A camera comparison published October 10, 2026, favored the iPhone 18 Pro Max overall, while the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra took dynamic range, macro and zoom. The same scenes were shot in automatic mode, with more than 200 photos taken on each phone. Across ten categories, the iPhone won five, the Galaxy won three and two were ties—a straightforward tally, not a weighted score.
One test, two sets of strengths
The results favor the iPhone overall, but the Galaxy S26 Ultra stands out in several specific situations. The iPhone came out ahead in color, panoramas, selfies, portraits and low light. Samsung’s phone led in dynamic range and macro, as well as zoom overall, although the winner changed with magnification.
Every category result
| Camera category | Result in the test |
| Daytime | Tie. The Galaxy image looked brighter; the iPhone showed more definition and texture. |
| Ultrawide | Tie. The Galaxy had brighter, more balanced exposure; the iPhone showed finer detail and definition. |
| Dynamic range | Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra. It retained more detail in the bright foreground and shadows in a harsh midday scene. |
| Color | iPhone 18 Pro Max. Its flower photo was judged more natural; the Galaxy’s colors looked more saturated. |
| Panorama | iPhone 18 Pro Max, for detail, exposure control and dynamic range. |
| Selfie | iPhone 18 Pro Max, for a wider field of view and more detail in direct sunlight. |
| Macro | Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra, for sharper flower close-ups and more consistent focus. |
| Portrait | iPhone 18 Pro Max, for sharpness and handling of bright areas in the background; the Galaxy showed softer fine detail around difficult edges. |
| Zoom | Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra overall. The iPhone was favored at 4x; the Galaxy was favored at 8x and 40x. |
| Low light | iPhone 18 Pro Max, for exposure, shadow detail and sharpness in a backyard-tree scene. |
What the scenes reveal
Daylight, dynamic range and ultrawide
The daytime comparison near Bryant Park ended in a tie: the Galaxy produced the brighter image, while the iPhone preserved more definition and texture. The ultrawide results also split those qualities. Samsung’s shot was brighter and more balanced in exposure; the iPhone showed more fine detail.
Dynamic range—the ability to retain detail across bright and dark parts of a scene—was a clearer win for the Galaxy. In a harsh midday scene near Sixth Avenue and West 41st Street in New York, it held detail in the foreground and shadows. The iPhone’s stronger contrast left some shadows darker.
Flowers, close-ups and portraits
The color and macro calls went in opposite directions on flower shots. The iPhone’s colors looked more natural, while the Galaxy’s were more saturated. For close-up detail, however, the Galaxy produced sharper images and focused more consistently.
Portrait mode favored the iPhone for sharpness and the way it handled bright areas behind the subject. Fine detail around difficult edges looked softer in the Galaxy image. The iPhone also took the selfie category, with more detail and a wider view in direct sunlight.
Panoramas, low light and zoom
The iPhone’s panorama had the edge in detail, exposure control and dynamic range. In the low-light comparison of a backyard tree, it also delivered the stronger exposure, shadow detail and sharpness.
Zoom depended on the level. The iPhone’s 4x sample looked sharper, but the Galaxy was favored at 8x and 40x for contrast and retained texture. That split explains why Samsung took the overall zoom category without winning at every magnification.
For a broader look at the phones’ trade-offs beyond camera results, see our earlier iPhone 18 Pro Max and Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra comparison.
A separate hands-on comparison
A separate road-trip comparison filmed in Maui covers daytime and ultrawide photos, zoom, low light, video stabilization and selfies. It uses a different approach from the same-scene automatic-mode test, and its overall verdict favors the iPhone when photos, video, selfies and extra modes are considered together.
