In 2023, it will be difficult to find a smartphone camera that is awful, but because of the high standards, deciding which camera is superior truly boils down to personal opinion and picking apart the specifics of what each camera does better than the others. The Galaxy S23 Ultra and Google Pixel 7 Pro are currently thought to have the greatest cameras in Android phones, while taking radically different paths to get there. What is superior? We want you to make a choice today.
As previously noted, these days almost all smartphones have fantastic cameras, which is impressive for a variety of reasons. Yet, these cameras have largely improved thanks to very intelligent software tools rather than just hardware, which is how they became so good in the first place.
Both the Pixel 7 Pro and the Galaxy S23 Ultra combine cutting-edge hardware and potent software to produce superb final images, but they use different approaches.
The Galaxy S23 Ultra from Samsung uses a ton of tech to provide a versatile and potent camera system. A 200MP primary camera on the back is the star. From there, two 10MP sensors are employed with 3x and 10x telephoto lenses, together with a 12MP ultrawide camera.
On the back of the Pixel 7 Pro, there are only three lenses. a 48MP telephoto camera with 5x optical zoom, a 12MP ultrawide camera, and a 50MP primary camera. Both phones include 12MP selfie cameras, but we won’t be comparing those in our review; instead, we’ll be concentrating on the back sensors.
I’ve been touring Disney World over the past three days while simultaneously carrying both the Pixel 7 Pro and Galaxy S23 Ultra. I took a few side-by-side comparison photos while walking through Hollywood Studios and Epcot to highlight how these two camera systems performed in a variety of various lighting situations, including bright daylight, low light, and nighttime, as well as the secondary sensors and 4K video.
The 150MP difference in raw hardware, beginning with the primary camera sensors, actually doesn’t go as far as it should in practice. The finished output is essentially the same in numerous photos. At the end of the day, a well-lit shot taken with a few seconds to spare, especially of a building or other static object, will essentially be the same. Colors may differ slightly or one may be slightly sharper.
The quantity of detail in Samsung’s photos was the biggest difference I saw in a few shots. That is the 200MP camera, as seen in this picture taken by Batuu at Galaxy’s Edge. However, the difference is frequently insignificant, as seen in the picture of an A-Wing below.
The final photo also benefits from processing. Particularly in the picture of Gusteau from the Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure ride, I noted that in darker scenes, the Pixel was often closer to what my eyes truly perceived.
How about dim lighting? The 200MP camera from Samsung bases a large portion of its functionality on pixel binning, which groups pixels to capture more light. In Smuggler’s Run, I quickly discovered that the S23 Ultra had a brighter shot, but at the expense of violently blurring out motion. Although the Pixel shot was darker, it was still my favourite.
Secondly, as I mentioned in my review from last month, Samsung’s 3x and 10x lenses consistently have amazing quality and processing. Beyond that, however, Samsung’s system provides a lot more versatility. Because Google only uses a 5x telephoto lens, there is at least some quality loss unless you are taking an image from a great distance. Software exists to minimize it, and it is effective, but I really wish Google would include an additional 2x or 3x lens.
Video is the last component. Even flagship Android phones have occasionally suffered in this area, but things are improving. Although I believe Samsung offers a better overall video experience and quality, Google is still very competitive.
