Camera battle — iPhone 17 Pro Max vs Galaxy S25 Ultra

Bloggers have already compared the camera phone shooting capabilities of the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra and the new Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max. Both flagship phones excel in photography and videography, but they prioritize different features, which is evident in night scenes, portraits, and high-zoom shots.

This is what the SuperSaf video on YouTube shows.

Who won the battle of the cameras

In low light, the iPhone 17 Pro Max's main and telephoto cameras are more likely to produce cleaner, sharper images with better light balance. Both the rear and front cameras have more stable video stabilization, and the preview is lighter at night, making it easier to frame. The new, wider selfie camera has better HDR, and 4x portraits look more realistic. Photo Styles lets you customize the look of your photo even after you take it.

However, the long daytime zoom (20x–40x) lacks fine detail, and unlike Samsung, there is no 8K video mode.

The Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra's separate 3x and 5x modules provide more options for portraits and medium-focus shooting. During the day, Samsung can read small text at 20x-40x zoom and maintain sharpness. It is also possible to shoot 8K video from three cameras at once. Powerful AI tools assist with complex retouching. In noisy environments, Audio Eraser sometimes improves sound clarity.

At night, the main/telephoto camera has more noise and highlights, and the ultra-wide camera may cause jitter when walking. The preview in the dark is darker, making it harder to shoot.

As always, there is no clear winner. Both smartphones perform well in different conditions. If I had to choose one, it would be the iPhone 17 Pro Max if you value quality night shots, stable video, and selfies. If you often take portraits, use a powerful zoom during the day, and appreciate AI tools, the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra is the better choice.

Read more:

iPhone 17 Pro cameras — major upgrades and new features

Galaxy S25 FE — slimmer, lighter, and sleeker than ever