Gadgetren – Samsung and Apple in 2022 both released their most advanced mobiles, namely the Galaxy S22 Ultra and the iPhone 14 Pro.
Cameras nowadays where cameras seem to have become an obligatory daily necessity for recording moments, automatically the features presented by cell phone cameras are a major factor in determining which cell phone to buy.
iPhone 14 Pro as the latest mobile phone from Apple has three rear cameras and one front facing camera. The main camera has a resolution of 48 MP, the largest camera resolution ever used by Apple.
The camera is combined with a 12MP ultrawide lens and a 12MP telephoto lens with 3x optical zoom. As for the front camera, it has a 12MP lens.
On the other hand, the Galaxy S22 Ultra offers quad rear cameras consisting of a 108MP main lens, a 12MP ultrawide, and a 12MP dual telephoto lens with 3x and 10x optical zoom. The front camera uses a 40MP lens.
In terms of the number and resolution of camera lenses, the Galaxy S22 Ultra appears to be superior, but is that true? Not necessarily either, that’s why I’m curious to compare the photos and video footage of these two flagship mobiles.
iPhone 14Pro
Galaxy S22 Ultra
iPhone 14Pro
Galaxy S22 Ultra
The first test is the main camera where the iPhone 14 Pro produces photos that look natural even if in some situations it seems a bit underexposed. On the other hand, the Galaxy S22 Ultra produces brighter photos and more noticeable colors.
This difference is particularly evident in the green leaves and red wall in the photo above. The sky at the time of the shot wasn’t actually that bright, but the Galaxy S22 Ultra’s camera made it look bright blue.
Shots from the iPhone 14 Pro are also kept sharp on various sides of the photo, while the sides of the photo appear blurrier on the Galaxy S22 Ultra. Interestingly, in the center of the photo, the results from the Galaxy S22 Ultra look sharper.
iPhone 14 Pro – Portrait
Galaxy S22 Ultra – Portrait
iPhone 14 Pro – Portrait
Galaxy S22 Ultra – Portrait
In portrait mode, the iPhone 14 Pro camera displays natural skin tones, but the color of the photo subject’s clothing appears slightly washed out. Oddly on the Galaxy S22 Ultra, the skin color looks more reddish brown.
However, the Galaxy S22 Ultra, in my opinion, shows better details on the facial surface and the separation between the photo subject and the background is also smoother in portrait mode.
iPhone 14Pro
Galaxy S22 Ultra
iPhone 14 Pro – Night mode
Galaxy S22 Ultra – Night mode
At night both of these mobile phones are equally capable of producing clear and sharp photos. But again, shots from the iPhone 14 Pro camera look more natural, and photos are brighter and more detailed.
The Galaxy S22 Ultra shows a more accurate picture in some parts, for example in the illuminated inscription Hotel Grand Savero in the photo above, but overall the photo looks a bit colder.
There is a weakness of the iPhone 14 Pro when used to take pictures at night, namely that there is often a lens flare effect which is quite annoying. I rarely find this case on the Galaxy S22 Ultra.
iPhone 14 Pro – Ultrawide
Galaxy S22 Ultra – Ultrawide
As for the ultrawide camera, once again the iPhone 14 Pro looks more natural while the Galaxy S22 Ultra has a more prominent colour, although perhaps for some people this seems more appealing.
In addition, the iPhone 14 Pro’s ultrawide camera looks superior in terms of the resulting photographic detail. From water ripples, textures on statues, to concrete boundaries are seen more clearly, while the Galaxy S22 Ultra looks blurry.
iPhone 14 Pro – Ultrawide, night mode
Galaxy S22 Ultra – Ultrawide, night mode
Night mode can be used on both the ultrawide cameras of the iPhone 14 Pro and Galaxy S22 Ultra. Interestingly, when this mode is activated for maximum duration, photos on the Galaxy 22 Ultra appear brighter and photo details are recorded better, even if the colors are cooler.
iPhone 14 Pro – Macro
Galaxy S22 Ultra – Macro
While both lack a special macro lens, the iPhone 14 Pro and Galaxy S22 Ultra can still take very close-up shots. This is done through the ultrawide lens found on every cell phone. Photos are equally sharp, much better than the macro cameras usually found on mid-range cellphones.
However, the Galaxy S22 Ultra’s camera seems to produce sharper photos in all areas of the photo and the colors look as natural as the original. On the other hand, the color of the iPhone 14 Pro actually looks warmer and the side area of the photo looks a bit blurry.
iPhone 14 Pro – 2x zoom
Galaxy S22 Ultra – 2x zoom
iPhone 14 Pro – 3x zoom
Galaxy S22 Ultra – 3x zoom
iPhone 14 Pro – 15x zoom
Galaxy S22 Ultra – 15x zoom
For long-range photography, the iPhone 14 Pro supports a 3x optical zoom and up to 15x digital zoom. Meanwhile, the Galaxy S22 Ultra can perform 3x and 10x optical zoom and up to 100x digital zoom, thanks to the use of two telephoto lenses. Of course, on paper, the Galaxy S22 Ultra looks more sophisticated.
At 2x magnification, iPhone 14 Pro photo results surprisingly look better, sharper, and more natural. Likewise with 3x magnification, both of which have moved on to using telephoto lenses. At the 15x magnification level, the superiority of the Galaxy S22 Ultra can be seen thanks to an additional telephoto lens with 10x optical zoom.
iPhone 14 Pro – Selfie, Portrait
Galaxy S22 Ultra – Selfie, Portrait
iPhone 14 Pro – Selfie, Portrait
Galaxy S22 Ultra – Selfie, Portrait
For the last camera, i.e. the front camera, the results of the selfie photos look better than the shots of the Galaxy S22 Ultra. However, the color of the clothes worn by the photo subject looks a little more prominent. On the other hand, the results of the iPhone 14 Pro selfie photos look a little light, and the color of the clothes looks a little dull.
As far as video recording is concerned, the camera of the iPhone 14 Pro looks superior on various aspects, starting from the sharpness, brightness, recording stability, up to the video details. However, in certain situations, such as at night, the camera of the iPhone 14 Pro again causes a lens flare effect. The recording of the front camera also seems a bit clear.
Overall, I think the iPhone 14 Pro is superior in the camera area. But when it comes to which camera can produce more interesting photos without the hassle of mounting, the Galaxy S22 Ultra seems more apt.
