Pixel 10 Professional XL vs. Galaxy S25 Extremely: Which Android Digital camera Wins?

Seattle is understood extra for its clouds than its sunny days, so when the sky is blue, the intense gentle can really feel harsh. Right here, the S25 Extremely picture pops extra by lightening the shadow areas of the automotive, however nearly an excessive amount of. The Pixel 10 Professional XL picture appears to be like extra pure, though the automotive is darker.

Simply down the road, although, the distinction between the cameras swings within the different route. The Pixel 10 Professional XL brings out all the colourful colours of the flowers, the orange awnings and the intense crimson umbrellas. The S25 Extremely’s shot is extra muted. I could not inform if maybe a number of the daylight was hitting the lens from the facet and inflicting that washed-out look. Each cameras nonetheless did a nice job of protecting particulars within the shadows, although.

Pixel 10 Professional XL vs. Galaxy S25 Extremely: Zoom high quality

To be sincere, zooming a lot previous 10x on a telephone at all times appeared like a futile gesture to me. Pushing previous the optical vary of the telephoto digital camera (5x on each cameras) places you into digital zooming territory, the place the digital camera upscales a small portion of the sensor so it fills the body. Though digital upscaling has improved lately, once you get previous 20x or so, pictures are likely to turn into a multitude of fuzzy enlarged pixels — it is hardly ever value it.

Google determined to take a distinct method to excessive zooming on the Pixel 10 Professional and Professional XL. As much as 30x zoom, it makes use of Google’s Tremendous Res Zoom know-how to upscale and sharpen the outcomes, which usually prove nicely.

Within the excessive vary from 30x to 100x, although, the Pixel 10 Professional makes use of generative AI to rebuild the picture based mostly on the unique seize. It takes a couple of seconds for the processing to occur, and it is all carried out on-device, not with help from cloud sources. The outcomes will be spectacular, significantly for static topics like buildings or landscapes. However once you view them with any scrutiny, it is nearly at all times apparent that the picture has been handled with AI, with a flat, angular look — and it would not deal with most textual content in a photograph in any respect. However that is additionally me scrutinizing the picture; it will not look good printed or considered on a big display, nevertheless it comes throughout completely nice on a telephone display.

The Pixel 10 Professional retains each variations of the picture: The unique seize and the AI-generated one.

Google says that if the digital camera detects individuals in a Professional Res Zoom picture, it will not try to make use of generative AI on them — it might simply create an individual that appears nothing just like the precise particular person within the picture. When that occurs, you possibly can inform: On this shot, the sailboat has been rendered (full with a nonsensical guess about lettering on the sail), however the individuals on board are sharpened however nonetheless fuzzy.

The Galaxy S25 Extremely photographs at 100x are additionally a sizzling mess, however to be sincere, not as unhealthy as I anticipated. They’re closely processed to compensate for the upscaling, however… not horrible? I really feel like I am giving the S25 Extremely a “good job, buddy!” for displaying up and never face-planting when, in reality, the pictures are objectively not nice, however they’re higher than I anticipated.

Pixel 10 Professional XL vs. Galaxy S25 Extremely: Low-light conditions

Pike Place Market is a maze of ranges and lengthy, shop-lined corridors and alleys that do not get a variety of direct gentle. The infamous Gum Wall — sure, an alleyway the place individuals stick used gum on the brick partitions — is darkish at one finish and brighter on the different relying on the solar’s place within the sky. Neither telephone fell again into its respective night time mode, and each made acceptable photographs within the midst of a variety of coloration and texture. Right here once more, I give the sting to the Pixel 10 Professional XL for its heat and brighter total tone. Nevertheless, in each photographs, the main points on the wall endure — word the pixelated “Further” wrapper at high left. My apologies for those who’ve simply misplaced your urge for food; no less than pictures do not embody the particular aroma of an alley crammed with hundreds of fruity gum globs.

Talking of colours and textures, this barbershop in a muted hallway lit by what look to be fluorescent ceiling bulbs and a outstanding ring gentle is one other instance of every digital camera taking a mixed-light state of affairs and making a great publicity. I give the sting to the Pixel 10 Professional as a result of the neon Open signal hasn’t been was a flat crimson, as within the S25 Extremely picture.

Leaving the bustle of downtown Seattle for the seashore close to the Mukilteo Lighthouse about half an hour north, this seashore at sundown appears to be like a lot better utilizing the ultrawide digital camera on the Pixel 10 Professional XL in contrast with the ultrawide on the S25 Extremely. And on this case, I can not say that both image impresses. The S25 Extremely shot is nearly too darkish, whereas the Pixel 10 Professional XL picture is simply too shiny, and the bro on the sting would not survive the wide-angle fringe of the body too nicely.

And for a real night time take a look at, I put each telephones on a tripod to seize this part of Shilshole Marina. As soon as extra, the Pixel 10 Professional XL’s Night time Sight mode does a greater job of getting a balanced publicity that mixes the unreal lights within the foreground and the darkness of the sky with some stars peeking by. The S25 Extremely appears to be like prefer it’s throwing as a lot processing on the picture as doable, making the brighter areas look overexposed and introducing a variety of noise within the sky.

Pixel 10 Professional XL vs. Galaxy S25 Extremely: Portrait modes

One of many enhancements Google is touting for the Pixel 10 Professional is within the high quality of portrait mode pictures, particularly high-res 50-megapixel photographs.

On this indoor cafe with screened window gentle, the Pixel 10 Professional XL is basically making an attempt to comprise the flyaway wisps of hair, nevertheless it’s made them ghostly and extra evident as an alternative. All the pieces else concerning the picture appears to be like good, from the colours to the mushy background — in reality, the hair at her shoulders reveals higher separation than on high of her head.

Then again, the S25 Extremely’s Portrait mode picture has made the highest hairs properly distinct, however the falloff at her shoulders and the final smudge of background make the depth of subject on this picture extra clearly artificial. Additionally, as soon as once more, I want the tone and hotter temperature of the Pixel picture.

Outdoors, the S25 Extremely’s Portrait mode is improved, with extra pure blurred areas — word the hair over the topic’s left shoulder that is barely blurry however not as mushy because the foliage within the background. The flyaway hairs on the high of their head additionally look pure. The high-resolution Portrait mode model from the Pixel 10 Professional appears to be like completely pure to my eye, with a mushy background and all of their curly hair in focus. As soon as once more, I want the Pixel’s model, however they each look good. (Though I in all probability ought to have tried Digital camera Coach to compose the portraits higher within the body with out a lot house above their head.)

Pixel 10 Professional XL vs. Galaxy S25 Extremely: Which is the higher digital camera?

I’ve actually come down on the facet of the Pixel 10 Professional XL for many of those pictures, largely as a result of hotter white steadiness and higher coloration constancy. However as you possibly can see, not one of the pictures are outright unhealthy. Should you’re in search of a brand new flagship Android telephone, each fashions will fill that want. And for those who particularly need an excellent digital camera system, proper now the Pixel 10 Professional has pushed into the lead.