I’ve by no means been an enormous fan of ultra-wide cameras, even on among the greatest digital camera telephones. Too typically, the cameras don’t have a excessive sufficient decision to provide crisp photographs when scrutinizing the element, or there’s an excessive amount of warping on the perimeters. I’ve at all times felt the bodily limitation of the small sensors and lenses utilized in smartphone ultra-wide cameras maintain them again from delivering the extra spectacular photographs of primary and telephoto cameras.
I’ve additionally by no means been a fan of how Samsung’s ultra-wide cameras in its Galaxy S-series, with photographs that seem noisy and missing sharpness, even often trying a bit smudged when peering deeper right into a shot.
Nevertheless, with the Samsung Galaxy S25 Extremely, the South Korean tech big seems to have turned a nook with its ultra-wide cameras. That’s as a result of the S25 Extremely comes with a 50-megapixel quite than the 12MP ultra-wide digital camera of the Galaxy S24 Extremely.
It’s been a typical concept that megapixels don’t imply an important deal in relation to smartphone cameras, particularly these on the greatest telephones. However I’m beginning to see a shift within the sands in that there’s solely a lot sensible computational pictures can do with 12MP sensors and pictures. In distinction, extra element sucked in by the next megapixel sensor successfully means extra information to course of and, thus, extra scope to get a greater picture.
With the caveat that others on the TechRadar crew and I are persevering with to check the Galaxy S25 suite of smartphones, I shortly pitched the ultra-wide digital camera of the Galaxy S25 Extremely towards the 12MP ultra-wide on my iPhone 16 Professional Max; my primary cellphone.
Within the picture samples beneath, you’ll see the Galaxy S25 Extremely’s ultra-wide digital camera in its default 12MP mode – an annoying default, however I perceive it saves on file dimension – and 50MP photographs, alongside 12MP iPhone 16 Professional Max snaps.
Samsung Galaxy S25 Extremely vs iPhone 16 Professional Max ultra-wide photographs
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At a fast look, it’s not notably straightforward to see large variations between the photographs apart from totally different interpretations of colours; Samsung, as normal, favors punchier colours over the iPhone’s extra muted take.
However look nearer, and also you’ll see finer particulars within the foreground of the Galaxy S25 Extremely’s 50MP ultra-wide photographs vs the iPhone 16 Professional Max’s. Punch right into a shot, and the Galaxy S25 Extremely resolves sharper particulars than its rival.
The identical is broadly true when evaluating the 12MP ultra-wide versus the 50MP photographs on the Galaxy S25 Extremely. You need to go on the hunt for adjustments, as each photographs use the identical digital camera sensors; simply the 12MP photographs are being produced with pixel-binning to make a 50MP snap smaller.
Nonetheless, from what I can inform, this course of naturally loses some element on a shot but in addition removes a level of dynamic vary; within the 12MP photographs, shadows and highlights are extra uniform, whereas within the 50MP photographs, there’s extra of a gradient from mild to darkish.
Samsung Galaxy S25 Extremely 50MP vs 12MP ultra-wide photographs
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I discover this pertinent, as current conversations about flagship cellphone cameras have centered on how they have an inclination to provide considerably flat photographs by mentioning the shadows and knocking down vivid elements. This may convey out extra element however ends in a photograph that doesn’t look fairly true to life and finally ends up missing some distinction that may assist make a photograph pop.
So, my key takeaway for anybody planning to get a Galaxy S25 Extremely is to make use of the 50MP mode within the ultra-wide digital camera for the very best outcomes.
And I feel this can be a signal that Apple ought to look to observe the instance set by the Galaxy S25 Extremely and the Google Pixel 9 Professional, in addition to the Pixel 8 Professional, and undertake a bigger pixel depend with the ultra-wide digital camera on the iPhone 17 Professional.
Head to the remark and let me know which ultra-wide photographs you like, and do try our full Samsung Galaxy S25 Extremely assessment; additionally, preserve TechRadar bookmarked as we’ll have extra ideas and experiences with the Galaxy S25 telephones as we preserve digging into them.
