The Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra Camera: Can It Finally Beat the iPhone?
The very first photo I took on the Galaxy S25 Ultra genuinely surprised me.
Not because Samsung drastically changed the camera hardware—because, well, they barely did. And sure, they announced a handful of software upgrades, but they do that every year. Usually, those promises fizzle out fast. This time, though? The difference was actually visible. Skin tones looked noticeably better, and the photo had more detail in basically every part of the frame.
That gave me hope. Last year, the iPhone 16 Pro Max pretty clearly beat Samsung in the camera showdown—6.5 points to 4.5. But now? There’s a real chance that Samsung might come back with a vengeance.
So I took both phones with me on a dream weekend in rainy London to find out if the S25 Ultra could finally take the crown.
First Impressions: A Slicker Camera Experience
The first thing you'll notice when you launch the S25 Ultra’s camera is how much smoother and more streamlined the entire experience feels. The app is less cluttered, with gimmicky features like AR Emojis (remember those?) trimmed away. Settings are more intuitive and, finally, you can tweak almost everything using just your thumb. That alone makes it feel way more user-friendly—something Samsung used to lag behind on.
Flipping between modes is smoother, zooming feels snappier, and taking the shot is faster. It’s not perfect—Apple’s app still feels a touch quicker and definitely holds the edge at night—but for the first time, Samsung’s camera app feels fast enough. It also has more built-in flexibility and that incredible anti-reflective display makes shooting in bright conditions effortless.
So yeah, Samsung wins this round. Full stop.
Audio: The Underground Test
Perfect test environment? The London Underground, aka audio nightmare fuel.
Samsung’s new AI-powered Audio Eraser feature lets you reduce unwanted background noise after the video is shot. Cool in theory, and it works… sort of. My voice got clearer, but it also lost a bit of quality in the process.
Apple’s version, using its audio mix feature, is slightly better. No surprise there—iPhones have four mics versus Samsung’s three, giving them more data to clean things up. So, in noisy places, Apple still has the edge for sound.
Video Quality: A Genuine Leap
Samsung always says their video has improved. Usually, it’s just marketing fluff. But this time? It’s legit.
Daytime videos are brighter and sharper than last year’s. In mid-light conditions, the S25 Ultra handles movement way better, separating static and moving objects for smarter processing. And at night, the difference in noise—especially in the sky—is dramatic.
That said, the iPhone still edges it out in low light. You can see subtle gradients and more consistent detail where Samsung footage starts to mush together. But in most lighting conditions? The gap is closing fast.
Zoom: Samsung’s Secret Weapon
Even without new Zoom hardware, Samsung’s software improvements have made a real impact. Zoom into a building and you’ll notice that the S25 Ultra pulls out more texture and clarity than its predecessor—because the software now just gets how to process that data better.
And compared to the iPhone 16 Pro Max? It’s a slam dunk. Samsung has two telephoto lenses (3x and 5x), while the iPhone has just one (5x). So at 3x, 5x, and beyond, Samsung consistently looks better.
Yes, some shots feel a bit overprocessed—like someone went in with a Sharpie to define the lines—but it’s still way ahead of Apple when it comes to long-range shots and zoom video.
Auto Mode Showdown
Last year, the iPhone took this one for faster, higher-res photos and a significantly better ultra-wide. But with Samsung’s new 50MP ultra-wide, the playing field is now level. There's barely any color shift when switching between lenses, and capture speed is way up.
However, Samsung’s default resolution is still 12MP, while Apple’s sits at a crisp 24MP. It shows. In zoomed-in comparisons, Apple’s shots are just sharper. And despite the higher resolution, iPhone files take up less space. Plus, Apple’s Live Photos are baked right in—Samsung doesn’t do this automatically, and enabling it just increases file size.
On balance? Still a win for Apple.
Post-Processing & AI Editing: Samsung Takes the Lead
This is where Samsung absolutely crushes it.
Generative edit lets you erase, resize, or move elements in your photo like they were never there. Apple's new Clean Up tool? Let’s just say it’s more of a rough draft. Samsung even lets you turn a photo into a live photo, remove window reflections, clean up shadows, and yes—change the sky. Want sunset vibes? Just tap.
Some features, like filter generation based on your favorite photo, feel gimmicky. But the editing tools overall? Samsung wins, easily.
Selfies & Front Camera
Samsung’s finally figured out skin tones, and selfies are the proof. Compared to the S24 Ultra, faces look more natural and better textured. I already liked Samsung’s selfies more than Apple’s—and now it’s no contest.
That said, front-facing video is still better on the iPhone, especially in low light. Why? Optical image stabilization. Samsung’s electronic version just can’t compete when the lighting dips.
Instagram and TikTok creators, take note: Samsung’s footage on these apps is finally decent. Last year it was a pixelated mess. Huge improvement.
Special Modes: A Mixed Bag
Apple still wins for slow-mo—it’s just cleaner. But Samsung makes it easier to access and use, and their macro shots are now sharper thanks to that 50MP ultra-wide sensor.
Cinematic and portrait-style videos? Basically a draw. But portrait photos? Samsung wins again. Better edge detection, richer style, and more flexibility with zoom.
That said, Samsung’s processing sometimes gets overzealous—adding fake skin texture, for example. Not a dealbreaker, but worth noting.
Night Mode: Apple Still Reigns
The S25 Ultra is way better at night than the S24 Ultra. It smooths over noise smartly and captures more detail in the shadows.
But compared to the iPhone? It still looks soft. Apple’s footage is cleaner straight out of the gate and doesn’t need that extra layer of smoothing.
And when it comes to night zoom, Apple even sneaks ahead in some cases—because while Samsung’s lens can technically zoom further, it’s just not capturing enough clean detail in low light.
Final Score: iPhone 6, Samsung 5
It's close. Way closer than before. And honestly, some categories matter more than others, depending on how you shoot.
But overall? I’d still say the iPhone has the better camera system right now. Not by much, but enough.
Samsung is getting dangerously close, though—and if they keep improving video and low light at this rate, next year could be a different story entirely.
Want the full breakdown in video form? Stay tuned for the full review. In the meantime, tell me—are you Team iPhone or Team Samsung this year?