Samsung’s S25 camera is rumored to be better than the iPhone 16’s, with a few caveats
posted Friday, September 13, 2024 at 10:28 AM EST
With the imminent arrival of the iPhone 16, eyes are turning back for the response from their major competitor, Samsung. We’ve reported before on the potential specifications for the Samsung Galaxy S25, and the knee-jerk reaction to them is to posit that they are superior to that of the iPhone 16 range. With a 200MP sensor being developed for the S25, a Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 processor and a bright AMOLED screen, the S25 would seemingly have its rival - even the higher-end iPhone 16 Pro Max - beaten. Wouldn’t it?
Sort of. We apply a lot of importance to camera resolution, and in a sense it is important. The initial assumption when weighing up a 12MP camera or a 48MP smartphone is that the latter is better, but that fails to consider the many aspects that give a camera sensor its capabilities. From the optics in front of it to the physical size of the sensor, resolution isn’t the be-all and end-all. All imaging equipment works on light reading, and larger sensors are capable of letting in more light. So whilst the 48MP sensor of the iPhone Pro max may on paper seem better than that of, say, the Sony a6400, the a6400 will always take better, brighter images.
The same logic applies to the distinction between the S25 and iPhone 16. Even as a 1”, 200MP sensor, the S25 is still prospectively less powerful than the iPhone 16, given that the optics attached are less powerful. This can even be highlighted in the leaked specs, where the trio of cameras attached to the S25 are touted as only being 50MP each. Any sort of digital zoom will drastically reduce resolution regardless, further hamstringing the 200MP mark that Samsung is highlighting. Whilst we don’t doubt that it is capable of achieving the resolution Samsung claims, images will be flatter and darker than those of a mirrorless system. And even if all of the S25’s promises prove to be true, does anyone want hundreds of 200MP files clogging up their phone’s limited storage?
We’ve bullied the Samsung Galaxy S25 somewhat so far - as it’s always easy to doubt an unreleased product - but our criticisms do stretch to the iPhone, too. Even the Pro Max variant of the iPhone 16, with its 48MP cameras and 4K 120FPS video, will still fall short of most cameras. We recently highlighted the fallacy of the iPhone 16 Pro Max’s cinematic claims, and the same applies to general photography. The photos used in the Glowtime event’s presentation have a distinct air of over-editing, with conspicuously studio-lit portraits and macro images. We don’t doubt that they were shot on iPhone, but to replicate the results on your own iPhone 16 will require some serious lighting.
Though it seems that camera use is in decline, and smartphone sensors are growing in size, don’t be fooled. The optimum choice for professionals has and always will be the full-frame camera. So if you’re growing frustrated with the images your smartphone is taking, maybe you should consider investing in a camera rather than the latest iPhone?