Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra vs. iPhone 16 Pro: Can You Tell the Difference?

Today, we're putting two titans of the smartphone world head-to-head in a camera shootout: the brand-new Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra and the iPhone 16 Pro. Lately, the S25 Ultra has been catching some flak online, but after putting it through its paces, I have to say, I was pretty impressed with what I saw.

I've included PROJECT FILES of footage from both of these cameras in the description below. If you'd like to download the footage and try them out in your own editing software, feel free! It includes the shots you just saw, along with 8K footage from the Samsung and Log footage from both cameras. If you find this helpful, a subscription and a like would be greatly appreciated!

Today, we'll be looking at how both cameras perform in real-world situations, including low-light shooting with skin tones. We'll compare their stabilization, see how realistic their colors actually are, then head into an arcade for some more low-light tests. We'll also compare Samsung's 8K versus Apple's 4K, look at both cameras' Log footage side-by-side and grade it, examine how their wide-angle lenses perform, do some photography in uncontrolled lighting, test out their blur modes when shooting video, do some vertical shooting, tackle some green screen work, and finally, see how their telephoto cameras stack up.

If you're still on the fence after you read this blog, you can take my free "Which Camera Should I Buy?" quiz.

I also made a Youtube Video on this review so you can check it out after you read this blog.

Alright, ready to dive in? Let's go.

Price and Initial Thoughts

The Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra starts at $1,299 US for the 256GB version (which I recommend), while the iPhone 16 Pro with 256GB of storage starts at $1,099 US. The iPhone 16 Pro was released in September 2024, and the Samsung S25 Ultra followed in February 2025.   

From a usability standpoint, if you plan on using either of these phones without a case, be careful! Neither offers much in the way of a grip, making them prone to slipping out of your hand.

Camera Hardware

The Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra boasts a 200MP main wide camera, a 50MP ultrawide, a 50MP telephoto with 5x zoom, a 10MP telephoto with 3x zoom, and a 12MP front-facing camera.

The iPhone 16 Pro features a 48MP main camera, a 48MP ultrawide, and a 12MP telephoto lens. 

For more manual control on the iPhone, you can download the Final Cut Camera app, which provides greater flexibility for both photos and videos.

When it comes to exposure tools in the native camera apps, the S25 Ultra offers more control, including adjustments for ISO, shutter speed, focus, and white balance while shooting video. On the iPhone, you'll need to download the Final Cut Camera app to gain control over focus and white balance.

Bottom: Both phones have USB-C ports on the bottom for transferring photos and videos, as well as for charging.  

Buttons: Both phones have side buttons. The iPhone 16 Pro has buttons on both sides, so be mindful when attaching it to a tripod to avoid accidentally pressing them, which could trigger emergency services.

Features and Functionality

A-Cam/B-Cam Setup (Digital Blur): I did an A/B cam test using the digital blur effect to see which phone produced a more realistic-looking background blur. In this comparison, I think the S25 Ultra has a slightly more realistic blur than the iPhone 16 Pro. Throughout this entire comparison, I've noticed that the S25 Ultra tends to have more of a mirrorless camera look, while the iPhone leans towards a more traditional smartphone aesthetic. This is particularly noticeable in the skin tones on the iPhone 16 Pro. 

Autofocus: Since both cameras are smartphones, I found their autofocus systems to be quite similar when using the main camera without the digital blur effect.

Photography: For photography, I didn't conduct lab tests. I simply went out and shot photos as anyone would with their phone. In most situations, I found the results to be relatively similar in terms of detail. I did observe some differences in color temperature, which is likely due to their automatic white balance systems. The iPhone seemed to have a warmer color profile than the Samsung. Ultimately, color preference is subjective, but I personally found the Samsung's colors to be more realistic and true-to-life than the iPhone 16 Pro's. However, the iPhone did tend to be more accurate with its automatic white balance. 

I also performed a sharpness test using the Samsung's 200MP mode to see how much sharper it truly is. When zoomed in to 5000%, you can see a noticeable difference in sharpness, with the Samsung definitely coming out ahead.

Green Screen: The green screen footage I captured with both phones showed different shades of green. Having worked with green screens for a while, I personally prefer the shade of green produced by the iPhone over the lighter green from the Samsung. While I was able to key out both cameras successfully, I felt more confident with the results from the iPhone 16 Pro. Factors like color temperature and white balance settings during the shoot can also influence the final output and keying process.

Macro: In this macro shot, I also observed a difference in white balance, with the iPhone having a slightly more realistic look compared to the S25 Ultra.

Actual Product Shots: If I didn't have a dedicated camera, I could absolutely use either of these phones to capture nice slider product shots like this. You can see that the iPhone has a slightly more pronounced background blur than the Samsung in this instance.

Vertical Content: For those focused on short-form content, I made sure to shoot some vertical videos with both phones. I didn't notice a significant difference in image quality. If anything, I saw a difference in color science, and again, the iPhone exhibited a bit more background blur. I also noticed that the sky color in the S25 Ultra had more of a purple hue, while the iPhone leaned towards blue. It's hard to say which is more "real," but I would argue that the S25 Ultra's sky looked more cinematic straight out of the camera.

In another test, I compared the front-facing cameras at night, as many of you requested. As you can see, both shots look quite muddy, but the iPhone does have a slight edge, as we saw at the beginning of the video.

Image Quality Deep Dive

Log Footage: The Samsung can shoot in standard Log, while the iPhone is limited to Apple Log. I found Apple Log to be slightly easier to work with in post-production, but both Log formats provide a great starting point for color grading. Interestingly, a clip of the same duration in Samsung Log was 275MB, while the Apple Log version was a whopping 1.71GB. So, if you plan on shooting with Apple Log, make sure you have ample storage.

8K vs. 4K: When I switched the S25 Ultra to 8K and kept the iPhone at its 4K resolution for this shot, the difference wasn't immediately apparent. However, when we zoomed in for some pixel peeping, while the S25 Ultra was sharper, there was also more noticeable fringing on the white pole. This suggests that the Samsung might be employing some form of AI upscaling for its 8K, similar to what we see with the Google Pixel 9 Pro. In this particular instance, I don't think using 8K on the Samsung provides a significant enough image quality improvement to justify the doubled file size compared to shooting in 4K. 

Color Checker: Since the overall image quality was often indistinguishable, I wanted to get to the heart of the colors by comparing both phones in front of a color checker. Looking at the colors, you can see that the automatic white balance on the Samsung tends to be a bit cooler, while the iPhone leans warmer. This could be specific to these interior shots. However, the biggest difference I observed on the color checker was in the greens and blues. 

Low Light: In general low-light environments, there isn't a huge difference for everyday shooting. The distinctions become more apparent when we look at specific lighting scenarios, like this neon shot. The Samsung exhibits more halation, which in some ways seems to bleed into the rest of the image, whereas the iPhone is better at separating the neon light from the rest of the frame.

When it comes to skin tones in low-light situations, the Samsung struggles to maintain a consistent automatic white balance, while the iPhone locks in the white balance more effectively and also lifts the midtones, giving the appearance of a better image. We see a similar trend here. The Samsung has trouble with the auto white balance, and the skin tones look more realistic on the iPhone 16 Pro in low light, whether using the front or rear-facing camera.

However, when we move to very dark, almost night-like environments, the Samsung surprisingly outperforms the iPhone. I'm not entirely sure why this is, so if you have any insights, please let me know in the comments under my YouTube video. But take a look at this train shot and how realistic the Samsung looks compared to the iPhone. When I flipped both cameras around as the train approached, the difference in how they handle lights in low light became even more apparent. I think the Samsung has more of a starburst effect around the lights, while the iPhone produces more of a flare, which I personally prefer. I also noticed that when shooting into lights at night like this, the image tends to become more muddy overall.

4K 24fps: When the sun came out and I was shooting in normal 4K 24fps, we see a familiar pattern: the mid tones are lifted in the iPhone's footage, which in my opinion gives the Samsung a more realistic and cinematic look.

Dynamic Range: Testing the dynamic range in their standard color profiles (without using Log), both cameras perform well. However, I tend to prefer the Samsung's shot because it exhibits more contrast in the shadows.

Backlighting: In these backlighting tests, both cameras, mounted on the same tripod at the same height, performed admirably. The Samsung showed more sun roll-off, while the iPhone controlled the light burst a bit better. However, when focusing on the bleachers, the image quality from both cameras looked quite similar. If anything, the Samsung had a slightly more true-to-life look, suggesting its sensor handled the backlighting a bit better than the iPhone's.

Sun: Looking at how both cameras render the sun itself, the color of the sun from the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra has more of a purple hue, while the iPhone 16 Pro leans towards a more yellow hue.

Sky Color: As we've seen throughout this comparison, the sky colors often look quite close, but there is a difference. When observing the actual sky with my own eyes, the Samsung's rendition often appeared more true to life.

Saturation: In shots like this, I find the Samsung to have a more realistic look compared to the iPhone, which seems to apply more computational saturation and sharpening within the phone itself, producing almost a final, ready-to-share product. I personally prefer the Samsung's image quality and colors in this instance.

Stabilization: I didn't observe a significant difference in stabilization between the two cameras. I think they both performed about the same. While there might have been some slight wobble during walking shots, overall, I'd say they were pretty evenly matched in terms of stabilization.

Conclusion

 So, after putting the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra and the iPhone 16 Pro through a gauntlet of tests, what's the verdict? Well, as we've seen, both are incredibly capable smartphone cameras. The Samsung often leans towards a more realistic and cinematic look straight out of the camera, particularly in well-lit scenarios and night shooting. Its sharpness, especially in the 200MP mode, is also impressive. The iPhone, on the other hand, often delivers consistent skin tones, a polished aesthetic, and handles backlighting well. Its Log format is also a dream to work with in post, despite the larger file sizes.

Ultimately, the "better" camera comes down to your personal preferences and what you prioritize in your content. If you're after that slightly less processed, more true-to-life look with strong night shooting capabilities, the Samsung is a compelling choice. If you value consistent skin tones, a polished smartphone aesthetic, and a smoother Log workflow, the iPhone remains a strong contender. 

Thanks for reading, and I'll catch you in the next one!