Smartphone cameras carry a lot of responsibility. They need to automatically make great images in any situation at a moment's notice. They're limited by the physics of small lenses, small sensors and less-than-ideal ergonomics. The photos they create need to be ready to share immediately, with no expectation that the images will be edited and refined later.
Many phones hit a few of those targets, but a small number strive to be the best smartphone cameras you can pocket. The Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra is one that we've previously pitted against the iPhone 16 Pro, and now it's time to see how that Android phone fares against its newest competition, Google's Pixel 10 Pro XL.
I took both phones to Seattle and nearby Mukilteo, Washington, to compare how each performed. Over hundreds of photos, I kept the camera settings as close to the defaults as possible, occasionally switching between the 12-megapixel shooting modes and the high-res 50-megapixel modes where available.
Because we're talking about photography, my personal preferences as to which are the "best" photos might not be the ones you choose, and that's fine. With either camera, you're going to get good photos. But if you're in the market for a new phone and pondering which high-end camera system is for you, or you want to check out the current state of the art for Android cameras, follow along.
And for even more Pixel 10 Pro XL photos, be sure to follow along with CNET's Andrew Lanxon on his first-look photo walk through Paris.
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Pixel 10 Pro XL vs. Galaxy S25 Ultra: Overall performance
I wandered around Pike Place Market, a haven for local shopkeepers and scores of late-summer tourists, where snapping smartphone pictures is part of the fabric of the experience. This nook -- a bend in a stairway -- is one of my favorite spots at the market in the morning when light comes through the window. Both cameras have done a good job balancing the exposure between the bright day outside the window and the mixture of bright sunlight and shadowy corners on the inside. Of the two, I prefer the Pixel 10 Pro XL because it's a bit warmer.
Enlarge Image Pixel 10 Pro XL, main camera Jeff Carlson/CNET
Enlarge Image Galaxy S25 Ultra, main camera Jeff Carlson/CNET
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