Smartphone photo comparison: Shots taken in the Bavarian Forest National Park using two of the best camera phones of 2025

Our two test devices are flagship smartphones from Samsung and Apple. The Galaxy S25 Ultra, with its 6.9-inch display, is noticeably larger than the iPhone 16 Pro, but both offer advanced camera systems:

• The Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra features a 200 MP main camera, a 50 MP ultra wide-angle lens, and a 50 MP periscope telephoto with 5x optical zoom. It also includes a second 10 MP telephoto lens for 3x zoom. At the time of writing, the Galaxy S25 Ultra is available from 1,420 euros on amazon.de, depending on storage configuration.

• The Apple iPhone 16 Pro shares the same camera hardware as the larger iPhone 16 Pro Max, which currently tops our camera smartphone rankings. It includes a 48 MP main camera, a high-resolution ultra wide-angle camera, and a 5x telephoto zoom lens. The iPhone 16 Pro is priced at just under 1,200 euros on amazon.de.

Our first test shot is taken from the hotel balcony, overlooking the forest and capturing a view of Wolfstein Castle in the soft evening light. Built around 1200, the castle marks the beginning of settlement in what was once the unwelcoming Lower Bavarian Forest.
In this shot, the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra better preserves the warm, atmospheric lighting of the scene. The iPhone 16 Pro, in contrast, delivers a noticeably brighter image, almost as if it were taken in daylight, though it reveals slightly more detail.

In the morning, a light veil of mist hangs over the peaks of the Bavarian Forest, clearly visible during our drive toward Neuschönau and the animal enclosure.

Both smartphones capture sharp and detailed images, but the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra shows slightly more definition—for example, individual branches on trees near the distant summit of the Rachel. The iPhone 16 Pro image looks slightly softer in comparison, with coarser detail in those areas.

At the entrance and throughout the grounds, attractive wooden panels offer information about the enclosures. In this setting, both cameras perform equally well overall, but the iPhone 16 Pro captures fine wood textures with slightly more sharpness and clarity than the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra.

Bison are a rare sight—although European bison have been reintroduced into the wild in parts of Germany, the global population remains small, with only a few thousand animals. In the animal enclosure, they are also hard to spot due to the vast area and many hiding places.

We’re fortunate to see a few bison from the first observation point. The iPhone 16 Pro once again produces a brighter image, though with less contrast. When zoomed in, the animal appears slightly more detailed in the photo taken with the Apple device.

Wolves were once seen as forest villains, but today, thanks in part to studies in national parks, we understand that they are highly social animals and play a key role in maintaining ecological balance.

Photographing wolves is challenging, as they rarely stay still long enough for identical shots with both smartphones. Still, from similar images, we can see clear differences in image processing: the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra produces more vibrant colors, with the forest floor appearing noticeably redder. The iPhone 16 Pro, by contrast, offers a more muted color palette but captures the texture of the wolves’ fur with slightly greater accuracy.

Brown bears, once feared as dangerous predators, are in fact mostly herbivorous—and this morning, they seem anything but threatening as one greets us with a wide yawn.

In this scene, the photo from the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra appears slightly sharper, particularly in the bear’s fur. It also handles brightness better, with plant details looking more vivid and well-defined.

In the next enclosure, a few ducks are bathing in the water, with a backdrop of lush, varied vegetation rising behind them like a painted scene. This image looks better on the iPhone 16 Pro, where the slightly warmer white balance creates a more natural and harmonious overall impression.

We end our visit to the animal enclosure and head back to the National Park Center, crossing a beautifully crafted wooden bridge with colorful stained glass windows—a fitting touch, as the Bavarian Forest is well known for its glass art

In this scene, the iPhone 16 Pro delivers stronger contrast and slightly sharper details, while the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra produces a softer overall image. Both photos are appealing, and the preferred look ultimately comes down to personal taste.

Just beyond the bridge lies another highlight of the national park: the treetop walk, which winds through the forest canopy at heights of 8 to 25 meters, offering unique views of forest life from above.

In this shot, the iPhone 16 Pro captures the treetop walk and surrounding trees with slightly more detail and sharpness. However, the overall differences in image quality between the two smartphones are minimal.

After taking in the view from the treetop walk, visitors can climb even higher to the "Baumei" — a spiral tower built around several old trees, allowing you to ascend from the trunk to the crown and observe every part of the tree up close.

Here too, both smartphones deliver excellent image quality. The iPhone 16 Pro produces a slightly more detailed image, while the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra offers better lighting. The differences are minimal and both photos are visually impressive.

At the top of the 44-meter-high tower, you’re rewarded with a stunning panoramic view over the Bavarian Forest. One standout feature is the Kreuzberg, with its tree-lined field edges and the pilgrimage church perched on the summit.

When zooming in, the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra clearly has the advantage—details like individual branches and houses are noticeably sharper and more defined than in the iPhone 16 Pro’s image.

We scan the horizon and spot the summit of the Rachel, one of the highest peaks in the Bavarian Forest at 1,453 meters—an ideal subject for testing zoom performance at various levels.

The Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra offers a much higher zoom range, up to 100x. However, this extreme zoom is mostly digital, and the resulting images appear quite blurry. It works well as a binocular substitute but rarely delivers usable photos at that level.

A more relevant comparison is at 20x zoom, which both smartphones support while still maintaining usable image quality. The Galaxy S25 Ultra displays a slightly more uniform sky, and both phones render the mountain well—as long as the images are not enlarged. At 10x zoom, the differences in image quality are minimal.

Before leaving the national park, we record a 4K video at 60 fps to compare the video quality of both smartphones.

Both devices deliver excellent image quality—details like cones on the trees are clearly visible. Image stabilization is effective on both, keeping handheld footage steady. When zooming during video, the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra shows an advantage at higher zoom levels, where footage appears more detailed and less blurred compared to the iPhone 16 Pro.