Smartphone photo comparison: At Mont-Saint-Michel with two of the best camera phones of 2025

Our two test candidates are high-end smartphones from Motorola and Xiaomi. There is a significant price gap between them, and the Motorola Edge 50 Ultra has already been available on the European market for 10 months.

The Motorola Edge 50 Ultra is currently Motorola’s most advanced smartphone in terms of camera hardware. It is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8s Gen 3, a slightly scaled-down high-end SoC. The device features a 50-megapixel main camera, a 50-megapixel ultra-wide camera that also handles macro photography, and a 64-megapixel periscope zoom lens offering up to 3x optical magnification. The phone is priced between 600 and 700 euros with 1 TByte of internal storage, available from retailers such as amazon.de.

The Xiaomi 15 Ultra, on the other hand, uses Qualcomm’s latest flagship chip—the Snapdragon 8 Elite—and comes equipped with three 50-megapixel cameras. In addition to the main and wide-angle/macro lenses, it also includes a dedicated telephoto lens. A 200-megapixel periscope zoom lens is also integrated, delivering advanced long-range performance. At the time of writing, the Xiaomi 15 Ultra is priced between 1,140 and 1,280 euros, for example at amazon.de.

This comparison explores whether the more affordable Motorola Edge 50 Ultra—with its slightly reduced processor and camera specs—can compete with the significantly more expensive Xiaomi 15 Ultra in real-world photo quality.

For several years now, a large parking lot has been located some distance from Mont-Saint-Michel to help preserve the bay’s sensitive ecosystem. From there, visitors can approach the Mont either by shuttle bus or on foot via a causeway and bridge. Walking is highly recommended, as the path itself offers numerous scenic views of the famous island.

We take our first photo of the striking monastery island from a vantage point among grasses, shrubs, and blooming poppies. The Xiaomi 15 Ultra immediately stands out with its more vibrant and diverse color reproduction, making the Mont appear more vivid. The foreground bokeh also looks more natural, helping the main subject stand out clearly. When zooming in, the Xiaomi captures noticeably more detail compared to the Motorola.

It is uncommon to find the wide pedestrian path and access road to Mont-Saint-Michel relatively empty. Shuttle buses run frequently, and large groups of pilgrims and tourists are usually making their way toward France’s second most visited landmark.

We managed to capture a rare moment with few people on the dam. This gave us the opportunity to photograph the open landscape and expansive sky—especially striking in this flat coastal region. At first glance, both images appear quite similar. The grass near the shoreline even shows slightly more texture in the Motorola Edge 50 Ultra photo. However, when examining the finer details along the path, the Xiaomi 15 Ultra clearly produces a sharper and more refined result.

Upon arriving at Mont-Saint-Michel, we see the crowds streaming through the narrow entrance gate into the village. Since the tide is low, we decide instead to walk around the island. Above us, the golden statue of the Archangel Michael—after whom the mountain is named—stands watch from the highest tower of the monastery, almost always visible from below.

We follow the massive city wall through the mudflats, worn down by countless visitors, and scramble over rocks along the shoreline. When looking up toward the monastery and capturing the view with both phones, it becomes immediately clear once again that the Xiaomi 15 Ultra delivers noticeably superior sharpness.

One issue we noticed when taking photos with both smartphones is that the camera autofocus sometimes struggles to lock onto the intended subject—even when it clearly dominates the frame and is positioned in the center.

In one example, the photo of the chapel shows that the Xiaomi 15 Ultra focuses on nearby stones rather than the chapel itself, despite multiple taps on the chapel area via the touchscreen. Only by switching to manual focus in Pro mode were we able to achieve better results.

As a result, in this particular shot, the Motorola Edge 50 Ultra captures slightly more detail and sharper textures in the chapel area. However, looking at the window section, the Xiaomi phone demonstrates better brightness and dynamic range.

After passing through the gate in the city wall, you arrive at the "Grande Rue." Despite its name, this is not a wide street, but more of a broad alley that winds its way uphill between tall half-timbered and stone houses. Narrow staircases branch off to the sides, leading directly to upper levels and higher buildings.

In the dim light between the tall structures, the Xiaomi 15 Ultra does a noticeably better job of brightening the cluster of hanging signs, revealing more detail and color in the shadows.

Climbing a few stairs toward the upper levels lets you temporarily escape the crowds and enjoy a beautiful view over the village rooftops and out across the bay.

Here, the Motorola Edge 50 Ultra performs quite well. In certain areas of the image, it even appears slightly sharper and more detailed than the Xiaomi 15 Ultra, offering a strong showing in this particular lighting and perspective.

Seagulls have firmly claimed the sacred mountain as their own. They nest on rooftops, keep watch over the crowds, and occasionally help themselves to snacks when tourists aren’t paying attention.

In our photo of a herring gull, both smartphones capture a high level of detail. However, the image taken with the Xiaomi 15 Ultra allows for deeper zoom while still retaining sharpness, whereas the Motorola Edge 50 Ultra’s photo appears slightly softer when viewed up close.

After climbing the final set of stairs, you arrive at the Abbaye du Mont-Saint-Michel, the monastery that sits atop the mountain. One last ascent up the imposing entrance staircase brings you to the summit. From the west terrace, there is a sweeping view of the Atlantic Ocean and the surrounding coastline.

We captured this moment in a video, zooming in on the golden statue of Saint Michael the Archangel that crowns the monastery’s tower. Both phones deliver very good video quality in 4K at 60 fps, with sharp, detailed images.

However, the Motorola Edge 50 Ultra shows slight stuttering during quick movements—something not present in the Xiaomi 15 Ultra’s footage. The zoom performance is also clearly better on the Xiaomi, delivering noticeably higher clarity and stability.