Iphone 13 pro max camera vs galaxy s21 ultra

Resolution

108 MP f/1.8, Wide Angle, Primary Camera(26 mm focal length, 1.33" sensor size, 0.8µm pixel size)10 MP f/4.9, Periscope Camera(240 mm focal length, 3.24" sensor size, 1.22µm pixel size)10 MP f/2.4, Telephoto Camera(70 mm focal length, 3.24" sensor size, 1.22µm pixel size)12 MP f/2.2, Ultra-Wide Angle Camera(13 mm focal length, 2.55" sensor size, 1.4µm pixel size)

12 MP f/1.5, Wide Angle, Primary Camera(26 mm focal length)12 MP f/1.8, Ultra-Wide Angle Camera(13 mm focal length)12 MP f/2.8, Telephoto Camera(77 mm focal length)

Sensor

ISOCELL Plus

Exmor-RS CMOS Sensor, Sensor-shift Image Stabilization

Autofocus

, Phase Detection autofocus, Laser autofocus

, Phase Detection autofocus, Dual Pixel autofocus

Settings

Exposure compensation, ISO control

Exposure compensation, ISO control

Shooting Modes

Continuos Shooting
High Dynamic Range mode (HDR)

Continuos Shooting
High Dynamic Range mode (HDR)
Burst mode

Camera Features

Digital Zoom
Auto Flash
Face detection
Touch to focus

Digital Zoom
Auto Flash
Face detection
Touch to focus

Video Recording

7680x4320 @ 24 fps
3840x2160 @ 30 fps
1920x1080 @ 60 fps
1280x720 @ 960 fps

3840x2160 @ 24 fps
1920x1080 @ 30 fps
1280x720 @ 30 fps

NetworkTechnology GSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE / 5G GSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE / 5G 2G bands GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 - SIM 1 & SIM 2 (Dual SIM model only) GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 - SIM 1 & SIM 2 (dual-SIM)   CDMA 800 / 1900 & TD-SCDMA CDMA 800 / 1900 3G bands HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100 HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100   CDMA2000 1xEV-DO CDMA2000 1xEV-DO 4G bands 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 14, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 30, 38, 39, 40, 41, 46, 48, 66, 71 - SM-G998U1 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 30, 32, 34, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 46, 48, 66 - A2643, A2644, A2645   1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 32, 38, 39, 40, 41, 66 - SM-G998B 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 11, 12, 13, 14, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 25, 26, 28, 29, 30, 32, 34, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 46, 48, 66, 71 - A2484, A2641 5G bands 2, 5, 25, 41, 66, 71, 260, 261 SA/NSA/Sub6/mmWave - SM-G998U1 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 12, 20, 25, 28, 30, 38, 40, 41, 48, 66, 77, 78, 79 SA/NSA/Sub6 - A2643, A2644   1, 3, 5, 7, 8, 20, 28, 38, 40, 41, 66, 77, 78 SA/NSA/Sub6 - SM-G998B 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 12, 20, 25, 28, 29, 30, 38, 40, 41, 48, 66, 71, 78, 79, 258, 260, 261 SA/NSA/Sub6/mmWave - A2484   1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 12, 20, 25, 28, 29, 30, 38, 40, 41, 48, 66, 71, 77, 78, 79 SA/NSA/Sub6 - A2641 Speed HSPA 42.2/5.76 Mbps, LTE-A (7CA) Cat20 2000/200 Mbps; 5G (5+ Gbps DL) HSPA 42.2/5.76 Mbps, LTE-A, 5G, EV-DO Rev.A 3.1 Mbps

Main CameraModules 108 MP, f/1.8, 24mm (wide), 1/1.33", 0.8µm, PDAF, Laser AF, OIS
10 MP, f/4.9, 240mm (periscope telephoto), 1/3.24", 1.22µm, dual pixel PDAF, OIS, 10x optical zoom
10 MP, f/2.4, 72mm (telephoto), 1/3.24", 1.22µm, dual pixel PDAF, OIS, 3x optical zoom
12 MP, f/2.2, 13mm (ultrawide), 1/2.55", 1.4µm, dual pixel PDAF, Super Steady video 12 MP, f/1.5, 26mm (wide), 1/1.7", 1.9µm, dual pixel PDAF, sensor-shift OIS
12 MP, f/2.8, 77mm (telephoto), PDAF, 1/3.5", OIS, 3x optical zoom
12 MP, f/1.8, 13mm, 120˚ (ultrawide), 1/3.5", PDAF
TOF 3D LiDAR scanner (depth) Features LED flash, auto-HDR, panorama Dual-LED dual-tone flash, HDR (photo/panorama) Video 8K@24fps, 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/240fps, 720p@960fps, HDR10+, stereo sound rec., gyro-EIS 4K@24/30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/120/240fps, 10-bit HDR, Dolby Vision HDR (up to 60fps), ProRes, Cinematic mode (1080p@30fps), stereo sound rec.

Apple and Samsung are at the top of the smartphone food chain and have been for years. Now, their two current flagship phones, the Galaxy S21 Ultra and the iPhone 13 Pro Max, are currently dominating the market. Right now, these two phones' cameras are two of the best out there; however, which one is better? Let's compare these two cameras and see which one is best for you.

Samsung Galaxy S21 & iPhone 13 Pro Max Camera Specs

The camera specs don't tell the whole story, but they're still nice to know.

Galaxy S21 Ultra

Main camera:

108 megapixels | f/1.8 aperture | 24mm field of view | 1/1.33" sensor size | .8 micron pixel size

Ultrawide camera:

12 megapixels | f/2.2 aperture | 13mm field of view | 1/2.55" sensor size | 1.4-micron pixel size

3X telephoto camera:

10 megapixels | f/2.4 aperture | 72mm field of view | 1/3.24" sensor size | 1.22-micron pixel size

10x periscope telephoto camera:

10 megapixels | f/4.9 aperture | 240mm field of view | 1/3.24" sensor size | 1.22-micron pixel size

Selfie camera:

40 megapixels | f/2.2 aperture | 26mm field of view | 1/2.8" sensor size | .7 micron pixel size

iPhone 13 Pro Max

Main camera:

12 megapixels | f/1.5 aperture | 26mm field of view | .9 micron pixel size

Ultrawide camera:

12 megapixels | f/1.8 aperture | 13mm field of view

3X telephoto camera:

12 megapixels | f/2.8 aperture | 77mm field of view |

Selfie camera:

12 megapixels | f/1.5 aperture | 26mm field of view | Sensor size not given | .9 micron pixel size

close up of gray iphone camera

1. Main Cameras

Smartphones come out with multiple sensors nowadays, but the main sensor is the most important one. It's the sensor that you take the most pictures with, and it's the one that the manufacturers put the most effort into.

The sensors on the two cameras are both different and the same. The iPhone 13 Pro Max's main camera has a 12-megapixel sensor, while the Galaxy S21 Ultra has a 108-megapixel sensor. However, the Galaxy's camera uses a process called pixel-binning, where each group of nine pixels is combined into one pixel. This essentially makes this a 12-megapixel sensor.

Across the board, based on numerous comparisons, both main camera sensors seem to perform similarly. However, both cameras one-up each other in certain situations when it comes to exposure and contrast. As for color reproduction, history repeats itself as Samsung leans toward punchy and vibrant colors, while Apple aims for more accurate colors.

Samsung has one persistent issue with its camera, however. The phone tends to over-sharpen the images to a noticeable degree. This is where the camera emphasizes all of the edges in the photo to make it appear sharper. For the most part, users won't really notice it, but on closer examination, they'll be able to see sort of a halo effect over the picture.

2. Ultrawide Cameras

Ultrawide cameras have been a mainstay in smartphone camera technology for a while, and both Samsung and Apple added ultrawide cameras to their phones. Performance on both phones, like with the main cameras, is very similar.

More often than not, the iPhone will deliver just a bit more contrast than the Galaxy phone. The added contrast helps with the overall aesthetic of the images, but it can also cause the iPhone's image to lose some details in the shadows.

3. Macro Photography

As for macro, there's a bit of a trade-off between the phones. Both phones use their ultrawide cameras as a macro lens, but the iPhone can get as close as 2mm to the subject, whereas the Galaxy can get about 3-4mm. However, the Galaxy's images typically come out a bit sharper than the iPhone's photos.

black galaxy s21 phone on black background

4. Zoom Photography

Both phones have the ability to zoom, but the Galaxy S21 Ultra actually has two zoom lenses. When it comes to pure zooming power, the Galaxy comes out on top, being able to zoom up to 10x optically; the iPhone maxes out at 3x. This means that the Galaxy can zoom in much closer to the subject with minimal quality drop.

That's not the full story, however. Pictures taken from the iPhone at 3x zoom tend to look better than the Galaxy's photos at 3x zoom.

5. Low Light Photography

A true test of a phone's camera is taking pictures in the dark. Both cameras do very well with their respective night modes. They can both brighten up dark environments, but the iPhone is definitely working some sort of magic.

Images from the Galaxy's photos look great with the iPhone just one step behind; however, the Galaxy's camera exposes for 10 seconds, while the iPhone's is automatically set to expose for three seconds. However, when the iPhone exposes for the full 10 seconds, it winds up blowing the Galaxy S21 out of the water with much brighter and more detailed photos.

6. Video

Apple has always been the king of smartphone video, and this trend continues with the iPhone 13 Pro Max. Both phones are pretty much neck-and-neck in this category, but the iPhone pulls just a bit more dynamic range, exposing better in extreme lighting conditions. The iPhone is better at capturing details in low-light conditions.

woman using smartphone camera with blue and orange background

Both cameras come packed with exciting extra features. The iPhone 13 Pro Max has its new feature where it automatically shifts the focus between subjects, a cinematic mode, which blurs the background, and HDR recording. The Galaxy S21 Ultra has 8K video recording, 960fps slo-mo recording at 720p, and it also has a mode where it blurs the background.

7. Selfies

No camera comparison would be complete without a selfie camera comparison. Both cameras perform almost identically despite the difference in resolution. The iPhone has a 12-megapixel selfie camera, and the Galaxy has a 40-megapixel camera.

It All Boils Down to Opinion

There isn't really a clear winner in this competition, as both the Galaxy S21 Ultra and the iPhone 13 Pro Max have stellar cameras. If you care more about nighttime photography, video, and higher contrast, the iPhone 13 Pro Max is for you. If you care about zooming closer to subjects, more detail for cropping, and portraits, then the Galaxy S21 Ultra is for you. Either way, you slice it, you'll be spending a lot of money but getting your money's worth.

Which has better camera S21 ultra or iPhone 13 Pro Max?

S21 Ultra has the zoom advantage, but the iPhone steps up what the main camera can do. The iPhone 13 Pro Max might be a big upgrade when it comes to battery capacity and other features, but it cannot quite match the camera versatility of the Galaxy S21 Ultra.

Is iPhone 13 Pro Max camera better than S22 Ultra?

Compared to the triple 12MP camera set on the iPhone 13 Pro Max, the Galaxy S22 Ultra camera specs may sound as something out of this world - main 108MP camera, a 12MP ultrawide, and 10MP 3x telephoto or 10x periscope zoom sensors, but they are actually the same as on the S21 Ultra, save for the slightly smaller 10MP ...

Does iPhone 13 have better camera than Samsung?

Besides a brighter display and a new chipset, the latest Galaxy S mode boasts much improved cameras, particularly the telephoto lens. That's a key improvement, as a dedicated telephoto lens is something the iPhone 13 simply doesn't have. But the list of features missing from the iPhone 13 is a pretty short one.