with different items of tech in your life. However for easy image high quality, you could as effectively toss a coin.