Comparing The iPhone Vs. Samsung Camera

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iPhone vs. Samsung Camera

Comparing the iPhone to the Samsung smartphone camera may appear to be an apples-to-oranges comparison (no pun intended).

Samsung and Apple, particularly on their flagship models, produce some of the greatest smartphone cameras available. However, minor distinctions between the two may or may not be relevant to the end-user.

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In this iPhone vs. Samsung camera comparison, a general view of how both manufacturers design and equip their cameras is done.

Also, a more practical comparison between the iPhone 13 pro max camera and the Samsung S21+ is done.

General Comparison: iPhone vs. Samsung Cameras

Hardware- Lenses, Sensors, and Flash

It’s really hard to pick one over the other when it comes to essential camera hardware if you are comparing Apple and Samsung cameras.

Nearly all the current iPhones are equipped with dual or triple cameras at the back capable of taking great-looking daylight and night photos.

They all also have Flash as standard and a Lidar scanner for AR applications.

iPhone Camera Hardware- iPhone 13 Series

The current iPhones are equipped with some of the best smartphone lenses out there.

The iPhone 13 pro max has a 12-megapixel 26mm F.16 wide-angle lens with sensor-shift stabilization and dual-pixel autofocus, a 13mm F2.4 ultra-wide lens, and a telephoto lens with 77mm focal length.

In terms of assembly, Apple has always chosen consistency by maintaining the same camera arrangement and shape at the back of their iPhones.

Samsung, on the other hand, usually changes the arrangement of their triple camera setup at the back of their phone.

Samsung Camera Hardware- Samsung S21 Series

The flagship Samsung phones also have equally powerful camera setups at the back. One would argue that Samsung’s camera choice slightly edges Apple, especially with the S21 Ultra’s telephoto lens.

Their current flagship phone is equipped with a 10mp 26mm selfie camera and a triple camera setup consisting of a 12mp 26mm wide camera, 64mp 29mm telephoto with 3x zoom and 12mp 13mm ultra-wide.

Samsung’s camera assembly is quite different from what you find in a Samsung. The back setup consists of a bump that wraps around the edge of the phone with the lenses recessed under it.

This is unlike the iPhone, whose three cameras individually pop out of the back.

Some people prefer the look of the Samsung just because the module seamlessly molds into the frame of the phone.

However, this is a matter of personal taste and most iPhone users don’t mind the appearance of the camera setup on their device.

Camera Performance- iPhone vs. Samsung

In a fair real-life comparison, both Samsung and Apple have very closely matched camera performance, given the similarity in hardware specifications.

The iPhone, however, does come out on top when it comes to consistency and overall image quality in various lighting conditions, even without software enhancements.

One cannot fault Samsung’s camera performance unless they get into tiny details like the amount of saturation in certain lighting conditions and the software enhancements.

If you were to choose one over the other, it would come down to how you would like your photos to appear.

Most experts tend to agree that Samsung cameras favor beauty over reality, while iPhones are more refined and do not feature as many software enhancements.

One key advantage the Samsung camera holds over the iPhone is its zoom capabilities. Hands down, the 3x zoom telephoto lens on their current flagship phone is in a class of its own.

Many reviewers and experts have praised the camera’s ability to take photographs of subjects over a mile away.

Based on real-life tests, the iPhone camera- at least on their latest flagship beats the Samsung hands down when it comes to night mode.

In similar conditions, the iPhone’s camera’s night mode has slightly better color science than the Samsung camera.

However, the margins are very slim and a professional shooter would achieve identical results with both cameras.

Video Performance

Both Samsung and iPhone cameras are capable of shooting 8k videos at 24 fps and 4k at 30 to 60 fps.

Performance again is closely matched, although the new phones from Apple have a macro mode for video shooting while the Samsung does not.

Verdict and Conclusion

In real life, the choice between buying an iPhone and a Samsung is not much about the camera but more about the operating system.

Both phones have very good camera setups and good software- the best in the industry.

However, those who prefer Apple’s ecosystem would go for the iPhone and vice versa.

TechnoWifi