The year was 2020 , the calendar month was February and Samsung had just recoil off yet another smartphone propagation . The Galaxy S20 Ultra convey a lot of newfangled lineament to the market , but crucially , Samsung ’s selling also made long rapid climb features and Ultra branding extremely worthy .
One of the central reasons to buy the Galaxy S20 Ultra — and subsequent Ultra phones from Samsung — was the camera . It featured a 108MP main sensor , a 12MP ultrawide camera , and a 48MP periscope telephotograph photographic camera that offered 4x optical zoom and 10x hybrid rapid growth . The latter also enabled the young 100X Space Zoom feature article , which Samsung still elevate on its Ultra telephone today .
Fast forward five years , and while the lineup has changed , the premise is still the same . TheGalaxy S25 Ultraoffers a 200MP chief detector , a 50MP ultrawide sensor , and two periscope lenses , one at 10MP with 3x optical soar and the other at 50MP with 5x opthalmic zoom . Yet , Samsung faces a trouble : its Ultra telephone face Brobdingnagian competition from the rivalry and it may no longer have the good zoom photographic camera in the US .
To detect out if it ’s still the in effect , I essay it against the main competition and it ’s very close : here ’s what happened and which phone win .
How Samsung’s Galaxy S25 Ultra camera has evolved
For a few years , Samsung confront no literal challenger in the US or most Western body politic . As a result , the companionship was mostly able to rectify its card at its own pace , without the added pressure of intense challenger .
The Galaxy S20 Ultra introduced the Zoom race , whilst the Galaxy S21 Ultra go through Samsung espouse the quad - camera approach that it still habituate today . It have the same 108MP principal camera , but introduced a 10MP telephoto lens with 3x optical soar — still in economic consumption today — and a secondary 10MP periscope lens of the eye with 10x opthalmic zoom .
The Galaxy S22 Ultra feature the same television camera as the S21 Ultra , but with the Galaxy S23 Ultra , Samsung introduced a young 200MP main camera . This is the same one that ’s found on the Galaxy S25 Ultra . Last year’sGalaxy S24 Ultrathen encounter Samsung tweak its coming to the zoom camera , by shed the 10MP periscope lens with 10x visual rapid growth in favor of a 50MP periscope lens offering 5x optical rapid growth .
The Galaxy S25 Ultra keeps the same camera raiment as the Galaxy S24 Ultra but introduce a new 50MP ultrawide lens . However , the 3x and 5x telephoto lens have proven to be fairly capable at low rapid growth lengths , but shinny to equal another headphone at the same 100x zoom distance . The kicker for Samsung is that the other phone only has a undivided telephotograph lens that only offers a 3x optic zoom .
How the competition has evolved
As Samsung has establish there is spherical demand for phones with strong rapid climb capabilities , the competition has accept poster . Apple , Google , and OnePlus have all moot Samsung ’s success and sought out unlike approaches to the photographic camera to achieve standardized , or skilful , outcome than Samsung ’s best phone .
Here ’s how the Galaxy S25 Ultra camera compare to the key flagship from each telephone set :
Samsung remains the only company in the US to adopt two telephoto lenses , with the 3x telephoto matching the one on the OnePlus 13 , while the 5x match the same zoom capabilities regain on the iPhone 16 Pro and Pixel 9 Pro .
However , as we ’ll see , the adage continues to ring true : it ’s not just the computer hardware that matters , but how each television camera and ISP uses the computer hardware . Further complicate this is the enjoyment of AI in post - processing and how each company use it to further raise the final picture .
Testing the Galaxy S25 Ultra Zoom vs the US competition
On paper , the Galaxy S25 Ultra should be the most capable zoom camera in the US , but as the newspaper headline suggest , this is no longer the case . I ’ve been traveling with Samsung ’s in style flagship for several week and have tested it against the key contender in the US during both day and night .
For each zoom distance , I ’ve pick two sets of daytime photos to evaluate the zoom . One of these focuses on the ability to surge into text and hunky-dory details , while the other points to its power to zoom into landscapes and other subjects . Each sound has plenty of zoom lengths , but for this equivalence , I ’ve focalize on the fundamental 1 : 1x , 3x/5x count on which each sound has , 10x and 25x or 30x .
What about the competition ? First , let ’s consider thePixel 9 Pro . Google ’s flagship offers a 5x zoom and a maximum of 30x zoom , so let ’s bet at each comparability . Here ’s the first sample set .
Next , let ’s look at the performance in the second scene .
The Pixel 9 Pro is fairly impressive in these two scenes , and I prefer it for the first two double in the first scenery . However , once you get into the details , the Galaxy S25 Ultra beat it thanks to extra detail in the balcony railing , the cruise ship pack of cards , and the sign on the cruise ship . It ’s quite close , but the Galaxy S25 Ultra still wins this comparing .
Next , rent ’s bet at theiPhone 16 Pro . Samsung ’s flagship is billed as a competitor to the iPhone 16 Pro Max , which sport the same camera as its smaller sib . The iPhone 16 Pro also features the same 5x launch on the iPhone 16 Pro Max , which was previously exclusive just to the Max batting order .
Here ’s how the two compare .
The iPhone 16 Pro is bound to just 25x maximum soar and these images show why Apple confine the maximum zoom on its phones . The Galaxy S25 Ultra win , but like the Pixel 9 Pro , I think both phones are quite similar at the lowest zoom duration .
If we were to terminate this compare right now , Samsung would probably still harness supreme , but there ’s one equipment persist . On newspaper publisher , theOnePlus 13shouldn’t be able to contend with the Galaxy S25 Ultra given its telephoto lens only has a 3x optical rapid climb and it lack the 6x observe on its non - US sib , the uncovering X8 Pro . It does still feature a 6x option that ’s billed as a hybrid between digital and optical zoom , so I ’ve let in this in the test as a comparing against the 5x on the Galaxy S25 Ultra .
Both speech sound are evenly matched throughout these comparisons , and it ’s quite surprising that the OnePlus 13 can match the Galaxy S25 Ultra despite the want of a 4th tv camera , and the smaller 3x optic zoom . At 30x zoom , the Galaxy S25 Ultra is just slightly better , but overall , they sense equally matched .
Unlike the iPhone 16 Pro and Pixel 9 Pro , the OnePlus 13 also pass away further than 30x and this is where I ’ve been mishandle away . From the same sets above , here are the same shot at 100x on the Galaxy S25 Ultra , and the maximum 120x on the OnePlus 13 .
As you’re able to see , the OnePlus 13 picks up where Google left off and proves that you do n’t necessarily need the good ironware to capture the dependable photos . Despite subscript zoom capabilities — on paper , at least — it has the best zoom of any of these sound I ’ve tested . In particular , the AI does an excellent job of filling in omit detail and throughout all my testing , it ’s consistently proven to be honest than the Galaxy S25 Ultra at the higher soar lengths .
Does the same apply to video recording?
The iPhone is well - known for its video recording recording capability , but one of the new bluster feature of speech for the Galaxy S25 Ultra is tops bland video zoom . In particular , this is a smooth conversion between the dissimilar Lens when recording video , versus a choppy transition between lenses as has been common for many years .
Does the Galaxy S25 Ultra deliver on both of these fronts ? How does it equate to the competition ? Let ’s take a spry aspect , starting with the Galaxy S25 Ultra :
What about the iPhone 16 Pro ?
Now , here ’s the Pixel 9 Pro :
Lastly , here ’s the OnePlus 13 :
The smooth conversion between lenses and improved TV recording on the Galaxy S25 Ultra has improved Samsung ’s overall operation in telecasting transcription . For zoom , the Galaxy S25 Ultra delivers strong carrying into action — at least in the daylight — that ’s on equation with the iPhone 16 Pro , although Samsung has better overall quality given the stronger zoom carrying into action . The Pixel 9 Pro hail snug , and the OnePlus 13 is shakier , with less overall caliber .
This phone has taken Samsung’s Zoom crown in the US
The appeal of the Galaxy S25 Ultra and the iPhone 16 Pro is that both remain wide available in most grocery store . In contrast , Pixel 9 Pro handiness is more limited , and the OnePlus 13 is even more limited . Yet , if you live in the US , these four machine are your top choice when search for the sound smartphone tv camera , and there ’s no contest for me . I ’ve been blown away by the performance of the OnePlus 13 camera , so much so that it ’s replaced the Galaxy S25 Ultra as my camera of alternative .
Of course , as we covered in ourGalaxy S25 Ultra review , Samsung ’s latest flagship has further benefits such as the S - Pen , a better portrayal modal value than any other telephone , and outstanding performance and battery sprightliness . All of these are worthwhile benefits — some of which are also match by the OnePlus 13 — but if you desire the unspoiled zoom camera and you live in the US , there ’s no contest : the OnePlus 13 has taken Samsung ’s zoom top in the US and is a strong contender forbest phoneof 2025 .
