Earlier this year, my colleagues and I put the iPhone 15 Pro Max and Galaxy S24 Ultra through a 200 photo shootout — with Apple coming out on top that time. This time, though, I want to see if the outcome will be the same between the iPhone 15 Pro and Galaxy S24 Plus. They both are some of the best camera phones around and have the same $1,000 starting cost, but is there one much better than the other for photography?
Knowing that the Apple won out in the previous photo shootout, I know what you’re thinking — the iPhone 15 Pro should cruise to the finish line. But hey, anything can happen. I’ve taken all of the 200+ photos with both phones in hand shooting the same scenes, so that way, I can look at how they stack up on a computer to make out all their fine details.
I will point out that the Galaxy S24 has the better camera interface, made better by its pro mode that gives me controls for the shutter speed, focus, ISO and much more. The iPhone’s native camera app doesn’t have them, so I’m forced to use a third party one instead. Plus, some of the camera settings with the iPhone are still buried in the general settings menu.
When it comes to the hardware, they’re effectively similar with their triple camera setups. The Galaxy S24 Plus comes with a 50MP main camera, 12MP ultrawide, and 10MP telephoto with 3x optical zoom, while the iPhone 15 Pro packs a 48MP main shooter, 12MP ultrawide, and 12MP telephoto with the same 3x optical zoom.
iPhone 15 Pro vs. Galaxy S24 Plus: main camera
The main cameras on both the iPhone 15 Pro and Galaxy S24 Plus are both excellent, so it’s really a toss-up here because it can sway either way depending on your preference and the scene. Even though the iPhone 15 Pro casts a brighter picture with this beachside scene, the warmer hue of the Galaxy S24 equally gets my attention. Both do manage to maintain a consistent contrast between the bright and darker spots of the clouds to keep New York City’s skyline visible in the far background.
Winner: Tie
iPhone 15 Pro vs. Galaxy S24 Plus: Ultrawide
When it comes to coverage, both phones offer the same 120-degree field of view to capture most of these townhomes in the far background. I really like both photos, but the only difference here is the warmer tone of the Galaxy S24 Plus. On the flip side, there’s a higher contrast look with the iPhone 15 Pro that adds a bit more definition in the clouds above. This one’s a tie in my book.
Winner: Tie
iPhone 15 Pro vs. Galaxy S24 Plus: Dynamic range
In nearly every set of photos I captured with both phones, the Galaxy S24 Plus tends to deliver the stronger dynamic range performance — which ultimately keeps the exposure consistent throughout the scene. It shows how well it does this with the tree in my backyard because the shadows are brightened in such a way to make the leaves on the branches pop out against some of the brighter spots in the sky — while the iPhone isn’t as aggressive with this. I’ll admit that it makes the Galaxy S24 Plus’ shot look nice and most people would agree, but the iPhone 15 Pro isn’t too shabby either.
Winner: Galaxy S24 Plus
iPhone 15 Pro vs. Galaxy S24 Plus: Color reproduction
Right away I can tell there’s a noticeable difference with how these flagship phones produce colors, with the iPhone 15 Pro favoring natural tones and the Galaxy S24 Plus applying a bit of saturation. The red peppers really shine and have a more vibrant tone with the S24 Plus, along with the green peppers on the bottom row. Don’t get me wrong, people love colors that pop, but I prefer the more realistic tones of the iPhone 15 Pro
Winner: iPhone 15 Pro
iPhone 15 Pro vs. Galaxy S24 Plus: Macro
This one’s interesting because I really thought the Galaxy S24 Plus had a dedicated macro mode, but it doesn’t. That’s important because it can’t get as close to subjects like how the iPhone does it — which is indicated by this flower icon that appears, so I know it’s in macro mode.
I will say that the Galaxy S24 Plus can still take decent closeups, especially how it isolates the dandelion and gives the background that nice blur effect. But since macro mode is about capturing the finer details, the iPhone does a much better job at it. For this reason alone, I’m giving it to the iPhone.
Winner: iPhone 15 Pro
iPhone 15 Pro vs. Galaxy S24 Plus: Selfie
It’s another close one with these selfies. Both phones do a fantastic job at capturing all the fine details with my selfies, including the beauty marks and wrinkles around my face — along with fabric material of my shirt and bag stap. However, the difference here is in how the Galaxy S24 Plus’ brightens up the photo. This results in making my face a bit more visible, while the leaves on the tree in the background get the same treatment to make them pop out more.
Winner: Galaxy S24 Plus
iPhone 15 Pro vs. Galaxy S24 Plus: Portraits
I like how the iPhone 15 Pro captures portrait photos better. Not only is the focus isolated to my face, but also around my torso as well, which keeps everything in sharp focus. For some reason, the Galaxy S24 Plus has a habit of softening other parts of my body, like the strap on my shoulder and the shirt I’m wearing — so there’s not as much definition there.
Winner: iPhone 15 Pro
iPhone 15 Pro vs. Galaxy S24 Plus: Zoom
For zoom photos, I captured them both at 3x and 15x zoom levels just for a fair comparison — but the S24 Plus can technically get up to 30x zoom. At 3x zoom, the iPhone 15 Pro is without a doubt the better camera. Apart from how the iPhone 15 Pro’s 3x telephoto camera produces the brighter images, it captures a little more detail.
I can see more of the details with the wood grain on the posts holding up the sign here, while zooming into the crests on the lower left and right corners of the sign show that the iPhone 15 Pro is still capturing more detail.
Winner: iPhone 15 Pro
iPhone 15 Pro vs. Galaxy S24 Plus: Panoramic
When it comes to shooting panoramic photos, both the iPhone 15 Pro and Galaxy S24 Plus can leverage their main and ultrawide cameras. I stuck with their main cameras for all of my comparison shots, but it’s evident that the iPhone does a much better job as a whole. I will say that details captured are identical, so the only difference in this panoramic shot of the dunes along the beach is how the iPhone 15 Pro boosts the exposure throughout the entire scene. I also love the better contrast of the iPhone because it makes the clouds look more dramatic here.
Winner: iPhone 15 Pro
iPhone 15 Pro vs. Galaxy S24 Plus: Low light
And finally, we go back to my backyard where I always capture low light photos of my detached garage. Just know that the photos don’t paint an accurate picture of the actual scene in real like because it’s pitch dark — but these photos make it seem there’s a strong light source to illuminate the area.
While both phones do nice to brighten up the scene, the iPhone 15 Pro does a much better job of it — while also retaining more of the details. For example, the pavers in my driveway have more definition, along with the leaves in the branch and the grass on the lawn. I can also make out the Traeger logo covering my smoker as well.
Winner: iPhone 15 Pro
iPhone 15 Pro vs. Galaxy S24 Plus: Verdict
Well, this one turned out to be a win for the iPhone 15 Pro, which I suppose I shouldn’t be a surprise by because of how similar it is to the iPhone 15 Pro Max. Even though the Galaxy S24 Plus comes up short here, I will say it’s still more than capable of capturing any scene. Where the iPhone 15 Pro really proves it’s better is in the low light department and how its telephoto camera can capture just a smidge more detail at the same distance. If you want to push in further, the S24 Plus is better.
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