Pixel 10 Pro XL vs. Galaxy S25 Ultra: Which Android Camera Wins?

Seattle is understood extra for its clouds than its sunny days, so when the sky is blue, the intense mild can really feel harsh. Right here, the S25 Extremely photograph pops extra by lightening the shadow areas of the automobile, however virtually an excessive amount of. The Pixel 10 Professional XL picture seems to be extra pure, although the automobile is darker.

Simply down the road, although, the distinction between the cameras swings within the different course. The Pixel 10 Professional XL brings out all the colourful colours of the flowers, the orange awnings and the intense crimson umbrellas. The S25 Extremely’s shot is extra muted. I could not inform if maybe a few of the daylight was hitting the lens from the aspect and inflicting that washed-out look. Each cameras nonetheless did a nice job of holding particulars within the shadows, although.

Pixel 10 Professional XL vs. Galaxy S25 Extremely: Zoom high quality

To be sincere, zooming a lot previous 10x on a cellphone all the time appeared like a futile gesture to me. Pushing previous the optical vary of the telephoto digital camera (5x on each cameras) places you into digital zooming territory, the place the digital camera upscales a small portion of the sensor so it fills the body. Though digital upscaling has improved in recent times, whenever you get previous 20x or so, photographs are inclined to change into a multitude of fuzzy enlarged pixels — it is hardly ever value it.

Google determined to take a unique strategy to excessive zooming on the Pixel 10 Professional and Professional XL. As much as 30x zoom, it makes use of Google’s Tremendous Res Zoom know-how to upscale and sharpen the outcomes, which usually end up effectively.

Within the excessive vary from 30x to 100x, although, the Pixel 10 Professional makes use of generative AI to rebuild the picture primarily based on the unique seize. It takes a number of seconds for the processing to occur, and it is all accomplished on-device, not with help from cloud assets. The outcomes will be spectacular, significantly for static topics like buildings or landscapes. However whenever you view them with any scrutiny, it is virtually all the time apparent that the photograph has been handled with AI, with a flat, angular look — and it would not deal with most textual content in a photograph in any respect. However that is additionally me scrutinizing the picture; it will not look good printed or seen on a big display screen, however it comes throughout completely nice on a cellphone display screen.

The Pixel 10 Professional retains each variations of the picture: The unique seize and the AI-generated one.

Google says that if the digital camera detects folks in a Professional Res Zoom picture, it will not try to make use of generative AI on them — it might simply create an individual that appears nothing just like the precise particular person within the picture. When that occurs, you’ll be able to inform: On this shot, the sailboat has been rendered (full with a nonsensical guess about lettering on the sail), however the folks on board are sharpened however nonetheless fuzzy.

The Galaxy S25 Extremely pictures at 100x are additionally a scorching mess, however to be sincere, not as dangerous as I anticipated. They’re closely processed to compensate for the upscaling, however… not horrible? I really feel like I am giving the S25 Extremely a “good job, buddy!” for displaying up and never face-planting when, the truth is, the photographs are objectively not nice, however they’re higher than I anticipated.

Pixel 10 Professional XL vs. Galaxy S25 Extremely: Low-light conditions

Pike Place Market is a maze of ranges and lengthy, shop-lined corridors and alleys that do not get quite a lot of direct mild. The infamous Gum Wall — sure, an alleyway the place folks stick used gum on the brick partitions — is darkish at one finish and brighter on the different relying on the solar’s place within the sky. Neither cellphone fell again into its respective night time mode, and each made acceptable pictures within the midst of quite a lot of shade and texture. Right here once more, I give the sting to the Pixel 10 Professional XL for its heat and brighter general tone. Nonetheless, in each pictures, the small print on the wall endure — notice the pixelated “Further” wrapper at prime left. My apologies in the event you’ve simply misplaced your urge for food; at the least photographs do not embody the precise aroma of an alley stuffed with hundreds of fruity gum globs.

Talking of colours and textures, this barbershop in a muted hallway lit by what look to be fluorescent ceiling bulbs and a distinguished ring mild is one other instance of every digital camera taking a mixed-light state of affairs and making a superb publicity. I give the sting to the Pixel 10 Professional as a result of the neon Open signal hasn’t been became a flat crimson, as within the S25 Extremely photograph.

Leaving the bustle of downtown Seattle for the seashore close to the Mukilteo Lighthouse about half an hour north, this seashore at sundown seems to be significantly better utilizing the ultrawide digital camera on the Pixel 10 Professional XL in contrast with the ultrawide on the S25 Extremely. And on this case, I am unable to say that both image impresses. The S25 Extremely shot is sort of too darkish, whereas the Pixel 10 Professional XL picture is just too brilliant, and the bro on the sting would not survive the wide-angle fringe of the body too effectively.

And for a real night time take a look at, I put each telephones on a tripod to seize this part of Shilshole Marina. As soon as extra, the Pixel 10 Professional XL’s Night time Sight mode does a greater job of getting a balanced publicity that mixes the substitute lights within the foreground and the darkness of the sky with some stars peeking by. The S25 Extremely seems to be prefer it’s throwing as a lot processing on the picture as potential, making the brighter areas look overexposed and introducing quite a lot of noise within the sky.

Pixel 10 Professional XL vs. Galaxy S25 Extremely: Portrait modes

One of many enhancements Google is touting for the Pixel 10 Professional is within the high quality of portrait mode photographs, particularly high-res 50-megapixel pictures.

On this indoor cafe with screened window mild, the Pixel 10 Professional XL is de facto making an attempt to comprise the flyaway wisps of hair, however it’s made them ghostly and extra evident as an alternative. The whole lot else concerning the photograph seems to be good, from the colours to the smooth background — the truth is, the hair at her shoulders reveals higher separation than on prime of her head.

However, the S25 Extremely’s Portrait mode photograph has made the highest hairs properly distinct, however the falloff at her shoulders and the overall smudge of background make the depth of discipline on this photograph extra clearly artificial. Additionally, as soon as once more, I favor the tone and hotter temperature of the Pixel photograph.

Outdoors, the S25 Extremely’s Portrait mode is improved, with extra pure blurred areas — notice the hair over the topic’s left shoulder that is barely blurry however not as smooth because the foliage within the background. The flyaway hairs on the prime of their head additionally look pure. The high-resolution Portrait mode model from the Pixel 10 Professional seems to be totally pure to my eye, with a smooth background and all of their curly hair in focus. As soon as once more, I favor the Pixel’s model, however they each look good. (Though I most likely ought to have tried Digicam Coach to compose the portraits higher within the body with out a lot house above their head.)

Pixel 10 Professional XL vs. Galaxy S25 Extremely: Which is the higher digital camera?

I’ve actually come down on the aspect of the Pixel 10 Professional XL for many of those photographs, largely because of the hotter white steadiness and higher shade constancy. However as you’ll be able to see, not one of the photographs are outright dangerous. In the event you’re in search of a brand new flagship Android cellphone, each fashions will fill that want. And in the event you particularly need an excellent digital camera system, proper now the Pixel 10 Professional has pushed into the lead.