Camera phone shootout: the iPhone 16 Pro Max Vs Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra

I've finally done it. I've tested out two of the best camera phones that you can buy right now, and pitted Apple's iPhone 16 Pro Max, against Samsung's newest flagship, the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra series. Both of these phones are infused with AI power and have some seriously impressive camera specs on paper, but there can only be one winner here, so which is it?

If you're familiar with some of the best iPhone cameras, then you'll know that these smartphones are very capable of capturing a sharp shot. The iPhone 16 series is the first, however, to introduce the innovative new Camera Control Button, and I'm surprised by how much I really enjoyed using this feature. If you're more of an Android fan (guilty), then Samsung smartphones are the best alternatives to Apple handsets for photographers and content creators, thanks to innovative features like personalised filters, super Nightography, and more detail with the AI ProVisual Engine.

Remember, it's not all about owning the most expensive device to get great shots, and some of the best budget camera phones have pleasantly surprised us too. Interested in more camera phone comparisons? Take a look at my shootout between the Honor Magic 7 Pro and my S24 Ultra to see how these models tackled stunning Slovenian landscapes. More recently, I also pitted the Nothing Phone 3a Pro against my Samsung, and the results were impressive.

Take a look at the spec table below to see what we're working with, and then check out the results and image sliders (drag the slider to see the full image) and see for yourself how the iPhone 16 Pro Max faired against the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra.

Camera Phone Specs

Image comparisons

During today's camera phone shootout, I took to the sunny streets of Bath armed with both of these flagship camera phones, with the intent to capture the exact same shot with each device. I've never shot with either of these phones before, as my current smartphone of choice is the S24 Ultra.

To keep things fair, I stood in the same spot, used the same aspect ratio (16 by 9), and shot using the highest possible quality setting (excluding RAW modes) that both camera phones could muster, which is 48MP for the iPhone 16 Pro Max, and 200MP for the S25 Ultra.

I'm always interested in how AI assists with smartphone photography, as I think that sometimes it can be overused to increase saturation and vibrancy where it's not needed. I think the image sliders above demonstrate that the images captured have accurate true-to-life colours, for a more natural-looking image rather than an Instagram-ready one.

The main focus of this camera phone shootout has been landscape imagery, but check out Rankin's 8 steps to Smartphone Photography Success if you're seeking some excellent tips on shooting portraiture with a smartphone.

The iPhone 16 Pro Max comes equipped with a 48 MP f/1.8, 24mm (wide) camera, as well as a 48 MP f/2.2, 13mm ultrawide camera which isn't far off what the Samsung S25 is sporting. One area where the iPhone 16 Pro Max is lacking is with its zoom, with only a 12 MP f/2.8, 120mm (periscope telephoto) lens. With that said, I did not notice any issues or distortion with the iPhone 16 Pro Max's zoom camera, and it performed well in testing.

In comparison, the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra boasts a 200MP main camera (f/1.7), a 10MP telephoto (f/2.4), a 50MP periscope telephoto (f/3.4), and a new 50MP (previously 12MP) ultrawide (f/1.9) camera array. In terms of footage, my Samsung can shoot 8K at 30fps, compared with 4K at 120fps with the iPhone 16 Pro Max.

Zoom test

As you can see from the image sliders above, the difference in quality between these two camera phones is minimal and really splitting hairs. I have struggled to tell the difference between which phone captured which shot during the upload process and the only giveaway was the larger 20MB+ file sizes of the images shot with the 200MP S25 Ultra.

Image galleries

Photos from the iPhone 16 Pro Max

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Photos from the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra

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Verdict

I can't believe that I'm saying this publicly on the internet as a Samsung fan, but I have to admit that the iPhone 16 Pro Max might be the winner here (though it's very very close). During today's shootout, having never used either camera phone before, I found it much easier to use the iPhone 16 Pro Max and adjust camera settings on the fly thanks to the new Camera Control Button. Being able to control the aperture so easily really is a game-changer.

However, I did find when using the camera control button that it would active and change quite easily without me meaning to adjust it, and I think this may have been down to the Apple silicone case that we had on the phone during testing. The Samsung S25 Ultra performed exquisitely, as I had no doubt that it would, but the reason I think the iPhone succeeds here is not only ease of use - but the fact that Samsung had the advantage in this shootout with a 200MP main camera compared with the iPhone 16 Pro Max's 48MP lens, yet the outcomes captured were very similar.