The Galaxy S26 Ultra has taken the best camera phone title away from the iPhone for the first time in almost two years — at least according to the results of Tom’s Guide’s comprehensive photo test. And this is despite the stunning front camera of the iPhone 17 Pro Max, which has no equal in any smartphone. Journalist John Velasco took over 200 shots on both flagships across ten different scenarios: from daylight and macro to night shooting and zoom. The result — 7:3 in Samsung’s favor. But the devil, as always, is in the details.
I took 200 photos on Galaxy S26 Ultra vs iPhone 17 Pro Max — there’s a clear winner. Image: tomsguide.com
Camera Comparison: Galaxy S26 Ultra vs iPhone 17 Pro Max
The author shot the same scenes on both smartphones simultaneously and then evaluated the results on a monitor. The categories cover everything a typical user encounters: daytime photos, ultra-wide angle, color accuracy, dynamic range, macro, selfies, panoramas, zoom, indoor shooting, and low-light photography.
This format is useful because it allows comparing not abstract megapixels but real image quality in specific situations. That’s exactly what makes this test valuable: it shows where each phone is stronger in practice.
Where Galaxy S26 Ultra Beats iPhone 17 Pro Max
Samsung won in seven out of ten categories:
- Daytime shooting — the Galaxy S26 Ultra produces a sharper image with better contrast. The iPhone 17 Pro Max makes the shot brighter, but details are noticeably softer when zoomed in.
- Color accuracy — the iPhone tends toward oversaturation, while Samsung delivers more natural, true-to-life colors.
- Dynamic range — in scenes with harsh sunlight and shadows, the Galaxy balances exposure better across the entire frame. The iPhone image looks darker due to aggressive contrast.
- Macro — both phones capture close-ups with good detail, but Samsung has greater depth of field: more of the subject stays in focus, and more detail is visible when zooming in.
- Panoramas — results are close, but the Galaxy has slightly better sharpness when zooming into individual parts of the panoramic shot.
- Zoom (40x) — the S26 Ultra has 5x optical zoom compared to 4x on the iPhone. At 40x magnification, this makes a noticeable difference: Samsung shows fine details more clearly because it relies less on digital cropping.
S26 Ultra handled the car perfectly. Image: tomsguide.com
The iPhone seemed to overexpose the photo. Image: tomsguide.com
Shot against the sun on the S26 Ultra. Image: tomsguide.com
On the iPhone, the shot came out a bit dark. Image: tomsguide.com
The macro situation was similar. A perfect shot on the Samsung. Image: tomsguide.com
And a dull, blurry result on the iPhone. Image: tomsguide.com
The overall picture is this: Samsung wins thanks to sharpness, more natural color reproduction, and slightly better exposure control in bright light. For those who frequently shoot outdoors during the day or use zoom, this is a significant advantage.
Where iPhone 17 Pro Max Beats Galaxy S26 Ultra
Apple took three categories — and each of them matters for everyday use:
- Selfies — the new 18-megapixel front camera on the iPhone with Center Stage provides a noticeably wider field of view. This makes it more convenient for group selfies, and the resolution headroom allows cropping the shot without losing quality. Galaxy selfies are detailed but tend to be overexposed.
- Indoor shooting — under artificial light, the iPhone produces a more saturated and contrasty image. The Galaxy in the same conditions can look washed out and slightly blurry.
Selfie on S26 Ultra. Image: tomsguide.com
iPhone selfies are unrivaled. Image: tomsguide.com
