Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra didn't beat the iPhone 13 Pro in camera test

One of my friends, who happens to be black, was showing off his S23 Ultra to me today. He bought it for one simple reason, the iPhone takes pictures of him that are about on par with most other smartphones whereas the S23 Ultra takes pictures that really capture his skin tone and features.

I have to admit, eye balling pictures he'd taken on his Samsung vs a recent picture I had taken on my iPhone that he did look better on the Samsung Pictures.

Honestly, I'm thinking about switching to the s23 Ultra, it's just perfect for night photos and landscapes. And I just love the natural color It keeps on your photos. Apple's algorithm tends to saturate the colors giving it a fake glow-up. The new iPhone 14 just sucks at taking night photos.

saarek said:

One of my friends, who happens to be black, was showing off his S23 Ultra to me today. He bought it for one simple reason, the iPhone takes pictures of him that are about on par with most other smartphones whereas the S23 Ultra takes pictures that really capture his skin tone and features.

I have to admit, eye balling pictures he'd taken on his Samsung vs a recent picture I had taken on my iPhone that he did look better on the Samsung Pictures.

Well, you make the point. I submit that there is NO objective way to compare cameras. People are people and we all have built in personal biases and preferences when it comes to color, focus, composition, etc. I sincerely don’t think it’s possible to quantify the quality of a picture, much like audiophiles arguing which speaker reproduces the sizzle of the hi-hat cymbal more clearly.

Mishu said:

Honestly, I'm thinking about switching to the s23 Ultra, it's just perfect for night photos and landscapes. And I just love the natural color It keeps on your photos. Apple's algorithm tends to saturate the colors giving it a fake glow-up. The new iPhone 14 just sucks at taking night photos.

Ironically, five years ago the situation was the reverse with the Samsung model the  over saturated one. Although both iPhones and galaxys sucked at night then.

lkrupp said:

saarek said:

One of my friends, who happens to be black, was showing off his S23 Ultra to me today. He bought it for one simple reason, the iPhone takes pictures of him that are about on par with most other smartphones whereas the S23 Ultra takes pictures that really capture his skin tone and features.

I have to admit, eye balling pictures he'd taken on his Samsung vs a recent picture I had taken on my iPhone that he did look better on the Samsung Pictures.

Well, you make the point. I submit that there is NO objective way to compare cameras. People are people and we all have built in personal biases and preferences when it comes to color, focus, composition, etc. I sincerely don’t think it’s possible to quantify the quality of a picture, much like audiophiles arguing which speaker reproduces the sizzle of the hi-hat cymbal more clearly.

There are plenty of ways to objectively compare cameras. 

You can start with the obvious of what cameras can, and cannot do. This was a massive failing on iPhones until they got multiple sensors/lenses. 

What about autofocus speed and accuracy? 

Then there was the low light/noise issue that left Apple behind rivals for a few years. 

Then there was long exposure, hand held scenarios using AI assisted image stabilisation. 

When you actually manage to take the photo you want, you can also objectively assess many areas of performance such as detail, exposure, distortion etc. 

Yes, there is also a very subjective part to image evaluation, too. 

Is the grass green enough for you? Do you like punchy HDR styling or do you prefer everything to be as close to natural as possible. 

Do you want AI making your teeth whiter, eliminating reflections, compensating for optical limitations etc. 

Not everybody likes DX0 as a reference site but they do use a suite of objective test evaluations as part of the review process. 

The iPhone has recently started to climb the rankings in overall performance but it's largely been absent from the best of the bunch for years now and the iPhone 14 will probably be nudged down a slot or two once the P60 series is released (rumoured for next week).