Today's top phones come with impressive camera setups that can help catapult you to Instagram stardom, or whatever else you want to do. The iPhone 17 Pro and Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra are no exceptions. Both phones delivered great results in their respective reviews, and both camera setups offer stiff competition to the likes of Google and Oppo. But how do they compare with each other?
To find out, I took them out on multiple image-capturing missions around Edinburgh, testing them in a variety of conditions and then scrutinizing the results.
With phones at this level, there often won't be a "winner" in each test. Many results will come down to personal preference, and that's very much the case here.
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As a professional photographer, I prefer a more true-to-life image, with natural tones and rich contrast, that provides a good baseline for me to apply my own edits should I want to.
I also dislike over-processing, which can make an image look too digital and artificial. Some of you may disagree, preferring instead more vibrant images with strong saturation and clarity that can be shared directly to social without any extra effort on your part. Either stance is fine, but it's why tests like these need to be taken with a pinch of salt.
With that said, let's dive in and take a look at the images. All shots were taken in each phone's standard camera app in JPEG (or HEIF for some of the iPhone's images) and have been imported and resized in Adobe Lightroom, but with no additional edits or sharpening applied.
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iPhone 17 Pro vs. Galaxy S25 Ultra: Main camera tests
Enlarge Image iPhone 17 Pro, main camera. Andrew Lanxon/CNET
Enlarge Image Galaxy S25 Ultra, main camera. Andrew Lanxon/CNET
Like any average day of mine, this test begins with plenty of bread and melted cheese. Both shots look great, with great detail and even exposure. The colors on the S25 Ultra are marginally richer, which I don't mind here as it helps the food really pop.
Enlarge Image iPhone 17 Pro, main camera. Andrew Lanxon/CNET
Enlarge Image Galaxy S25 Ultra, main camera. Andrew Lanxon/CNET
Outside in the Autumn light, I love the colors captured by both phones. The iPhone's image has richer contrast, with deeper black levels that I think look better, but otherwise, there's very little to choose between them.
Enlarge Image iPhone 17 Pro, main camera. Andrew Lanxon/CNET
Enlarge Image Galaxy S25 Ultra, main camera. Andrew Lanxon/CNET
It's the same when I got close to this leaf. I think the iPhone's bokeh (the out-of-focus background) looks a little nicer, but I slightly prefer the deeper tones on the S25 Ultra. (These are true optical bokeh, not portrait-mode style processing.) Toss a coin and choose your favorite.
Enlarge Image iPhone 17 Pro, main camera. Andrew Lanxon/CNET
Enlarge Image Galaxy S25 Ultra, main camera. Andrew Lanxon/CNET
There's a much bigger difference here, though. While the exposure is comparable, the S25 Ultra's colors are significantly more saturated than those of the iPhone -- notice the blue boat hull and the reddish building at the right. Is that good? Well, that again comes down to opinion. To my eye, Samsung's shot looks overly saturated to the point of looking quite fake. I much prefer the more muted, almost filmic tones of the iPhone.
Enlarge Image iPhone 17 Pro, ultrawide camera. Andrew Lanxon/CNET
Enlarge Image Galaxy S25 Ultra, ultrawide camera. Andrew Lanxon/CNET
And it's almost exactly the same story when I switched to the ultrawide cameras of both phones. The S25 Ultra delivered a highly saturated image while the iPhone's is much more subtle.
Enlarge Image iPhone 17 Pro, main camera. Andrew Lanxon/CNET
Enlarge Image Galaxy S25 Ultra, main camera. Andrew Lanxon/CNET
The Galaxy S25 Ultra has done a better job here, though, color-wise, with warmer, more autumnal tones that suit the scene well. The iPhone's shot looks a little cold by comparison.
Enlarge Image iPhone 17 Pro (left) vs. Galaxy S25 Ultra (right) 200% detail crop Andrew Lanxon/CNET
But just to confuse the result, while the iPhone's colors might not look as nice, when I looked close up at the details around the edge, I noticed that its shot has noticeably better clarity, while the S25 Ultra's image has lost a lot of detail. Will you ever notice that difference? Almost certainly not, especially if you're only posting to Instagram or sending messages over WhatsApp. However, when both phones are over $1,000, you'd better believe I'm going to nitpick harder than you ever thought possible.
Enlarge Image iPhone 17 Pro, main camera. Andrew Lanxon/CNET
Enlarge Image Galaxy S25 Ultra, main camera. Andrew Lanxon/CNET
That said, I actually don't have a lot to say between these two shots inside a museum in Edinburgh. Both are well-exposed, and while the iPhone has leaned slightly more toward a magenta white balance, I don't really see that as either a good or a bad thing. Take your pick.
Enlarge Image iPhone 17 Pro, ultrawide camera. Andrew Lanxon/CNET
Enlarge Image Galaxy S25 Ultra, ultrawide camera. Andrew Lanxon/CNET
I definitely prefer the iPhone's shot when switching to the ultrawide lens, though. The S25 Ultra has evidently tried to pull down the highlights on the reflection on the floor, leaving it looking a little gloomy. The floor pops more in the iPhone's shot, which adds nicer contrast to the scene overall.
Enlarge Image iPhone 17 Pro, main camera. Andrew Lanxon/CNET
Enlarge Image Galaxy S25 Ultra, main camera. Andrew Lanxon/CNET
Here's another example of more vibrant tones from the S25 Ultra, with the iPhone looking more natural. I know which I prefer (the iPhone, if you haven't been paying attention), but there's nothing wrong with the S25 Ultra's shot either.
Enlarge Image iPhone 17 Pro, main camera. Andrew Lanxon/CNET
Enlarge Image Galaxy S25 Ultra, main camera. Andrew Lanxon/CNET
And in this image, looking up at some golden leaves, I can see almost no discernible difference whatsoever. Lovely stuff.
Enlarge Image iPhone 17 Pro, main camera. Andrew Lanxon/CNET
Enlarge Image Galaxy S25 Ultra, main camera. Andrew Lanxon/CNET
The iPhone's shot is definitely much brighter here, and it looks better for it. I'm not sure why the S25 Ultra has underexposed its image, but it's made the scene look quite drab as a result.
iPhone 17 Pro vs. Galaxy S25 Ultra: Zoom photos
Both phones have dedicated optical zoom lenses, with the iPhone's going up to 8x (what Apple calls "optical quality," which is a processed crop of the 48-megapixel sensor) and the S25 Ultra going slightly further to 10X. Both phones offer different preset zoom levels in between.
Enlarge Image iPhone 17 Pro, 8x zoom. Andrew Lanxon/CNET
Enlarge Image Galaxy S25 Ultra, 10x zoom. Andrew Lanxon/CNET
Starting at 8x on the iPhone and 10x on the Galaxy, this shot of golden leaves looks great on both, with vibrant tones and solid details.
Enlarge Image iPhone 17 Pro, 4x zoom. Andrew Lanxon/CNET
Enlarge Image Galaxy S25 Ultra, 5x zoom. Andrew Lanxon/CNET
While using the iPhone at 4x zoom and the S25 Ultra at 5x, I again think that both phones have done a great job. The iPhone has leaned slightly harder into warmer autumnal tones, with the greens of the grass and leaves looking more vibrant and emerald in the S25 Ultra's image.
Enlarge Image iPhone 17 Pro, 4x zoom. Andrew Lanxon/CNET
Enlarge Image Galaxy S25 Ultra, 5x zoom. Andrew Lanxon/CNET
At 5x zoom, the Galaxy S25 Ultra's image looks quite dull and underexposed, with a slight magenta shift to its colors. The iPhone's shot at 4x zoom appears brighter, with more pleasing colors.
Enlarge Image iPhone 17 Pro, 8x zoom. Andrew Lanxon/CNET
Enlarge Image Galaxy S25 Ultra, 10x zoom. Andrew Lanxon/CNET
And it's much the same at the full 8x and 10x zoom levels; the iPhone offers better contrast and colors.
I've found the Galaxy can struggle with its colors more when zooming than when using the main camera. Take this as an example:
Enlarge Image iPhone 17 Pro, main camera. Andrew Lanxon/CNET
Enlarge Image Galaxy S25 Ultra, main camera. Andrew Lanxon/CNET
At the standard focal length of the main camera, these images are almost identical, with beautiful warm tones captured by both phones.
Enlarge Image iPhone 17 Pro, 2x zoom. Andrew Lanxon/CNET
Enlarge Image Galaxy S25 Ultra, 2x zoom. Andrew Lanxon/CNET
But zooming in to 2x has really thrown the Galaxy off. Its white balance instead errs on the colder side, with a more pronounced magenta bias, losing the lovely golden light that's still present in the iPhone's image.
Enlarge Image iPhone 17 Pro, 8x zoom. Andrew Lanxon/CNET
Enlarge Image Galaxy S25 Ultra, 10x zoom. Andrew Lanxon/CNET
But then I prefer the warmer color tones of the Galaxy's 10x zoom in this example. The tree leaves look noticeably warmer and rich.
Enlarge Image iPhone 17 Pro, 8x zoom. Andrew Lanxon/CNET
Enlarge Image Galaxy S25 Ultra, 10x zoom. Andrew Lanxon/CNET
And again, at the iPhone's 8x zoom and the S25 Ultra's 10x, there's a significant color shift. The iPhone's image appears more cyan-toned overall -- and I think it has slightly better contrast as well.
Enlarge Image iPhone 17 Pro, 8x zoom. Andrew Lanxon/CNET
Enlarge Image Galaxy S25 Ultra, 10x zoom. Andrew Lanxon/CNET
At the same zoom lengths, I'm again seeing a more pronounced cyan shift in the white balance on the iPhone, along with a brighter and more contrasty scene overall. For my taste, I prefer the iPhone, but the S25 Ultra is still technically solid.
It's interesting to see how each phone performs better in different scenarios, almost there's almost no rhyme or reason I can see as to why. In some zoom images, the iPhone appears warmer and richer, while at other times, the S25 does. It makes it very difficult for me as a tech writer to consider either one a winner, though, as it largely comes down to personal preference.
iPhone 17 Pro vs. Galaxy S25 Ultra: Night mode
Enlarge Image iPhone 17 Pro, main camera, night mode. Andrew Lanxon/CNET
Enlarge Image Galaxy S25 Ultra, main camera, night mode. Andrew Lanxon/CNET
Switching to night mode on the main camera, the iPhone's image is noticeable brighter (particularly in the cobbled street and the sky), although that slight cyan shift is now in the S25 Ultra's image. The S25's shot is also marginally sharper, but you've really got to zoom in close to see the difference.
Enlarge Image iPhone 17 Pro, main camera, night mode. Andrew Lanxon/CNET
Enlarge Image Galaxy S25 Ultra, main camera, night mode. Andrew Lanxon/CNET
And it's a similar story here. The iPhone's shot is brighter in the sky and with noticeably less image noise, but the details on the buildings are much clearer on the S25 Ultra's image.
Enlarge Image iPhone 17 Pro (left) vs. Galaxy S25 Ultra, 100% detail crop. Andrew Lanxon/CNET
If we zoom in closely on the details, it's clear to see that the Galaxy S25 Ultra has the edge in terms of clarity, but the iPhone's image has stronger colors.
Enlarge Image iPhone 17 Pro, ultrawide camera, night mode. Andrew Lanxon/CNET
Enlarge Image Galaxy S25 Ultra, ultrawide camera, night mode. Andrew Lanxon/CNET
The conclusion is the same in the ultrawide mode, too, although both phones have delivered a much darker shot. Ultrawide night mode still has some way to go, regardless of the phone you choose.
Enlarge Image iPhone 17 Pro, 8x zoom, night mode. Andrew Lanxon/CNET
Enlarge Image Galaxy S25 Ultra, 10x zoom, night mode. Andrew Lanxon/CNET
And at 8x and 10x zoom on the iPhone and Galaxy, respectively, the Galaxy again wins when it comes to clarity, but the iPhone's colors look much better.
iPhone 17 Pro vs. Galaxy S25 Ultra: Selfie test
Enlarge Image iPhone 17 Pro, selfie camera. Andrew Lanxon/CNET
Enlarge Image Galaxy S25 Ultra, selfie camera. Andrew Lanxon/CNET
There was no way I was going to publish this many photos without putting my own big stupid face on the page somewhere. And I have to say the iPhone has done a far superior job in capturing said face. The exposure is brighter with better contrast, the colors are warmer and punchier, and the details are better, too. The S25 Ultra's image looks really rather drab in comparison.
Enlarge Image iPhone 17 Pro, selfie camera, wide mode. Andrew Lanxon/CNET
Enlarge Image Galaxy S25 Ultra, selfie camera, wide mode. Andrew Lanxon/CNET
And when I activated each phone's wide-angle selfie mode, the iPhone again came out on top. The better exposure, contrast and colors are still the case, but it also offers a much wider view than the S25 Ultra can manage. This could be helpful if you're trying to squash loads of your friends into the scene or, like me, good if you want to show a lot of extra space around you where friends could be if you'd bothered to make any or talk to anyone outside of the workplace.
iPhone 17 Pro vs. Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra: Which has the better camera?
After many test photos taken, miles walked and millions of pixels peeped at on screen, I can finally conclude that the best camera phone between the iPhone 17 Pro and the Galaxy S25 Ultra is... drumroll please...
You decide.
Is that the best I can do based on my 14 years of experience as a tech journalist and photographer? Honestly, yes. Both phones have performed extremely well in these tests, and neither can be objectively considered significantly better than the other in any major way.
The S25 Ultra, like almost all of Samsung's phones, tends to lean more toward highly saturated colors, while the iPhone keeps things a bit more natural. At night, the Galaxy is sharper, but the iPhone has better colors. Sometimes the iPhone's zoom shots looked richer, while other times the S25 Ultra's zoom images were preferable. Preferable to me, anyway.
As I mentioned at the beginning of this test, I take a more subtle approach with my photos, preferring a natural base image that gives me more scope for applying my own edits in apps like Adobe Lightroom or Google's Snapseed. The iPhone 17 Pro remains my preferred camera phone for that reason, but many of you will likely love the punchier look offered by the Galaxy phone.
The one area where the iPhone certainly came out on top is with the front camera, so if high-quality gurning selfies are your thing, go with the iPhone.
Really, either phone is an absolute cracker when it comes to photography, and it really shouldn't come down to camera performance if you're struggling to decide whether to go Android or iOS.