In one corner of this tense triumvirate, you have theiPhone 16 Pro Max.
Apple added a host of AI-powered features while retaining popular enhancements like Cinematic and Spatial modes.
See iPhone 16 Pro Max at Best Buy
Next, weve got theSamsung Galaxy S24 Ultra.
© Charles Anthony Davis/DreamSmith LLC
The king of optical zoom, the S24 kept its predecessors 100X Space Zoom and 200MP main camera.
However, Samsung swapped out the 10X periscope for a 5X telephoto lens.
The company also loadedthe S24 Ultra with a slew of AI-assisted features.
©Photo: Charles Anthony Davis/DreamSmith LLC
See Galaxy S24 Ultra at Samsung
And last but certainly not least, theres theGoogle Pixel 9 Pro XL.
Google hasnt tinkered with the formula too much.
The wide sensor has a megapixel bump and has gotten slightly larger to capture more light.
©Photo: Charles Anthony Davis/DreamSmith LLC
The sensors been enlarged ever so slightly to capture more light.
The ultrawide lens also got a boost.
Thanks to Google Gemini, editing photos and videos has never been so easy.
©Photo: Charles Anthony Davis/DreamSmith LLC
The main Fusion camera is also 48MP with a /1.78 aperture.
The front camera also has a 12MP sensor with an f/1.9 aperture.
The sensor retains its predecessor, 100X Space Zoom.
©Photo: Charles Anthony Davis/DreamSmith LLC
The primary cameras 200MP (f/1.7 aperture) sensor is ideal for night mode and depth effects.
The front camera is 42MP with an /2.2 aperture.
Features
Much has been made about each flagships cameras AI capabilities related to photography and videography.
©Google Pixel 9 Pro XL
However, each smartphone has some baked-in, non-AI features we need to explore.
iPhone features include Macro Mode for taking close-up shots.
And then theres Samsung.
©Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra
Over the years, Samsung has learned to hone in on features most people would actually use.
And similar to its competitors, the S24 also has Pro and Expert RAW modes.
Plus, the phone has a nifty, customizable Camera Control button.
©iPhone 16 Pro Max
AI
Nowadays, AI is everywhere, so why should your photos be any different?
Googles Add Me feature
Samsung uses Galaxy AI to levy its AI photo-editing wares in the companys Gallery app.
Generative Edit removes unwanted objects from an image by drawing a circle around the offending subject.
©Google Pixel 9 Pro XL
you might also use this feature to relocate or resize objects in the photo.
you might also add AI-generated drawings to your images with the Sketch to Edit feature.
Apple also offers generative AI photo editing, allowing you to erase unwanted objects or people from photos easily.
©Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra
Thats why the Pixel takes this round.
Wide
Wow, this was a really hard round to judge.
In most of the shots, the phones are nearly a dead heat.
©iPhone 16 Pro Max
And before you count the iPhone out, check out my shots of a few pomegranates.
you’re able to even see the groove in the knife handle.
This round is too close to call, so the Wide shot round is a draw.
©Google Pixel 9 Pro XL
The iPhone 16 Pro Max gave the best result in a shot of a neighborhood street.
It best represented the tree with its fiery red leaves and the red brick building.
Zooming in also gave the clearest detail of the construction site next door.
©Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra
The iPhone 16 Pro Max won this round due to its color, clarity, and overall photo quality.
Low light
How far weve come with smartphone low-light photography.
No matter what the flagship phone is, there must be some lighting for effective night-mode shots.
©iPhone 16 Pro Max
For these low-light shots, I took them in environments with dimmed lighting.
I also took some in near darkness.
The Pixel had a more accurate color, as my Hulk, Michonne, and Sully figurines showed.
©Google Pixel 9 Pro XL
However, the light reflections on the TV are sharper on the S24 Ultra.
Outside of the lighting from a gaming desktop and other ambient tech backlighting, the entire scene is dark.
Its clearest in the Pixel, followed by the S24 Ultra and a blurry blob from the iPhone.
©Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra
My last shot is in a darkened American Legion in small-town America.
The Pixel came out on top with the clearest shot and best color.
The iPhone comes in second here, but it lacks the sharpness of the Pixel.
©iPhone 16 Pro Max
Meanwhile, the Samsung takes last place.
Because while you might see everything in the photo, its seriously blurry compared to the other two phones.
Portrait
So its time to check out the details when its close like this.
©Google Pixel 9 Pro XL
Zooming in revealed the winner.
The iPhone 16 Pro Max also gave the best results during the next round of photos.
I also like the bokeh, although the S24 Ultra has a deeper one.
©Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra
The iPhone 16 Pro Max takes this round, delivering warmer tones with nice, crisp definition.
If nothing else, my second set of selfies confirms that I need to visit my hairstylist ASAP.
Aside from a worrying amount of gray hair, my black Snek plushie looks great.
©iPhone 16 Pro Max
Thanks to its accurate colors and crisp details, the iPhone 16 Pro Max takes this round.
Panorama
Taking panoramic shots is one part technology, one part speed and balance.
The iPhones attempt is a lot more spacious than Samsungs offering.
©Google Pixel 9 Pro XL
While the railings are straighter than the previous phones, they still have some irregularities.
I corrected it, of course, but the damage was already done.
Googles guidelines help prevent any inadvertent hand slippage, making for uniform image capture throughout.
©Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra
The Pixel 9 Pro XL wins this round for its ease of use and smooth results.
Digital Zoom
With 100X Space Zoom, this round belongs to the Galaxy S24 Ultra.
While it doesnt reach the lofty heights of Samsungs astrophotography claims, the zoom is pretty impressive.
©iPhone 16 Pro Max
But its still pretty impressive.
I took a shot of the Manhattan skyline from my rooftop in Brooklyn.
However, if sharpness is the goal, the Pixel 9 Pro XL excelled with detail.
©Google Pixel 9 Pro XL
The Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra has the most powerful digital zoom on the market.
Verdict
This is one of the toughest face-offs Ive done in a while.
And its all due to how good smartphone cameras have gotten over the years.
©Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra
So, lets talk about the runners-up, starting with Samsung.
The Galaxy S24 Ultra undeniably takes great photos.
And in digital zoom, theres no one better in the smartphone arena.
©iPhone 16 Pro Max
Id love to see a couple more AI-assisted photo-editing features.
Google, quiet as its kept, has some of the best smartphone cameras in the game right now.
In my years reviewing smartphones, the Pixel has become one of the best low-light cameras.
©Google Pixel 9 Pro XL
That said, Google also has a few kinks to work out.
And then theres our winner, the iPhone 16 Pro Max.
Historically, Apple has worn the smartphone crown for years, cameras notwithstanding.
©Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra
For the iPhone 16 Pro Max, the larger sensor and faster shutter speed paid off.
And the Camera Control button is definitely convenient.
News from the future, delivered to your present.
©iPhone 16 Pro Max
Two banks say Amazon has paused negotiations on some international data centers.
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