For a few years, Apple had a good run of releasing iPhones that easily outclassed Android rivals when it came to mobile photography. Before long, though, premium handset makers like Google and Samsung stepped up their game and started giving the iPhone a run for its money. If anything, it’s fair to say that the iPhone over the past two years hasn’t been the best smartphone camera on the planet, thanks in large part to devices like Google’s Pixel 3.
With the iPhone 11 Pro, Apple is clearly looking to reclaim the crown. Apple’s two Phone 11 Pro models boast a triple-camera design with a host of brand new and downright jaw-dropping features. Night mode, in particular, takes stunning photos in extremely low-light conditions and already looks to be an absolute game-changer. Beyond that, the iPhone 11 Pro is chock full of new camera technologies and features that had many early reviews touting it as the best smartphone camera on the planet.
With the iPhone 11 Pro camera offering up the biggest step-forward in iPhone photography we’ve seen in quite some time, it’s only natural to wonder how Apple’s premium flagship stacks up against the best smartphone cameras already on the market. To help tackle this issue, SuperSaf is back with another comparison video, this time pitting Apple’s new iPhone 11 Pro Max against Samsung’s Galaxy Note 10 Plus.
So let’s dive right in with just a few representative examples.
In the photo below, we have a shot taken in ideal lighting conditions. You’ll note that the iPhone 11 Pro Max has more natural coloring while the Note 10 Plus has a more saturated look. This shouldn’t come as much of a surprise as Samsung long tended to pump up the saturation on its photos to make them that much more vibrant.
Comparing ultra-wide shots between the iPhone 11 Pro Mac and Galaxy Note 10 Plus, it’s interesting to note that the color and detail on the Note are far superior than what the iPhone 11 Pro Max brings to the table.
With all that said, the reality is that any photos taken in ideal lighting conditions with an advanced smartphone will look incredible. What really matters are edge cases, which is to say photos taken in low-light environments. Though devices like Google’s Pixel 3 beat Apple to the punch when it comes to low-light photography, the new Night mode on the iPhone 11 appears to be the best implementation we’ve seen yet.
The first example comparing the iPhone to the Note can be seen below. It’s a close call, but you can tell that the detail on the iPhone 11 Pro Max is just a tad crisper.
The photo below was taken in Night mode and zoomed in 200%. Both the iPhone 11 and the Note 10 Plus perform well here, but you’ll note that the color and detailing is a tad shaper on the iPhone.
With respect to portrait mode, the iPhone 11 also came out on top. SuperSaf notes that the iPhone 11 Pro Max delivered more realistic and evened out skin tones. Also, in the photo below, he notes that the strip above the brick is white, and not yellow as depicted in the Note 10 Plus shot.
The entire video comparison is incredibly exhaustive and covers all aspects of each device’s camera system. Suffice it to say, it’s hard to go wrong camera-wise when you get a flagship device these days, but if you’re curious about the nuances across both devices, the video here is well worth watching in its entirety.
