We compared two of the best camera phones Galaxy S23 VS iPhone14 to find out which one is the most cost-effective. First in the ring is the iPhone 14 Pro Max. This is Apple’s latest flagship phone, and the camera quality is a leap forward over its predecessor thanks to a physically larger image sensor, with 48MP raw images thrown in for good measure ( See this iPhone 14 Pro Max camera description for details). The new challenger is the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra, whose predecessor the S22 Ultra has struggled as it is considered the most versatile smartphone camera available thanks to its wide range of lenses and space zoom capabilities. It has been taken. The S23 Ultra’s centerpiece is its new 200MP sensor,
which packs a ton of new tech and promises a truly exciting camera experience. Since the advent of smartphones, I have witnessed the fastest evolution of camera technology in these handheld devices. Cameras have become a very important feature of our phones, and the Galaxy S23 VS iPhone14 represent the pinnacle of camera phone photography in 2023. hand . After the initial setup of the camera, the actual experience of using the camera (navigating the various modes, menus and functions) is much the same. For this test, we captured identical images in different scenarios, such as cityscapes, daytime portraits with a 3x zoom lens, and night skies, as each phone allowed.
Galaxy S23 VS iPhone14 : Main Camera Detail
There’s a big difference in total pixels, the Samsung S23 Ultra has a 200MP reed sensor, while the iPhone 14 Pro Max has a 48MP reed sensor. Both cameras shoot at virtually the same resolution by default: 12.5MP and 12MP , or is there? 16:1 and 4:1 pixel binning respectively (you can read more about it in the pixel binning description). To unleash 48MP shots on your iPhone, you need to go to the main settings menu, find the camera options and check the “Raw photo” box. This will appear as an option in the camera app. have to do it once.
The S23 Ultra has 200MP and 50MP JPEG capture options in the camera’s main menu, and a 50MP “Expert RAW” format behind the “More” option. Most users will likely leave these camera phones at the default resolution. This will produce an image with essentially the same size and a comparable level of detail. However, the reality is that the S23 Ultra is better than his iPhone 14 Pro Max, with sharper details. Samsung can handle four times as many pixels as he does, so it’s no surprise when you think about it. The difference isn’t day and night, but the pixels he sees when he looks at the binned image at 100%.
Galaxy S23 VS iPhone14 : Telephoto Lenses
Will the successor to the S22 Ultra be deliver again? I’m sure it is. The S23 Ultra has 0.6x, 1x, 3x, and 10x optics, and the iPhone 14 Pro Max has 0.5x, 1x, and 3x optics (the main 48MP lens has a crop and an additional 2x create optical zoom natively). at 12MP). Both cameras can also digitally zoom over 10x and 3x their maximum optical range respectively. Digital zoom pales in comparison to optical zoom in terms of image fidelity. When the iPhone 14 Pro Max gets a 10x digital enhancement to match his 10x optical lens on his S23 Ultra,
Samsung surpasses it in both detail and handling detail. The S23 Ultra’s sensor-based image stabilization (which is said to provide up to 3 degrees of movement to compensate for camera shake) is excellent, and composing images with the 10x lens is easy. In comparison, the iPhone 14 Pro Max has not rate for use at 10x, so the resulting image can’t keep up. It looks sharp. It’s worth mentioning here that there is a slight difference in focal length between the lenses, and the otherwise identical image will have a slightly different composition. The S23 Ultra’s main camera is 23mm wide, with a 3x lens of 69mm and a 10x lens of 230mm. The iPhone 14 Pro Max’s main camera lens is 24mm, but the 3x lens is 77mm, so the image looks a bit zoomed in.
Galaxy S23 VS iPhone14 : Color
The iPhone 14 Pro Max will let you bake different color profiles into JPEGs, while the Samsung S23 Ultra takes control of color in JPEGs. When both phones` cameras are left set to a standard color profile and viewed in isolation, color seems to be decent across both phones. But put identical images taken with each device side by side, and one camera stands out. In terms of color accuracy, the iPhone 14 Pro Max is consistently more true to life and accurate across the board: images look cooler when they should,
for example cloudy cityscapes; daylight portraits have a pleasant warmth; there`s enough magenta in night-portrait skin tones; and the phone nails those tricky colors in clothing too. iPhone 14 Pro Max on the left, Galaxy S23 VS iPhone14 on the right As for style – which is of course subjective – overall, images from the S23 Ultra have a more saturated look, while those from the iPhone 14 Pro Max look more natural. I prefer the latter, because the S23 Ultra can at times go overboard with the saturation, with certain colors appearing overly dominant – with one example being overly pink lips in portraits.
Portraits
I shot a number of portraits with both phones` 3x zoom camera outdoors in cloudy weather, and with the main cameras inside a pub at night, and differences in image quality ranged from the subtle to the wild. Both cameras are very capable of applying realistic blur around portrait subjects, leaving little room for choice. Perhaps the iPhone was prone to artifacts, especially in low-light portrait shots, but it’s not immune to issues that can be particularly noticeable in details like hair.Left is the iPhone 14 Pro. Max, right is Galaxy S23 VS iPhone14 In daytime portraits, the S23 Ultra smoothed out details on clothing, while the iPhone kept those details sharp. It kept the vegetation a few feet behind the subject mostly sharp, but the iPhone was a little blurry and again delivered more realistic results. I trust the iPhone 14 Pro Max, but both phones work great.
Low Light
Sensor size affects image quality in low light. A larger sensor can collect more light, resulting in better image quality in low light. This is cover in more detail in More Megapixels vs. Larger Sensors vs. Larger Pixels Features. The S23 Ultra and iPhone 14 Pro Max each have a larger camera sensor than most other phones, and their sensors are practically the same size. Sensor pixel count and its impact on low-light image quality is a hotly debate topic in the photography world. Some people think that the image quality suffers in low light due to the high number of pixels, while others, including myself, think that when images of the same size are displaye side by side, the difference is not noticeable.
We know that the iPhone 14 Pro Max on the left and the Galaxy S23 VS iPhone14 on the right have more than four times the number of pixels in the primary camera sensor compared to the iPhone 14 Pro Max, but the output resolution is lower. standard photo mode. The usability is the same, and the image quality is the same even in dark places. As an aside, I prefer the quality of his 200MP output on his S23 Ultra to his 12.5MP low-light stills on its own.
Raw
In this shootout, however, the phone offers similar low-light image quality. Photographers will be happy to know that both phones can capture raw images as well as standard JPEGs. RAW images are more flexible than his JPEGs, allowing post-capture exposure and color adjustments in editing software. This allows you to adjust brightness with little loss of tonal detail, or fine-tune white balance for more realistic results.
Computing photography usually gets the best performance out of the camera, so I’ve never been more excited about his RAW shooting on a smartphone. 50MP on the S23 Ultra and 48MP on the iPhone 14 Pro Max, both cameras can shoot raw. iPhone 14 Pro Max left, Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra right Both shoot with fairly dark exposure by default, giving you plenty of room to spare. Let’s give it to restore the details of the highlights. This is a sensible approach, but you run the risk of blurring shadow detail with lightening. We were equally impress with the quality of the raw images from either camera, and would consider this format for important images.
Verdict
Given the versatility of Samsung’s flagship smartphone cameras, the S23 Ultra’s camera system (Samsung’s most versatile) definitely comes out on top in a head-to-head comparison with its capabilities for a wide variety of scenarios. But it’s not just megapixels and lens placement, the iPhone 14 Pro Max comes out on top in several areas. For example, I like the look of portraits in general and the color accuracy in particular. I’d like to give a definitive answer as to which camera is best, but it’s generally undecide and in some areas depends on personal preference. While I prefer the overall look of the iPhone 14 Pro Max image, the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra is the more versatile camera phone of the two.
