Which camera is better: iPhone 16 or Galaxy S24?

iPhone 16 Pro Max Camera

Apple has kept most of the camera system unchanged from the previous generation, featuring a primary sensor with a 48MP resolution and an f/1.8 aperture. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing—the iPhone 15 Pro Max camera was excellent, and the iPhone 16 Pro Max continues that legacy. But the real surprise is the new ultra-wide camera, which also comes with a 48MP sensor. This is a significant upgrade over the previous generation, and the results are clearly noticeable. The photos are sharper, with fewer distortions along the edges. Low-light performance has also dramatically improved.

And if the numbers don't speak to you, there are other camera upgrades worth mentioning. Apple introduced what it calls the “Fusion 48MP camera,” which combines images from two sensors to create a single detailed and impressive photo (a technology that has been available in Android devices for years). But the real highlight is the incredible shutter speed, described by Apple as "zero shutter lag." In other words, the camera captures the exact moment you press the button with no delay. This is a major improvement compared to older cameras, where you had to take the shot a fraction of a second before to account for the minor lag.

So, what’s the result? The iPhone 16 Pro Max’s camera is one of the best—if not the best—that mobile cameras can offer today. The photos simply pop on the iPhone's excellent screen, full of life, sharpness, and incredible detail, whether taken in ideal lighting or in challenging lighting conditions. Even close-up shots, which used to be a weak point for many smartphones, have become easy and enjoyable thanks to fast and precise focusing.

Even when you transfer the images to your computer and view them on a large screen, the detail and sharpness continue to impress. Every leaf, every drop of water, every strand of hair looks incredibly crisp and clear. Apple has also added several new styles (filters) that allow you to adjust the ambiance of a photo, and you can tweak the hues, contrast, and warmth of each image with the dedicated touch surface.

In fact, it's clear that Apple put a lot of thought into the image processing technology, and the results speak for themselves. While the differences between photos taken with the iPhone 15 Pro Max and those taken with the iPhone 16 Pro Max may not always be immediately obvious, a closer comparison reveals subtle but significant improvements. The new photos are sharper, and the colors are slightly richer.

On the video front, Apple has added (for the first time) support for 4K video at 120 fps in Dolby Vision. I managed to film some amazing videos of my cats, and the quality was simply stunning. The colors were vibrant and lifelike, and the motion was incredibly smooth, even in slow motion.

Galaxy S24 Camera

The camera system hasn't changed much from last year’s model. It still relies on a 50MP primary camera, supplemented by two other lenses. The telephoto lens is slightly wider (67mm instead of 70mm), but the real difference this year comes from AI processing and computational photography. The photos look great—both during the day and at night.

All the images are clear, balanced, and well-colored—perhaps even too balanced at times. This is noticeable in low-light photography, where there's a bit of over-processing. At high zoom levels in low light, we noticed some noise, which is unfortunate. Overall, the camera's performance is good, including for landscape, macro, and nighttime shots, except for the aforementioned issues.

There’s no major difference from last year’s camera system, but the smart processing and AI-based editing features make a noticeable difference, even with the identical hardware.