The photography skills of the iPhone 16 Pro and Galaxy S25 Ultra are among the best money can buy, taking pics that can rival even dedicated mirrorless cameras. And with travel season ramping up, carrying a phone may be the most convenient way of always having a powerful camera with you. But when it comes to overall image quality, how do these two mobile titans compare?
To find out, I shot hundreds of photos using both phones in a variety of conditions to see which takes the best images. What's "best" often comes down to personal perspective. So while I'll share my take on each test as a professional photographer -- including why I prefer one over the other -- you might find you prefer the opposite. Have a look through the range of examples below and see if you come to a different conclusion.
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All images shown have been taken using each phone's default camera mode using default settings, unless otherwise stated. While images from the Galaxy S25 have been uploaded as taken, the iPhone's images have had to be converted through Adobe Lightroom, as our publishing platform doesn't support Apple's default HEIF image format. This process doesn't affect the image in any way.
Ready? Let's dive in.
iPhone 16 Pro, main camera Andrew Lanxon/CNET
Galaxy S25 Ultra, main camera Andrew Lanxon/CNET
Starting out with an easy outdoor scene. Both phones have done a great job capturing an even exposure here and both images are packed with detail. It's difficult to choose between them, but the iPhone has the edge for me as it's achieved a slightly warmer image with more natural-looking tones. The S25 Ultra's image looks too saturated, especially in the blue sky, which I find quite distracting.
iPhone 16 Pro, ultrawide lens Andrew Lanxon/CNET
Galaxy S25 Ultra, ultrawide lens Andrew Lanxon/CNET
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