Samsung’s S Ultra phones—like the Galaxy S25 Ultra—are still regarded as some of the best camera phones on the market. But Chinese smartphone makers have been striving to improve their imaging prowess too, both by integrating larger optical hardware and by refining image processing. Apple, meanwhile, has moved from 12MP to a fairly large (1/1.28″) 48MP sensor—the same size used on the vivo X200 Ultra.
So how do they stack up in real-world tests? Thanks to Ice Universe, we now have sample images from the iPhone 17 Pro Max, Xiaomi 17 Pro Max, and the Galaxy S25 Ultra taken in different lighting conditions and at various zoom levels.
Starting with the close-up shot against a bright window, two things stand out: the subject in the Galaxy S25 Ultra’s shot appears the darkest, and Xiaomi’s claims about improved dynamic range extend beyond marketing. Apple lands somewhere in the middle. On closer inspection, the S25 Ultra’s sample also shows the most noise—even though this was a daytime shot.
The trend holds in the outdoor daytime photo. The tree appears completely dark in the S25 Ultra’s sample once again, while Xiaomi’s image keeps detail visible.
In well-lit conditions—the easiest scenario—the Xiaomi and Samsung samples look equally detailed, while the iPhone’s appears a bit softer. This is likely because both Android phones applied artificial sharpening (which can sometimes worsen image quality), while the iPhone left textures more natural. The zoomed-in view of the tree on the right highlights this difference.
The S23 Ultra made a big splash with its 200MP headline figure, and Samsung’s image processing was notably better than many early adopters of a 200MP sensor, but rivals have since caught up. As Chinese brands refined image processing while Samsung stuck with the same hardware, the S Ultra line has started to fall behind. More concerning is that the upcoming Galaxy S26 Ultra, set for January 2026, is expected to keep most of the S25 Ultra’s camera hardware. Samsung may instead try to push AI-driven enhancements while keeping its bill of materials (BoM) flat—or lower.
Samsung’s goal has clearly been to prioritize design aesthetics over the largest possible camera hardware. But as Ice Universe shows, the protrusion of the S26 Ultra’s camera island is already close to that of the Xiaomi 17 Pro Max. That means Samsung could have room to redesign the internals for more ambitious upgrades. “Samsung’s ultra-wide camera is underwhelming in specs yet occupies an excessive amount of space within the bump, which is a waste. Meanwhile, Xiaomi cleverly integrates its ultra-wide lens inside the body,” the tipster noted.
(Source: Ice Universe)
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