The rivalry between Apple and Samsung has existed for over ten years. Fans worldwide eagerly anticipate which flagship smartphone from the two companies will outperform the other in terms of performance, design, and battery life each year. The Galaxy S21 Ultra from Samsung is this year’s greatest smartphone with a camera, but the iPhone 13 Pro Max is Apple’s best smartphone to date.
The Galaxy S21 Ultra boasts four cameras: a 12 MP ultrawide, a 10 MP telephoto with 3x optical zoom, a 10 MP telephoto with 10x optical zoom, and a 108 MP primary camera. With a 12MP primary camera with sensor-shift OIS, a 12MP ultrawide camera, and a 12MP telephoto camera with 3x optical zoom, the iPhone 13 Pro Max boasts relatively modest camera specs.
The iPhone 13 Pro Max sports a 12MP selfie camera, while the Galaxy S21 Ultra boasts a 40MP autofocus camera up front. We had the opportunity to test both gadgets to determine which performs better under different lighting circumstances.
You should definitely put the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra and Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max on your short list if you want a smartphone that takes the best photos available.
With state-of-the-art camera sensor hardware, a variety of lenses for versatile shooting, and strong image processing capabilities, the premium iPhone and Galaxy smartphones take great pride in their amazing photo quality. These two brands have always been the greatest, but which is actually the best? We went out and took some pictures so we could compare the two. In this photography comparison between the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra and the iPhone 13 Pro Max, let’s see which phone wins.
Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra vs iPhone 13 Pro Max camera specs
Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra | Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max | |
Main Camera | 108MP (12MP binned) f/1.8 aperture 24mm focal length 1/1.33″ sensor PDAF, OIS |
12MP f/1.5 aperture 26mm focal length 1/1.66″ sensor dual-pixel PDAF, sensor-shift OIS |
Ultra-Wide | 12MP f/2.2 aperture 13mm focal length 1/2.55″ sensor dual-pixel PDAF |
12MP f/1.8 aperture 13mm focal length 1/3.4″ sensor PDAF |
Telephoto zoom | 10MP f/2.4 aperture 70mm focal length 1/3.24″ sensor dual-pixel PDAF, OIS 3x zoom |
12MP f/2.8 aperture 77mm focal length 1/3.4″ sensor PDAF, OIS 3x zoom |
Periscope zoom | 10MP f/4.9 aperture 240mm focal length 1/3.24″ sensor dual-pixel PDAF, OIS 10x zoom |
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Focusing | Laser AF system | 3D ToF Lidar |
The Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra stands out for having a fourth camera, while the iPhone only has three. We fully expect a quality enhancement for the phone at very long ranges thanks to this 10x periscope zoom camera, which has significantly longer range capabilities than the iPhone 13 Pro Max. However, Apple might have the advantage in the ultra-wide field because of a significantly wider aperture for better light capture.
Additionally, compared to the previous year, the iPhone 13 Pro Max has a bigger primary picture sensor. This enhancement could help bridge the performance gap with the large sensor of the Galaxy S21 Ultra, particularly in low light. However, the real pictures speak louder than words, so let’s get started.
Everyday camera samples
It’s hard to take a bad photo with any of these two of the priciest flagship smartphones available, as you would anticipate. In general, both camera setups provide outstanding results in terms of white balance, color, exposure, and detail in a variety of scenarios.
Although both the iPhone 13 Pro Max and the Galaxy S21 Ultra are superb daily shooters, there are a few minor variations.
However, there are minor variations. Firstly, the field of vision of Samsung’s primary camera lens is slightly broader. More significantly, certain images may appear a little ill due to Apple’s somewhat yellower color balance than Samsung’s. But typically, the phone chooses a more subdued yet accurate color balance. The color scheme of the Galaxy S21 Ultra packs a little bit more oomph. It’s not as overtly pushy as in years past, and Samsung’s extra pop occasionally helps the phone.
There are minor variations between the two phones for general shooting, as was to be expected. With the exception of HDR, these are primarily due to stylistic and tonal variations rather than overt demonstrations of better or worse camera performance. Nevertheless, I personally favor Samsung’s color and exposure settings a little bit better, even if there isn’t much of a difference between the two without pixel peeping.
Low-light photography
Although Apple hasn’t made any official announcements regarding the sensors within the iPhone 13 Pro Max, teardowns show that the larger primary sensor is a Sony IMX703. The diameter of this camera component is 1/1.66 inches. That’s not as little as earlier generations, but it’s still smaller than the primary sensor of the Galaxy S21 Ultra (1/1.33 inches). Additionally, the iPhone’s primary camera may wind up capturing unexpectedly similar or even greater amounts of light for low-light shooting thanks to its bigger aperture, fewer pixel cell walls, and 12MP compared to 108MP. Despite my lack of observation, Apple promises a 1.5x improvement over the iPhone 12 Pro Max from the previous year.
Ultra-wide and zoom capabilities
Let’s move on from the primary camera and examine the phones’ ultra-wide and zoom features. On paper, we definitely anticipate that the Galaxy S21 Ultra will perform better at a distance. Yet, ranges in between 3x and 5x should be much closer together.
Yes, our presumptions are correct. The iPhone 13 Pro Max and Galaxy S21 Ultra both include onboard 3x telephoto lenses and sensors of comparable size, so they can both capture fine optical zoom details. There isn’t much difference between these two, at least not in terms of detail, even at 5x. Colors are a slightly different story, since the grass on the iPhone is once again a little bit more yellow. It’s also a touch more brilliantly exposed, in a similar vein. At least in this instance, the S21 Ultra captures the colors of golden hour a bit more accurately; to Apple’s credit, colors are very constant across all of its camera lenses.
Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra vs iPhone 13 Pro Max camera shootout: The verdict
This year’s Apple versus. Samsung photography competition is expected to be intense as usual. Considering that Apple has improved the iPhone 12 Pro Max formula through iterative rather than revolutionary means, the 13 Pro Max is still a capable, if not very cutting-edge, camera. Nevertheless, the outcomes speak for themselves, and this phone makes it nearly impossible to snap a terrible picture. In terms of low-light quality, the phone is currently among the best ones available. Nevertheless, the iPhone 13 Pro Max’s tendency toward yellows, sporadic underexposure, and lackluster HDR capabilities don’t convince me.
Galaxy S21 Ultra vs iPhone 13 Pro Max camera
First, the Galaxy S21 Ultra’s primary camera produces photos with a tad bit more information. A wider dynamic range means more information is visible in the sky. The primary camera of the iPhone 13 Pro Max selects warmer hues, which is advantageous in some circumstances. Additionally, there is a little less noise in its photos.
Sharper macro photos can be taken with both phones’ ultrawide, focused cameras. There are color differences: the Galaxy S21 Ultra prefers colder tones, whereas the iPhone typically chooses warmer tones. The iPhone 13 Pro Max’s larger aperture, which allows in more light, may be the reason for the reduced noise in macro photos. The iPhone 13 Pro Max recorded accurate colors in the second macro photo comparison, but details were lost.
So, which phone has a better camera?
It is hard to declare a clear winner here. Both phones capture really good images in various scenarios using their primary cameras. The Galaxy S21 Ultra’s ultrawide camera is better in both daylight and low-light conditions, capturing higher details and better sharpness across the frame. The Galaxy S21 Ultra also wins in zoom performance. The iPhone 13 Pro Max is slightly better at capturing portrait images. It also records cleaner and smoother videos in low-light conditions.
Even though Apple just released the iPhone 13 Pro Max last month, the company still lacks a distinct advantage in the camera division. We are pleased to observe that even after eight months, the Galaxy S21 Ultra continues to triumph in numerous instances. In comparison to the iPhone 13 Pro Max, its camera configuration is more adaptable. The Galaxy S21 Ultra is still a fantastic high-end smartphone with outstanding all-around performance if you’re considering purchasing one. Check out our comparison of the cameras of the Galaxy S21 Ultra and Galaxy Z Fold 3 as well.
We would want to see Samsung improve the quality of its slow-motion and low-light video capture on its upcoming top smartphone, the Galaxy S22.