Samsung and Apple have been battling for camera dominance in the smartphone market for over a decade. With the iPhone 16 Pro series raising the bar in smartphone photography — thanks to its 48 MP ultra-wide camera, 4K 120fps video recording and more — the upcoming Galaxy S25 Ultra is facing high expectations.
According to some leaks, Samsung will feature a quad-camera setup on the Galaxy S25 Ultra, similar to its predecessor’s setup. However, the camera array is likely to include new sensors, capable of capturing better photos and videos. More than just hardware, the Galaxy S25 Ultra is said to pack new camera tricks to further enhance the overall camera experience.
These five leaks suggest that the Galaxy S25 Ultra could outperform the iPhone 16 Pro Max (Review).
Samsung’s first 50 MP ultra-wide camera
Galaxy S25 Ultra. (Image credit: Android Headlines/Unleaks)
Although 50 MP ultra-wide angle cameras are common in Android smartphones, the Galaxy S25 Ultra is said to be the first Samsung phone. According to Ice universeA smartphone leakster, the 50 MP ultra-wide-angle camera will feature a 1/2.52-inch ISOCELL JN3 sensor with f/1.9 aperture. This setup promises sharper, brighter images even in low light, surpassing the iPhone 16 Pro Max’s 48 MP ultra-wide camera with its narrow f/2.2 aperture.
Image processing upgrades for wide and telephoto lenses
While the S25 Ultra will retain its predecessor’s 200 MP primary shooter and telephoto lenses (10 MP 3x and 50 MP 5x), the new Snapdragon 8 Elite chip’s Image Signal Processor (ISP) is expected to boost image quality. Samsung’s dual telephoto setup, combined with its high-resolution main sensor, could give it an edge over Apple’s offerings.
8K HDR video recording on additional cameras
8K recording has been a common phenomenon in the latest Samsung flagships for the past few years, and the Galaxy S25 Ultra takes it to a higher level with 8K 60fps video recording with HDR toning. Like the iPhone 16 Pro Max, it will also offer 4K 120fps video recording with the ability to convert those videos into short instant slow-motion footage. However, it will be interesting to see if Samsung optimizes the stability and details of high-resolution videos, especially in 8K.
Multi-camera recording/capture capability
Director’s View on Samsung phones lets users capture video from both the rear and front cameras, and considering the capabilities of the Snapdragon 8 Elite chip––which can simultaneously capture video from three different cameras––the Galaxy S25 Ultra could come with new modes that allow. Users capture the same scene with multiple cameras for different perspectives. This will help users capture a scene at different magnifications at the same time, while iPhone 16 Pro Max users can only shoot with one camera at a time.
Video object eraser
Image object erasers have become a fairly common feature on Android smartphones, and that too is available on the iPhone 16 Pro Max as part of Apple Intelligence. The Galaxy S25 Ultra is said to be one of the first smartphones to offer video object erasure capabilities, again, the strength of the Snapdragon 8 Elite chip. It will help users to remove unwanted topics from videos before posting them on social media platforms or YouTube.
With the right combination of hardware, software and AI, the Galaxy S25 can beat the iPhone 16 Pro Max in terms of photography and videography. If everything goes as expected, the Samsung Galaxy S25 series will go official in February of 2025, with the Galaxy S25 Ultra as the flag bearer.