iPhone 16 Pro Max vs Samsung S24 Ultra Camera Battle!

Summary

In this detailed comparison, the iPhone 16 Pro Max and Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra battle for the crown in smartphone photography. With Apple's enhancements in audio quality, video, ultra-wide camera, and night mode, the iPhone emerges as the new champion, flipping the previous 6.5 to 4.5 score in favor of Samsung to a 6.5 to 4.5 victory for the iPhone. Key improvements include Apple's four-microphone setup for superior audio, a wider and more detailed ultra-wide camera, and a more efficient camera app. Samsung holds its ground with 8K video and portrait mode, but the iPhone's overall performance and user experience secure its win.

Takeaways

• 🎙️ The iPhone 16 Pro Max has improved microphones, featuring four 'studio' microphones and advanced wind noise reduction, making it the winner in sound quality compared to the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra.
• 📹 The iPhone 16 Pro Max leads in video quality, offering better ultra-wide camera performance and dynamic range, though the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra has an 8K video mode that can be superior in the right conditions.
• 📸 In terms of photo quality, the iPhone 16 Pro Max's new 48-megapixel Ultra-wide camera allows it to surpass the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra, especially in low-light conditions and detail capture.
• 🤳 For selfies, the iPhone 16 Pro Max offers wider shots and better video quality from the front camera, but Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra excels in portrait selfies with more vibrant colors.
• 🔍 Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra has a better zoom capability with a higher resolution at 5x optical zoom and a secondary 3x zoom camera, enhancing its overall zoom performance.
• 🌌 In night mode photography, both phones perform well, but the iPhone 16 Pro Max's images tend to be grainier while Samsung's images are smoother with added sharpening.
• 📱 The iPhone 16 Pro Max's camera app is faster and more intuitive, with quick access to settings and a more streamlined user experience, giving it an edge over Samsung's app.
• 🖌️ Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra offers more advanced AI editing features like object removal and sketch-to-image, while the iPhone 16 Pro Max is catching up with its upcoming 'cleanup' feature.
• 🏆 The iPhone 16 Pro Max has reemerged as the king of smartphone photography with a score of 6.5 to 4.5, flipping the previous score in favor of Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra.
• 📱 The sponsor, taurs, offers a versatile case that serves as a grip, kickstand, and protector, enhancing the overall photography experience on both the iPhone and Samsung devices.

Q & A

Which phone is considered to have better sound quality in the video review?

The iPhone 16 Pro Max is considered to have better sound quality due to Apple's upgrade to four microphones, higher grade studio microphones, and improved wind noise reduction.

How does the iPhone 16 Pro Max compare to the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra in terms of video quality?

The iPhone 16 Pro Max outperforms the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra in video quality, offering better ultra-wide camera capabilities, dynamic range, and noise reduction.

What is the special feature of the iPhone 16 Pro Max's ultra-wide camera?

The iPhone 16 Pro Max's ultra-wide camera has been upgraded to 48 megapixels, allowing for more detailed close-ups and improved macro photography.

Which phone offers better 8K video capabilities according to the review?

The Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra offers better 8K video capabilities, but it requires the right conditions to take full advantage of it.

What is the reviewer's opinion on the selfie capabilities of the iPhone 16 Pro Max and Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra?

The reviewer prefers the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra for portrait selfies due to the warmth of skin tones and vibrancy of the scenery, but acknowledges that the iPhone 16 Pro Max has improved selfie video quality.

How does the iPhone 16 Pro Max's camera app compare to the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra's in terms of speed and usability?

The iPhone 16 Pro Max's camera app is faster and more intuitive to use, with a noticeable difference in shooting speed, especially in high-resolution modes.

What is the reviewer's stance on the AI editing features of the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra and the iPhone 16 Pro Max?

The reviewer finds that the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra has more sophisticated AI editing features like generative editing and sketch to image, while the iPhone 16 Pro Max lags behind with only the upcoming 'cleanup' feature.

Which phone provides better zoom capabilities according to the video review?

The Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra provides better zoom capabilities with a higher resolution five times optical zoom lens and a second zoom camera at three times.

How does the reviewer evaluate the core photo quality of the iPhone 16 Pro Max and the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra?

The reviewer gives the category of photos to the iPhone 16 Pro Max, citing its default 24-megapixel photos and the efficiency of the Heath Max format as advantages.

What is the reviewer's conclusion regarding night mode photography between the two phones?

The reviewer concludes that the iPhone 16 Pro Max performs better in night mode, with less noisy video and comparable photo quality to the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra.

Outlines

00:00

📱 Smartphone Camera Showdown: iPhone 16 Pro Max vs Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra

The paragraph introduces a comparison between the iPhone 16 Pro Max and the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra, focusing on their photography capabilities. It mentions a previous comparison where Samsung had a slight edge. The new iPhone is said to have improvements like a capture button, faster shooting, an improved ultra-wide camera, better microphones, and more software features. The narrator expresses excitement about potentially switching to the winning phone based on the test results. The comparison starts with sound quality, where the iPhone 16 Pro Max is noted to have an upgraded microphone system and superior wind noise reduction, leading to a win in audio quality over the Samsung. The video quality comparison also favors the iPhone 16 Pro Max, which has a wider ultra-wide camera and better dynamic range. However, the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra is praised for its 8K video capability, which can be superior in the right conditions.

05:00

🎥 Video and Selfie Comparison: Detailing the Cameras' Performance

This paragraph delves into the video quality of both smartphones, with the iPhone 16 Pro Max taking the lead due to its higher resolution and cleaner output. It also discusses the special modes like slow motion and macro, where the iPhone has closed the gap with Samsung, offering 4K slow motion and improved macro capabilities. The iPhone's action mode is slightly better in resolution and cleanliness. The paragraph then shifts to selfie capabilities, where both phones offer different styles. The Samsung is appreciated for its portrait mode and skin tone warmth, while the iPhone introduces photographic styles to customize skin tones. However, the iPhone's front camera processing and optimization for apps like Instagram give it an edge in selfie video quality. The paragraph ends with a discussion on the camera app experience, where the iPhone's app is deemed faster and more intuitive, while Samsung offers more settings and controls.

10:00

🖼️ Zoom and Editing Features: Samsung's Innovations vs Apple's Reliability

The focus of this paragraph is on the zoom capabilities and editing features of both phones. Samsung's S24 Ultra is noted for its improved zoom performance and higher resolution at 5x zoom, along with a secondary 3x zoom camera for consistent quality. The iPhone, while having a 48-megapixel main camera, defaults to a 24-megapixel photo for better balance. Samsung is also praised for its portrait mode, especially when using the zoom lens, but the iPhone's main camera performs better at 1x. The paragraph highlights Samsung's advanced AI editing features like generative edits and sketch to image, positioning it ahead of Apple, which is described as being late to the AI party with only a basic 'cleanup' feature announced. The comparison wraps up with a discussion on core photo quality, where the iPhone 16 Pro Max's new ultra-wide camera and high-resolution mode give it an advantage, despite Samsung's higher maximum resolution.

15:02

🌙 Night Photography and Final Verdict: Apple's Consistency Triumphs

The final paragraph addresses the performance of both phones in low-light conditions. Samsung's video quality suffers from noise in the dark, and its colors can become overly intense, while the iPhone maintains better color control and detail. In night photography, both phones perform comparably, with Apple opting for a grainier look and Samsung for a smoother image with added sharpening. The paragraph concludes with the overall verdict of the camera comparison, where the iPhone 16 Pro Max emerges as the winner with a score of 6.5 to 4.5, prompting the narrator to switch to the iPhone. The paragraph also mentions the use of a Taura case and screen protector, which are praised for their quality and functionality, and a discount offer is provided for the audience.

Keywords

💡iPhone 16 Pro Max

The iPhone 16 Pro Max is a hypothetical next-generation Apple smartphone mentioned in the script. It represents the latest iteration of Apple's iPhone line, which is known for its advanced camera systems and software features. In the context of the video, it is compared against the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra to determine which device excels in smartphone photography. The script highlights various features of the iPhone 16 Pro Max, such as its improved Ultra Wide camera, action mode, and microphone setup.

💡Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra

The Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra is another hypothetical smartphone from Samsung, a company renowned for its Galaxy series of devices. It is positioned as a competitor to the iPhone 16 Pro Max in the video script, with a focus on its camera capabilities. The script discusses the phone's performance in various photography and videography scenarios, including its 8K video recording and portrait mode features.

💡Ultra Wide Camera

The Ultra Wide Camera refers to a feature on smartphones that allows for a wider field of view in photography and videography. In the script, the iPhone 16 Pro Max's Ultra Wide camera is praised for capturing more of a scene while maintaining detail, especially when compared to the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra. This feature is crucial for landscape photography and group shots where a broader perspective is desired.

💡Microphones

Microphones on smartphones are used for recording audio, and the script discusses the iPhone 16 Pro Max's upgraded microphone setup. It mentions that Apple has enhanced the microphones to be of higher grade and has focused on wind noise reduction, resulting in superior audio quality. This is significant for users who record videos with their smartphones, as it can greatly impact the overall production value.

💡Action Mode

Action Mode is a feature on smartphones designed to stabilize video recording in dynamic or shaky conditions, such as while on a roller coaster. The script compares the iPhone 16 Pro Max and Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra's action modes, noting that both have improved but with the iPhone providing slightly higher resolution and cleaner output.

💡Portrait Mode

Portrait Mode is a photography feature that allows for a depth-of-field effect, blurring the background to focus on the subject. The script discusses the quality of portraits taken by both the iPhone 16 Pro Max and Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra, with Samsung receiving praise for its realistic background blur and edge detection. This mode is popular for professional-looking photos where the subject is the main focus.

💡Night Mode

Night Mode is a camera feature that enhances low-light photography by allowing for longer exposure times and better noise reduction. The script compares the Night Mode capabilities of the iPhone 16 Pro Max and Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra, noting that while both phones perform well, the iPhone's approach to handling noise and color in low-light conditions gives it an edge.

💡AI Editing Features

AI Editing Features refer to the use of artificial intelligence to assist in editing photos and videos. The script mentions that Samsung has advanced AI capabilities such as generative editing and sketch to image, while Apple's offerings in this area are more limited at the time of the review. AI editing can significantly streamline the post-production process for users.

💡Optical Zoom

Optical Zoom is a camera feature that allows for lossless magnification of a subject by using the physical lens components. The script discusses the optical zoom capabilities of both smartphones, with Samsung's offering a higher resolution at 5x optical zoom. Optical zoom is important for capturing distant subjects without compromising image quality.

💡Camera App

The Camera App is the software interface on smartphones through which users access and control the camera's functions. The script evaluates the camera apps of both the iPhone 16 Pro Max and Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra, focusing on their speed, intuitiveness, and additional features. A well-designed camera app can enhance the photography experience by providing quick access to settings and modes.

Highlights

The Samsung Galaxy s24 Ultra has been compared to the previous year's iPhone, with Samsung scoring 6.5 to 4.5.

The new iPhone 16 Pro Max features a capture button, faster shooting, improved ultra-wide camera, and enhanced microphones.

Apple has upgraded to four studio-grade microphones with a focus on wind noise reduction, resulting in superior audio quality.

The iPhone 16 Pro Max records 360° Sound by default, offering a new level of audio capture.

In video quality, the iPhone 16 Pro Max outperforms the Samsung Galaxy s24 Ultra across various aspects.

The iPhone's ultra-wide camera provides a wider shot with more detail, even when zoomed in.

The iPhone handles dynamic range better, maintaining details in both bright and dark areas of a scene.

Samsung's video quality can appear grainy and soft, especially in non-ideal lighting conditions.

The iPhone's action mode provides smoother video, even in extreme conditions like a roller coaster ride.

The Galaxy s24 Ultra shoots 8K video, which can be superior in the right conditions but requires careful handling.

The iPhone's slow-motion video has been upgraded to 4K, now matching Samsung's quality.

The iPhone's macro mode has been improved with a 48-megapixel ultra-wide camera, allowing for more detailed close-ups.

The iPhone's selfie camera offers a wider shot and more natural skin tones, while Samsung excels in portrait mode.

The iPhone's front camera provides less grainy video and better performance in less-than-ideal lighting.

The iPhone's camera app is faster and more intuitive, with quick access to settings and a smoother user experience.

Samsung's display is super bright and has reduced glare, enhancing the photo-taking experience.

Samsung offers more control over camera settings, but the iPhone's app is more streamlined and user-friendly.

Samsung's camera app can be controlled with an S Pen and air gestures, a unique feature not found on the iPhone.

The iPhone's new 48-megapixel ultra-wide camera significantly improves photo quality, especially in low light.

The iPhone's main camera defaults to 24 megapixels, offering high-quality photos without needing to adjust settings.

In night mode, the iPhone allows for grain while Samsung smooths images, resulting in different aesthetic outcomes.

The iPhone 16 Pro Max is declared the winner of the camera test, with a score flip to 6.5 for iPhone and 4.5 for Samsung.

The iPhone 16 Pro Max's camera improvements are significant, leading to a switch from the previous Samsung device.

The video highlights the use of a Torras case and 360° spin case, showcasing their functionality and compatibility.

Transcripts

this is the iPhone 16 Pro Max this is

the Samsung Galaxy s24 Ultra when we

compared the Samsung to last year's

iPhone Samsung 1 with 6.5 points to 4.5

and so the question is can this new

iPhone with its capture button faster

and higher quality shooting improved

Ultra wide camera and close-ups better

microphones and a lot more software

features reemerge as the king of

smartphone photography or has Samsung

with all of the updates since launch

actually pulled even further ahead of

the iPhone oh yeah and the phone that

wins this test is the phone permanently

switched to oh my

God that's going to be me so let's start

with sound quality you're listening to

the Samsungs right now and it sounds

good iPhones and Samsungs have been

pretty neck and neck when it comes to

this for years now but this year that

changes cuz now you're listening to the

iPhones Apple has upgraded to four

microphones instead of Samsung 3 they're

apparently higher grade studio

microphones whatever that means but also

Apple has paid particular attention to

wind noise reduction and you can tell I

mean this is is the best sounding audio

that I have ever heard on any phone with

the additional option now of selecting

whose audio the phone focuses on since

the thing now records 360° Sound by

default so last time sound was a draw

this time I feel very confident handing

the win to the iPhone 16 Pro Max and

while we're at it how's the video

quality well the iPhone 15 Pro Max was

already ahead of Samsung when it comes

to video so now that that's been updated

to the 16 Pro Max it pretty much smokes

the Samsung on all fronts so so that's

in terms of the ultra wide camera can

you see how the iPhone is both wider so

it gets more in the shot while also

having the same amount of detail when

you get up close even though you have to

punch in more to get to it it's in terms

of dynamic range the ability of your

phone to evenly expose your shot so you

don't have something that's too bright

or too dark but look at the trees in the

background here can you see that Samsung

has kind of lost the information in them

now let's be very clear the iPhone isn't

always better we did find in a few

scenes that the iPhone was trying to

make things too balanced but to do that

it had to make the dark areas

unnaturally bright but it's better on

average apple is also better when it

comes to noise if you look at the brick

work over here you can see that you

don't even need to go to a night scene

for Samsung to start looking a little

grainy and soft and I actually could not

believe the difference between the two

phones here I think it's massive but the

biggest thing for me is just detail like

if you wanted to get in closer to see me

having the time of my life on perhaps

the most thrilling ride in existence

it's not going to look very good on the

Samsung both phones do also have an

action mode for when things get really

out of hand and they both make big

strides in terms of smoothing out all of

the absolutely insane acrobatics I was

being subjected to on this roller

coaster but the iPhones is slightly

higher resolution and a little bit

cleaner the only exception that I could

find to this rule is 8k the Galaxy s24

Ultra shoots 8K video and when you get

the right conditions it's actually

really good and it definitely trumps the

iPhone it's just you have to get it

right you have to work around Samsung's

other video shortcomings to properly

take advantage of it to the point where

I think most people will prefer how the

iPhone's 4K footage looks to Samsung's

8K but things are changing when it comes

to special modes and this is basically

extras that your phone does that are fun

but they're not part of the core camera

experience so that's slow motion that's

close-up macro mode that's any kind of

cinematic video mode and last time I did

this test I gave the point to Samsung

because of its ability to shoot slow

motion in 4k which was significantly

better than Apple's 1080p but now the

iPhone do 4K too and actually Apple's

slow-mo is like when you're taking

normal videos just less noisy than

Samsung's it actually feels 100% on par

with the quality that you get on your

normal iPhone video mode and the iPhone

has also had an upgrade to macro since

the ultra wide camera on the phone has

gone from 12 mapel to now 48 and macro

uses this Ultra wide camera so now the

iPhone does take noticeably more

detailed close-ups in Samsung apologies

for the slightly strange example but um

you'd be surprised how Unpretty things

look when you 2 cm away from them and

then your portrait cinematic video is

well I find pretty comparable between

the two but the improvements to the

iPhone and the other things are enough

for this special modes category to swing

completely from a Samsung win to an

iPhone win one thing that only the

iPhone does is space your video to watch

back on your Apple Vision Pro but I feel

like it's a little early in the day for

mixed reality headsets for that to be

any kind of substantial perk besides I

feel like if you have a Vision Pro

you're definitely an iPhone user anyway

what about selfies well there's a couple

of things to bear in mind first of all

that both phones can either shoot narrow

selfies for just you or wider to capture

a full scene and when you choose to go

wide on the iPhone it is wider I

wouldn't say there's a tangible

difference in detail between the two but

I do find it so interesting how both of

these phones have such a different style

and interpretation of exactly the same

scene and yet they both also kind of

seem right when you take them so really

this one's up to you but I do personally

prefer the Samsung I just think there's

something about the warmth of the skin

tones the vibrancy of the scenery oh and

also Samsung does a cracking job at

portraits so portrait selfies look

better the iPhone does now have some new

photographic styles that let you tweak

the skin tone in your shots to exactly

your preference and I will say the way

that Apple sold this the idea of you

deciding how you want to look in your

photos and then setting that style as

your default and then always looking

right from that point onwards is

actually very enticing but it's just

that in practice your skin tone is going

going to look different in every photo

anyway because of all the other factors

and so if you really wanted to get this

skin tone thing right you'd probably

have to go through like every single

photo ever taken of you and tweak each

one individually which doesn't feel like

a sensible use of time now the video

from these front cameras is every bit as

important anytime you want to record a

little holiday Vlog anytime you want to

make a Tik Tok anytime you video call

someone these are the cameras that

you're banking on and while I'm happy

that what the while I'm happy that

Samsung is paying attention to the

hardware in their front camera they are

definitely being let down with the

software processing so have a look at

this clip do you not think that Samsung

looks more cinematic like I'm being

filmed with a proper rear camera as

opposed to a tiny little selfie camera

it feels more professional compared to

the iPhone's more basic setup but there

are caveats the iPhone camera makes me

look better for starters pretty

consistently Samsung's got a real gritty

vibe to it you know kind of like I'm

filming the next Batman movie the iPhone

front camera is less grainy too you

notice Samsung really struggling when

you're not in ideal lighting and it's

it's such a shame because you know that

they've actually put a better camera on

the front of their phone but the biggest

difference have a look at this I created

a burner Instagram account with zero

followers to see how well each camera

takes footage directly within other apps

and as you can see here Apple has done a

really good job optimizing the Instagram

camera to retain most of the video and

audio processing that happens in its

normal camera app but even when you're

going straight onto Instagram Samsung

not so much and I feel like at this

point it's less of a Samsung issue it's

more of an Android issue there's just

there's too many devices on Android for

Instagram to optimize for every single

one both phones also shoot cinematic

video on their front camera which is

good I think it adds a lot of much

needed depth to what could otherwise be

quite a flat camera I think Apple shoots

in higher quality but Samsung just gets

portrait mode I really like the style of

it but overall we have to give selfie

video to the iPhone but one part of the

camera experience that I feel like gets

very overlooked is the camera app itself

a good camera app is going to give you a

ton of options it's going to make

shooting fun and most importantly it's

going to allow you to take what you want

to take quickly and on that note the

difference in shooting speed is now back

to being large again Apple used to be

far ahead and Samsung closed the Gap and

now apple is far ahead again

particularly when you're shooting using

both phones high resolution modes so

this is Apple's 48 megap versus

Samsung's 50 megapix mode and it's not

just that it feels fast it has a

tangible impact on your photos like look

here it's not just that the iPhone

managed to stop the water earlier in its

tracks but it has actually stopped the

water you can see the texture inside of

this stream which I think is absolutely

insane and while you're probably not

taking a lot of photos of frog fountains

the same differences will also apply to

photos of family where someone's

constantly laughing or friends that

don't listen to instructions and kids

that don't sit still I would also say

that the iPhone's app is a little

prettier and a little more intuitive to

use with one hand like pretty much

everything you might need to use is

always a swipe away as well as still

being a little smoother and faster than

Samsung's but then Samsung's got some

stuff going for it too you get more

settings more control over exactly what

you want your camera experience to be

but the big thing is really you'll

probably have noticed this throughout

the entire video that Samsung's display

is super bright and the reduced glare

that it screen picks up actually makes

the photo taking experience tangibly

better so I'm going to go for a draw on

this one and yes you can control the

entire Samsung camera app using just the

S Pen and some air gestures which is

wildly cool by the way but you just I

mean you'll probably use it like once in

your life and then yes there is also the

new camera control on the iPhone

which same if you want to hear my rant

on this button or not button whatever

you call it that's in my unboxing video

but for the purposes of now I'm going to

say that it adds nothing of note to the

iPhone's camera experience and on the

subject of the camera experience let's

talk editing you might have seen that

Samsung has full generative edit

capability ities so you can pick up

objects you can move those objects you

can resize them and the phone will fill

in the blanks automatically Samsung has

sketch to image you make a little Doodle

and then the phone turns that doodle

into a real object in your image which

is often fiddly and a little

disappointing but every now and again

jaw-droppingly impressive an Apple has

basically nothing this is where you feel

the consequence of Apple being late to

the AI party as of right now the only AI

editing feature currently announced is

cleanup which is not bad but it's coming

later in a software up date and based on

the beta it doesn't feel as

sophisticated yet as what other phones

are doing and this is where I would say

Samsung picks up a bit of steam cuz I

would say they also win when it comes to

zoom too I remember when the s24 ultra

first came out not being particularly

impressed by Zoom but it seems like

updates since that launch have brought

it back up to scratch both phones have a

five times optical zoom lens but

Samsung's five times is higher

resolution and it also feels like

Samsung knows what to do with it better

it feel feels like they're not afraid to

really dial up the software processing

on images when you zoom in a lot which

not everyone's going to love but I think

it's what these images need we even

tried a concert environment and can you

see how when you get super up close that

there's not actually much more

information being captured on the

Samsung it's just correcting the image

way more aggressively and confidently

and it makes it better not to mention

that Samsung also has a second zoom

camera at three times which just helps

to keep Zoom shots high quality

throughout the entire Zoom range and

also as I've alluded to earlier in this

video Samsung just gets portrait mode

Apple was the first company to do any

kind of portrait mode well but you can

just tell that in the meantime Samsung

has really invested energy into making

sure that their portrait mode becomes

something special it's got that magic

combination of realistic background blur

that doesn't feel like too much and

gently gets more blurred as objects get

further away with extremely good

reliable Edge detection and colors that

the key caveat is that these portraits

were taken on the five time zoom cameras

which favors Samsung because they've got

a better one when you take portraits

using the one times main camera then

Apple does gain a big leg up cuz it can

shoot 24 megap portraits instead of

Samsung's 12 but I do think that

portraits in general do look better when

you're more zoomed in so this one's for

Samsung now just before we get to the

crowning of what is going to be my new

phone we need to talk about core photo

quality and Nightmare mode so the main

change to photo quality with the iPhone

16 Pro is the new 48 map Ultra wide

camera and it was definitely the thing

to change since this is the one area

that I felt it was weaker than the

Samsung in but on first glance there's

not really a massive difference between

the two unless unless you specifically

use Apple's high res 48 megapixel modes

but if you do use that then yeah Samsung

just can't keep up because its Ultra

wide is only 12 at maximum Now using the

high-res photo mode with which Apple

calls Heath Max is not without

compromise it means that photos take a

bit longer to capture it means you don't

get live photos anymore and high

resolution photos also take up more

space but here's what I think Apple's

done really well I think the photos

still capture fast enough and Apple's

heat file format is actually so

efficient that a 48 megapixel shot on

this takes up like half the storage of a

12 megapixel shot on this so they've

made it convenient enough that I will

actually just keep Heath Max on by

default and so the iPhone does become

the much better Ultra wide camera for me

and that's mostly true for the main

camera too technically Samsung destroys

Apple in terms of resolution Samsung's

main cam is 200 megap Apple's is 48 but

then when you really boil it down the

best photo quality that Samsung can take

without some sort of major compromise in

terms of processing quality or capture

time is 12 whereas Apple's default is 24

you can take every normal photo on the

iPhone in 24 megapixel without needing

to change any settings or think about it

or sacrifice anything and that I think

is a massive perk and yes you can if you

want to take a 200 megapixel photo on

the Samsung but it's kind of like the

whole 8K video thing there are

situations in which it will be amazing

but only in absolutely ideal conditions

more often than not I found that the

iPhone's lower resolution shot will

still look better so I'm giving the

category of photos to the iPhone it's

not a blanket win there are absolutely

times when I think Samsung has made

someone's face look better or has a

nicer pop of color but if we're going on

averages then 70 to 80% of the shots the

iPhone takes I think are better now

based on what you've seen so far you've

probably guessed what happens when

things get super dark like yeah

Samsung's video becomes noisy that same

thing that you noticed a little bit

during the day gets exacerbated when the

lighting becomes challenging like look

how much grain there is in the smoke

coming out of this fire Samsung also

gets a little funky when it comes to

color control like all of a sudden why

does my sky look so deep blue that it's

it's like I'm sitting in front of a blue

screen or like when we tried walking to

an area with lots of bright lights that

weren't white lights Samsung makes those

colors so intense that you are actually

losing detail on what those lights are

shining onto but the night photos are

quite comparable this one was actually

kind of shocking for me because this

scene was so dark I could barely see

where I was going and both phones

rescued it the only key consistent

difference that I noticed between these

two phones is when things get dark Apple

lets your images get a bit grainy

Samsung will smooth your image to get

rid of grain and then add sharpening

back into the photo to correct for that

smoothness actually this Zoom shot is

like the perfect example of my point can

you see how as we zoom into this tent to

capture I'm left with two very different

looking images in which neither feels

wrong or better than the other it feels

like the amount of detail being captured

is pretty equivalent but the difference

in video is enough to swing this night

category into Apple's C so that means we

have a complete score flip in the last

test it was 6.5 to Samsung and 4.5 to

the iPhone this time it's 6.5 iPhone 4.5

Samsung the new iPhone isn't the most

exciting iPhone upgrade but the camera

improvements they've made are important

ones so this is now the phone that I'm

going to switch to and you want to know

why I've been completely comfortable

propping my phone up in all sorts of

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every part of the phone the grip being

permanently locked into the phone and

the stand working perfectly for both

vertical and horizontal use but then

they have the glasso X screen protector

which applies perfectly almost every

single time thanks to a mechanism that

pulls out air from the center shortening

the distance that air needs to escape

escape from and it also perfectly

highlights the new thinner screen

borders on the iPhone while being

compatible with most cases and resistant

to both scratches and 12T drops oh yeah

and I've managed to get I say full 20%

off everything in the Tes store so link

below to check it out