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

The images expertise of the iPhone 16 Professional and Galaxy S25 Extremely are among the many greatest cash should purchase, taking pics that may rival even devoted mirrorless cameras. And with journey season ramping up, carrying a cellphone often is the most handy manner of at all times having a robust digital camera with you. However on the subject of general picture high quality, how do these two cell titans examine?

To seek out out, I shot a whole bunch of photographs utilizing each telephones in a wide range of circumstances to see which takes the perfect photos. What’s “greatest” typically comes down to private perspective. So whereas I will share my tackle every check as knowledgeable photographer — together with why I want one over the opposite — you would possibly discover you favor the other. Take a look by way of the vary of examples beneath and see if you happen to come to a special conclusion. 

Learn extra: Greatest Digicam Cellphone of 2025

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

Prepared? Let’s dive in.

Beginning out with a simple out of doors scene. Each telephones have accomplished an awesome job capturing a good publicity right here and each photos are filled with 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 seems too saturated, particularly within the blue sky, which I discover fairly distracting. 

It is a lot the identical story once we change 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 an excellent job of compensating for the ultrawide lenses on the edges (a operate 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 vast. 

There’s virtually no distinction between these two out of doors scenes. The blossom seems crisp on each photos, with glorious general publicity. The iPhone’s picture is once more barely hotter in tone but it surely’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 seems just like the S25’s digital camera lens is barely polarized to cut back reflections and improve saturation, however I do not know if that is the case. Both manner, 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 deal with 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 encircling 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 advantageous 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 unhealthy. 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 advantageous particulars, the S25 Extremely’s optical zoom picture undoubtedly has a bit extra readability however the digital upscaling on the iPhone’s shot has accomplished an awesome 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 steadiness. And actually, I haven’t got a desire between the hotter tone of the iPhone or the extra magenta bias of the S25. 

Nevertheless, while you zoom in near the main points, the iPhone has produced a sharper picture right here, with an odd kind of digital blurring across the lamp publish 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 coloration steadiness and I do not actually know which I want. The publicity, noise ranges and quantity of element are virtually similar. 

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

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 blended these up, however I have not. The iPhone’s picture has captured extra mild data right here and produced extra element on the ice door to the suitable. 

The iPhone’s nighttime picture is once more barely brighter right here but it surely’s additionally saved the intense highlights on the pub signal beneath management. On the S25 Extremely’s picture, these highlights are virtually misplaced to pure white however the beautiful inexperienced and yellow tones have been retained within the iPhone’s picture. The colours general are noticeably hotter on the iPhone’s shot, nonetheless, which will not be to your style. Right here, I feel they work properly.

However on this instance, the iPhone has produced a weirdly warm-looking picture that I actually don’t love. These heat colours weren’t current on the time of seize and it does not work for the scene, particularly not with such robust orange tones within the sky. The S25 Extremely’s picture is way more balanced general 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 accomplished 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 properly.

Each telephones have a wider-angle mode for the selfie digital camera, though the iPhone’s appears to be rather a lot wider. That is undoubtedly value conserving in thoughts if you happen to regularly wish to cram numerous pals into your group pics. You may in all probability squeeze at the least one or two further pals in if you happen to used the iPhone, or need to determine who you want least and go away 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 digital camera is best?

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 accomplished one which’s felt this shut. The issue is that neither cellphone excels constantly in a single space; the iPhone 16 Professional’s ultra-wide photographs aren’t as brilliant because the S25 Extremely’s, besides on these events once they really are, confusingly. I’ve taken many extra photos not included right here that each assist a few of my conclusions and argue in opposition to them. Go determine.

However there are some takeaways I can provide with confidence. Typically 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 virtually each Samsung cellphone for the reason that firm began placing cameras in them and it is nonetheless the case at this time. These in search of a extra pure base picture to use your personal filters and results over will likely be higher suited with the iPhone 16 Professional.

However that is much less the case at evening, when the iPhone extra constantly delivers hotter tones that look much less pure than the S25 Extremely’s. So, if evening images is essential to you, the S25 Extremely often is the higher choice. General, its evening mode photos from all lenses have been brighter and sharper.

Certain, the S25 Extremely has the prolonged zoom vary however you’d actually need to know you will profit from a 10x zoom to justify selecting one over the opposite. Personally, I discover the 5x zoom stage an ideal candy spot and right here the telephones are just about on par. And on these uncommon events you could wish 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 great and whereas the corporate’s Photographic Types might be good for including a artistic look to your photos, Samsung’s new device for mimicking the colour grade from instance photographs you feed it really works surprisingly properly — I really assume I’d get extra use out of that general. I have not 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 based mostly solely on the cameras is nigh on unattainable. Which one you need to get will as an alternative come right down to the larger query of iOS versus Android; which platform you are already utilizing and which one will work greatest with different items of tech in your life. However for easy image high quality, you could as properly toss a coin.