Galaxy S25 Ultra versus iPhone 16 Pro: a new winner?

The first step in the process for my upcoming Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra review is to make a few smartphone camera comparisons. I'm kicking things off with a Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra versus iPhone 16 Pro camera comparison to see how these two devices perform in everyday use. Take a look at these photos and videos captured with the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra and Apple iPhone 16 Pro and let me know which ones you prefer.
Buy the Galaxy S25 Ultra
howl.link/3ybg...
Buy the iPhone 16 Pro
amzn.to/4awqPES
For more, visit phandroid.com
Follow us! / phandroid
Like us! / phandroid
MUSIC
Another Morning by Pold / pold-music
Creative Commons - Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported - CC BY-SA 3.0
Free Download / Stream: www.audiolibra...
Music promoted by Audio Library: • Another Morning - Pold...
Castle in the sky by Tomh. hypeddit.com/t...
Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported (CC BY 3.0)
Free Download / Stream: audiolibrary.c...
Music promoted by Audio Library • Castle in the sky - To...
I Need It by Jay Someday / jaysomeday
Creative Commons - Attribution 3.0 Unported - CC BY 3.0
Free Download / Stream: bit.ly/37fiEgr

[@phandroid]

Buy the Galaxy S25 Ultra ($300 credit + $900 trade-in bonus!) howl.link/3ybga1zv72la8

[@DaengDaeng0128]

This time, Video = Galaxy S25 Ultra, Photos = Goes back and forth! We need to see how the optimization will take the final result in the later time!

[@Space97.]

True

[@dannywinget]

This guy is quick!

[@phandroid]

It would have been up last night if I hasn't fallen asleep on the couch after I got home.

[@BelindaBella3344]

Wow @danny 🎉

[@SwingandFlirt]

Where are your comparisons ،i have been waiting patiently

[@JerryAnsahAyim]

Danny I'm waiting on your video to finally make a decision

[@Sammy_nana_asaam]

We're waiting for yours too 🔥🔥🔥

[@fraghead9813]

Man, the s25 ultra is actually killing it this year. My lanta! Plus, Samsung always gets better with an update or 2. Always

[@bhaskarmukherjee2373]

But in case of s24 ultra they never pushed the camera update throughout the year At the end I have to sell it

[@fraghead9813]

@bhaskarmukherjee2373 if that's what you gotta do, you gotta do it. I've been interested in the vivo x200 pro 👌

[@iqbalirmawan9941]

@@fraghead9813 and I can't wait for the vivo x200 ultra

[@R0drig0D1ga0]

I'm impressed how Samsung brings that DSLR look to video and photo... iPhone looks like smartphone with super sharp details

[@emmakoyuconvydancer6263]

Is true

[@Pakgamingmaine]

This time Samsung surpassed the iphone video clear clear winner

[@mmafanatic-tz5or]

These photo comparisons go back on firth depending on the channel. On some channels the s25 ultra edges the iPhone 16 pro Max and in some channel the iPhone 16 pro Max edges or completely destroys the s25 ultra

[@gihanwhite]

True !

[@DannyMNable]

​@@mmafanatic-tz5ordo not listen to what they say. Check it for yourself and be your own judge

[@Hhhh22222-w]

I'd say it surpassed it in the S24 Ultra, but it took Samsung quite a long time

[@rathapoth]

I agree with you and based on this video

[@DannyMNable]

For the first time I'm honestly preferring the video from Samsung!!

[@Mistygio]

iPhones auto exposure is really bad. But when you manually adjust it, it does take the higher quality video with less artifacts in low light situations. Samsung did really good with tuning the exposure though.

[@YoanIgnatov]

That's massive improvement for Samsung, I'm glad I preordered it, can't wait to to come. In like 95% of comparison in this video, I prefer it over the Iphone, and that's coming from a guy who currently uses 15 Pro Max.

[@simpledude5974]

Enjoy it bro!

[@Mistygio]

the iPhone still takes better low light zoom shots with its 5x telephoto lol. This has always been iPhone's strong point. It even out zoomed the Samsung 10x lens from the s24Ultra. But again this is only in low light situations where iPhone's telephoto really shows its power. iPhone also has the better video performance in general but the default exposure on iPhone has always been poorly tuned. I always keep mine on -1.0 so it's always like that when I open up the camera. The Galaxy's have always performed poorly in low light video so youll see more grain and artifacts in dark areas even on the newest S25U. Overall it is better than the previous galaxys though

[@chrizlybar793]

I'm excited about the S25 Ultra Amazing

[@Nadheem721]

8:39, the iPhone's video quality transitioned from the best to the worst with the introduction of the S25 Ultra.

[@IrtezaMasud]

Nope man. He turned on hdr in iphone. Which will blow the exposure like hell in sdr mode

[@Mistygio]

iPhone is still better at RAW video and even in compressed video too but the auto exposure on iPhone has always been ass. But I always keep mine on -1.0 by default. No idea why Apple doesnt fix the auto exposure.

[@davigaldino625]

There is something wrong with iphone's HDR on all video samples. Did you turned on the HDR? No way that the iphone did the highlights so poorly like that, I'm sure that something is going wrong here. Maybe you exported wrong idk. I'm a Samsung fanboy but this doesn't look fair

[@mmafanatic-tz5or]

Yep, iPhone videos don't typically look blown out and noisy.

[@TheDeV-e5o]

I also think the same

[@mrinvincible8929]

I feel the same

[@easily_excitable]

Agreed. Some of those are heavy HDR scenarios. Maybe it would‘ve looked correct if Nick uploaded it to KZbin in HDR instead of SDR. Just looking at 5:10 min for example: No way it looks like this on his phone screen, right? I‘ve never seen the iPhone do this poorly. Something is off. No fanboy either way, S25U looks awesome.

[@danielgrubich217]

Jesteś amebą, to nie jest fair.😂

[@mukeloncube]

12:24 Samsung takes the crown, natural skin tone

[@MohammedAimen-g8s]

Samsung's skin colors are the best I've ever seen❤️

[@scottrowley33]

A new king 👑 is crowned. Congratulations Samsung👏👏

[@danelhouseofel7634]

Great video comparison! I am truly amazed at how it was night and day in terms of video quality during the basketball game. Loved the video, dude.

[@giselagaray1818]

Best camera comparison I've seen. A round table discussing some of the results would be cool

[@ehrratic_]

Wow.. Impressed by the video on the S25! Photos are beautiful and both and I go back and forth between the two. But really have to nitpick.

[@kona328_BD]

What is going on with apples blown out highlights and lack of details on video!

[@neilmcguinness4422]

It was just awful. Budget phone standard exposure levels.

[@achyutarjun]

User error. I can vouch for it.

[@yassinee.3463]

Vouch for yourself. You're wrong. ​@@achyutarjun

[@VTheGuerrilla]

Flagship phones at this point are just splitting hairs when it comes to photography. It’s that close it basically comes down to preference.

[@mole1596]

Your video samples on the iPhone are recorded in HDR and respectively ruined the comparison. That's why the iPhone videos look overexposed.

[@MohammedAimen-g8s]

Selfie in Samsung ✨❤️❤️❤️

[@vedantaniyama7078]

Phandroid excellent work, brother. And I thank you for your unbiased review. There are some big tech reviewers who's name I'm not gonna say..., are basically saying iPhone did better everything. They just rushed to do a comparison. But you did fair review... 🙏😊

[@AlexandrKiller]

Samsung 4k/30 is incredible

[@jeancastro3471]

Buen trabajo amigo! En este trabajo que has hecho me gustó mucho más los resultados del Samsung! Mi criterio es que mostró un resultado más real!

[@iAfroTech]

I think, there are 2 ways to compare those phones 1️⃣ At their max capacity, S25 Ultra has better cameras overall, including the main and ultra-wide and even at night in selfie situation 2️⃣ If we use only the auto mode, the iPhone is still on top in Video, and Samsung is better on Photo. I think you are one of the only KZbinr, using the Galaxy as someone who truly want to explore and enjoy his tool at max capacity. That's how i would do things: there is no point to buy this kind of smartphone, just to only use automode all the time. Nice video, almost 9 in the morning, here in France. Good job. Thanks for the content. I think other KZbinrs should have this way to show what truly can do a Galaxy Ultra.

[@ajeeshmanoj3026]

Oh, and can we talk about Samsung’s mic quality? I’m genuinely surprised at how good it is compared to what I expected. It’s like nobody mentions this, but it’s miles ahead in clarity. Didn’t see that coming!😮

[@nirmalable1]

Dude that was a nice review ❤. Make a comparison video between vivo X200 pro & samsung s25 ultra

[@Getquora]

Not a chance for s25ultra 😊

[@GeorgeEdd]

Please consider a camera comparison between s25 and iPhone 16 base line.

[@mukeloncube]

Best review I've ever seen.

[@Sagemusic99]

What both companies are doing in this generation is showing how they are mounting to the pinnacle of mobile phones at the very peak..

[@neilmcguinness4422]

The exposure levels on the IPhone 16 Pro were just appalling in video. I thought this is where IPhones were supposed to excel?. This is budget phone video quality. On a bad day..😮

[@LCharlesA94]

The s25 ultra looks amazing here. Can't wait for mine to come in. #jadegreen

[@alpha5124]

Got the Jadegreen too. Unfortunately the 512g was out of stock. What storage option did u get?

[@LCharlesA94]

I was considering the 1tb but decided to get the 512. ​@alpha5124

[@andryitsurkanu5633]

​@@alpha5124 waiting for new black

[@Mistygio]

The iPhone just has this awful over-sharpening that not enough people complain about. When Apple introduced Smart HDR on iPhone XS I thought there was something wrong with my unit. I didn't know that this was the new direction they were going in and.... for some reason everyone just went with it. It looks almost faulty on iPhone XS. Now over the years, it's gotten better but still to this day I can't say that I would choose an iPhone 16 over my iPhone 7 Plus. However I think the iPhone 16 Pro with a 5x telephoto is an even match for iPhone 7 Plus only because the 5x zoom is actually nice. And for some funny reason, the sharpening is reduced when you use the telephoto camera on iPhones. So the tele shots always look better compared to the normal sensor shots. Another funny thing is that even today, there is still no way to disable the Smart HDR processing or the sharpening effect that it applies. Blows my mind that the most popular camera in the world is the most stupid camera ive ever used in my life. Even ProRAW applies sharpening, so Apple even went full on stupid in the RAW mode. I didn't think they could actually mess that up.

[@christiannzali472]

Didn't expect to say this but Samsung has better front video. For the rest it's mostly a draw especially for day time photos. Portrait mode again, Samsung takes it. The only obvious win for apple is the shutter speed which allow you the take more steady photos in movement.

[@1942__Flowz]

Great comparison! Samsung for sure stepping it up

[@largon2008]

These two go back and forth. The reason is because most of these phones have great cameras and there's really not much stuff we can get from these phones. i do love the s25 ultra this year. Everything from the enhancements to the designed rounded corners and flat sides. Always wanted samsung to stop making those boxy phones i never really liked that design. will be getting the jet black version 512gb

[@thekindhearted21]

I never miss videos from ur channel... Indian viewer 😎👍

[@DoritosResidue]

For still pics the s25 still struggles in artificial light. Same exact problem on the s24U. Artifical light, shows grainy , washes out and banding. I can't believe they can fix that particular problem. That is a very noticeable weak point .

[@bhaskarmukherjee2373]

In s24 ultra they never give a software update for the camera never resolved any camera related problems

[@martinangelomooney1010]

Is is just me cause I think Samsung nailed it this time.

[@Theultrapunekar]

Samsung beating iphone even in video

[@DayvonGrey]

Check the title for a typo…great vid tho! Make more on the camera please

[@mmafanatic-tz5or]

Thank goodness youre the only reviewer to show 200mp and 50mp indoors in less than ideal lighting. 200mp needs bright outdoor sunlight to perform but 50mp should be able to perform exceptionally indoors with ambient light except on the s24 ultra, it comes out with color distortions and a blurry mess. The s25 is looking good ao far when using 50mp indoors... Only question is why is it automatically making it portrait mode with bokeh?

[@Nissehult23]

I was amazed by the frontfacing camera, but when it switched to the main cameras, its like theres a blue filter or as someone else said, a haze? Has to be some software bug right? That does not look right. But then the VIDEO from the main camera on s25U is amazing again? Gotta be some software bug with the photo mode.

[@UndisclosedDesire-jr6xm]

Fantastic dynamic range by s25 ultra. Especially in video recording.. maybe the best in the market today . ❤

[@Nicomoscaa0]

You would have to turn off HDR mode on both devices, to better appreciate the differences, I think

[@irvingsolis11-]

S25 ULTRA 😍👑

[@pyke8618]

6:20... that moment you see photo of s25 ultra, captured by s25 ultra :D :D :D (just joking, i know you have two devices :) )

[@alejandroa.6007]

La mayoría de veces me gustó más el S25 Ultra 📱✨

[@menilsonfilho6400]

I believe it's time to stop saying "iPhone videos are the best." Samsung just rocked it!

[@mmafanatic-tz5or]

Samsung needs to reduce exposure. Some of those buildings with the sun reflections were BLOWN OUT

[@emiliomuz8825]

Samsung's photo seems to be haze, or the camera is not wiped. And the video is clearer than the iPhone 👍🏼

[@yamahass66]

Not true stop lying. Every reviewer got this.

[@iamnajix]

Nah the iPhone is still doing perfect

[@mohandark]

This cant be true. My assumptions is by default samsung doesnt shoot in hdr whereas iphone does and hence lot of bright highlights are clipped in iphones video during editing.

[@barryajason]

Both are good, but in this review, the S25 Ultra video appears clearer than the iPhone 16 Pro

[@simantoroy9870]

Samsung s25 ultra is king♚ 👑🔥

[@itsyoboigucci7578]

Well it happened. Samsung finally matches or sometimes beats iPhone in video recording. It took them this long but it happened. lets go Samsung, keep refining it further!!

[@akhiakki2894]

Iphone est le king 🎉🔥 Samsung est le king en Selfie ❤

[@mancaggp]

per il 70 per cento preferisco il samsung sia in foto che in video..... ma soprattutto nell'incarnato e' meglio il samsung ci sono piu dettagli ed e' piu naturale ... nell'iphone sembri terribilmente piu vecchio .....!!!!

[@ricarmig]

The Samsung looks not so natural but everything is great and this time around… zoom transitions are spectacular!!! 🎉 mine (1 TB) is on the way.

[@BG-hi6bm]

I've seen a lot of comparison reviews, and sometimes the iPhone takes better pictures, and sometimes not. I think it's because it's too conscious of SNS and set its screens too bright. This ends up blowing out the background too much.

[@sajjadhusain8554]

Nice video sir

[@xfxter]

I don't know why but iPhone video quality looks better bcs it's still looks way clear and brighter in dark shadows. Exposure is on point

[@iamnotkurtcobain]

I currently own a S23 Ultra. Do you think the S25 Ultra has better picture and video quality?

[@PhotographSchool]

No matter what anyone says, Apple has accepted that Samsung's cameras are better, and since Apple Phone 18, Apple has been using Samsung's cameras

[@Gaby-Ton]

Al principio de los videos frontales el iPhone se ve simplemente horrible como si fuera un gama baja!!😢

[@EmekaGideon-x2x]

With further updates damnn the Samsung will be soooo great picture wise😊

[@RULER8055]

The portraits of s25 ultra is unbelievable 😱

[@Maheshwara122]

Finally Samsung has moved ahead of Apple in day time video. Great job by Samsung and Qualcomm

[@FrenelToussaint]

S25ultra ❤

[@leoni7649]

Please compare shutter speed

[@mauricedicke9527]

I don’t know what you’re doing wrong with the iPhones videos but it’s with your comparisons that the iPhone videos are way overexposed. Please check your settings

[@bLaffix]

Samsung made a big jump with video this year. Both phones look very good.

[@Lansky1213]

Much better video quality on the s25 but the transition from 1x to 5x not as smooth as iPhone yet. I'll give it a tie. Pics go back and forth. Main cam video better on 25 but front cam video better on iPhone especially in night time. But I'm skipping the s25 this year and going with the vivo x200 pro

[@armin1126]

something ain't right here with iphone. you either locked ae/af or record everything in HDR and didn't convert it to SDR for youtube

[@XRP-h9r]

Front camera from the Iphone makes me dizzy S25 Ultra Wins 🎉

[@3rdeye229]

Samsung needs to immediately fix the 3x zoom glare issue.

[@bLaffix]

II know it's a stupid solution and we shouldn't have to do that but you can use your palm as a lens hood (to shield the lens from sunlight coming from the side) to dramatically improve contrast

[@uk9431]

Please add 2x and 10x zoom for Galaxy S25 Ultra at next time.

[@worthlessbeing6526]

This is the first time samsung is better in video, its very far, samsung nailed it.😊

[@ChrisTagged]

I'm a samsung user. Both the s25 ultra is good on video and iphone good picture Both not good on s25ultra

[@mRxmodule]

No offence but the audio mix on this video is horrible. Low voice and when the music come bum! Please pay attention for this next time.

[@GeorgeEdd]

Samsung is killing!! Loved it.

[@alicosta1870]

How do Apple enthusiasts justify the superiority of the iPhone 16 Pro Max over the S25 Ultra in their photo and video comparisons? Frankly, doesn't it smell like socket? 😂😂

[@realyt346]

Samsung winner 🔥🔥🔥

[@seanburns1972]

Iphone over exposed alot

[@mr-simog4736]

Me and friend just noticed that when we watch this video on a Samsung s24 ultra. The Samsung pictures look the best. But if we view this video on my iphone 16 ,the Apple pictures look better. 😅 So no matter how good a comparision video is they differ on the device you view video's like this on...

[@rolins3279]

I prefer the S25, I can't stand the tendency of iPhones (since the Xs) to make complexions orange 🥕 in photo-video 📹, on the other hand, iPhone videos are too overexposed in this test, I think there must have been a problem when exporting the video.

[@randomuser964]

That's not iPhone 16 Pro Max camera :/

[@IrtezaMasud]

Samsung definitely looks better. But man something wrong with this 16 pro. Mine never looked this kind of bloomy or overexposed. Did you messed something up? Did u turned on the 10 bit hdr mode in iphone? If it is then it is a huge mess. 10 bit hdr looks sucks in sdr monitor. I always turned that off

[@jimcano3998]

Lol. This guy. Something's definitely up with how you shot using the iPhone. 😂 And I'm a Note 20 Ultra user.

[@BelindaBella3344]

Loveit ❤🎉

[@jda0914]

sammy need to upgrade the selfie cam

[@RAJESH.GAMER.007]

Thanks you

[@lightofjahs]

I'm no expert and I'm android all the way but I think they both look great. I'd be happy with either.

[@chrisbonica1775]

As a Pixel user, i may have to start using Galaxy phones again.

[@DannyMNable]

Your 3x lense on Samsung is dirty. Needed to have been cleaned up

[@MohammedArda-k4h]

Keep it up👍

[@johnwasgeht5263]

I'm quite surprised the S25 looks better than the iPhone in video.

[@arunmva9846]

Samsung always the king.

[@kghjjay4360]

mic on s25 ultra freaking goood

[@attika89]

Samsung handling highlights in video nicely, not so great in photos....blown out many places. Have the 25u on order though.