iPhone 17 Pro Max: Apple’s new camera outperforms Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra in first reviews

iPhone 17 Pro has the best selfie camera

For both MrWhosetheboss and SuperSaf, the new 18MP Center Stage front-facing camera on the iPhone 17 series is a game-changer. It's not only significantly more dynamic than Samsung’s counterpart but also more versatile thanks to its flexible formats. The iPhone 17 can also take better selfies at night, and its video stabilization works a little better. There's only one exception, as SuperSaf prefers selfies taken with a flash in very dark environments on the Galaxy S25 Ultra.

iPhone wins at night

In direct comparison, the new iPhone performs better than its predecessor, especially at night. For example, there are fewer jitter artifacts in low-light videos. Also, many examples shown by these two YouTubers illustrate that the iPhone 17 Pro Max is better at illuminating difficult scenes. Even the telephoto comparison, which Samsung usually wins during the day, goes to Apple as the ambient light decreases. For instance, text at 20x zoom is more legible on the iPhones, despite the optical advantage of the Samsung camera.

Macros: Neither phone offers a telemacro

Macro shots are not handled perfectly on either device. Both Apple and Samsung can take macro photos with their ultrawide cameras, but according to both YouTubers, the Galaxy S25 Ultra is slightly better than the iPhone. However, those who want to take macro photos with a telephoto lens are better off with a Vivo, Xiaomi or Oppo flagship, which allow for telemacro shots from just a few inches away. With the 4x telephoto on the iPhone 17 Pro Max, you have to be about 3 ft away from the object to get a sharp photo, while the Galaxy S25 Ultra falls in between and wins this segment.

Zoom: It depends

When it comes to zoom, both smartphones show their strengths if the optical telephoto focal length is perfectly matched. At 3x and 5x zoom, Samsung usually has the upper hand, while the iPhone 17 Pro Max tends to produce a better photo at 4x and 8x. As we've already mentioned, the tide often turns in Apple's favor at night, but Ice Universe also observes artifacts on the Galaxy S25 telephoto camera during the day. In the X post embedded above, photos were taken with about 9x-10x zoom, and the Galaxy S25 Ultra shows unnatural artifacts upon closer inspection, which are caused by Samsung's zoom algorithms. The latter becomes even more apparent when pixel-peeping at 30x zoom shots from both devices (see below). Those who dare will apparently be rewarded with more natural details on the iPhone 17 Pro, while the Galaxy S25 Ultra shows over-sharpened and distorted content.

More differences beyond camera quality

The iPhone 17 Pro also ranks far ahead of the Galaxy S25 Ultra in DxOMark’s review of the best smartphone cameras. However, both devices naturally have their pros and cons beyond just camera quality. For example, only Samsung offers 8K video, and the Galaxy AI features often work better than the Apple Intelligence equivalent. A Pro mode is also only available on Android flagships, at least with stock software. On the other hand, only Apple allows users to adjust the style of photos with Photographic Styles, which is also partially possible on Vivo and Xiaomi phones.

YouTube (MrWhosetheboss, SuperSaf), Ice Universe