Apple’s latest iPhone has an amazing camera. But then, so does Samsung’s. Here’s our expert comparison.
The iPhone 15 Pro Max has one of the best cameras it’s possible to get on any phone, with its main camera and new 5x telephoto zoom lens letting you snag incredible images in any conditions. It’s an overall photography beast, but it isn’t the only great camera phone to buy. Samsung’s Galaxy S23 Ultra has remained one of our top picks for photographers since it launched earlier this year. It can take glorious images, and its 10x zoom offers even more creative options.
But how do these two phones compare when it comes to photo-shooting prowess? To find out, I put both devices through their paces in a series of tests in London and Edinburgh, including night mode imagery, zoom tests and portrait mode challenges.
The long story short is that both phones are incredibly capable when it comes to taking photos that’ll wow your Instagram followers, but read on to see how each phone fares under different conditions.
iPhone 15 Pro Max, main camera.
Galaxy S23 Ultra, main camera.
Both phones have captured this bright, vibrant scene well with their main cameras. But the iPhone 15 Pro Max has produced more realistic colors in both the sky and in the main building to the left of the scene. The S23 Ultra’s sky looks particularly oversaturated , with a yellow tinge to the scene that I’m less keen on.
iPhone 15 Pro Max, ultrawide camera.
Galaxy S23 Ultra, ultrawide lens.
It’s the same story when switching to each phone’s wide-angle lens. The S23 Ultra’s shot is more vibrant, but it looks almost unnaturally saturated as a result. The iPhone 15 Pro Max’s shot looks almost a little drab by comparison, but I prefer its more faithful reproduction of colors.
iPhone 15 Pro Max, main camera.
Galaxy S23 Ultra, main camera.
Beyond a slight shift in white balance, there’s very little to choose between either shot here.
iPhone 15 Pro Max, main camera.
Galaxy S23 Ultra, main camera.
I focused closer-up on these pretty pink flowers using the main cameras on each phone, and the iPhone is the clear winner. It’s provided an attractive out-of-focus bokeh to the background, while keeping the subject looking nice and sharp, which helps the foreground flowers stand out. The S23 Ultra doesn’t have the same depth effect and its colors are extremely saturated. The green leaves to the bottom left of the image in particular look almost toxic against the iPhone’s much more realistic tones.
iPhone 15 Pro Max, main camera.
Galaxy S23 Ultra, main camera.
Color balance isn’t an issue here, with both phones producing well-exposed shots and the vibrant artwork on this bridge looking well-produced in both images.
iPhone 15 Pro Max, main camera.
Galaxy S23 Ultra, main camera.
There’s not a lot of immediate difference here, so I really have to nitpick to draw any conclusion. On the one hand, I slightly prefer the brighter, higher-contrast exposure the S23 Ultra has managed. However, the iPhone 15 Pro Max has a more attractive shallow depth of field, with softer bokeh noticeable on the chairs and light sources in the background. As a result, we can call this one a tie.
iPhone 15 Pro Max, ultrawide lens.
Galaxy S23 Ultra, ultrawide lens.
Switching to the ultrawide cameras on both phones, the big difference is the shift in white balance on the S23 Ultra. Samsung’s phone has opted for an image with a strong magenta color cast that I’m not particularly keen on. While the iPhone’s shot is a little darker, its color tone is much more accurate.
