iPhone vs Galaxy duel gets sparked by Rihanna's concert, but are phone cameras that different anyway?

iPhone vs Galaxy duel gets sparked by Rihanna’s concert, but are phone cameras that different anyway?،

Nowadays, a wedding in India has become so viral that it has made headlines and even entered the technology news. For what? Well, Rihanna wasn't the only one making waves with her concert at this wedding. As she rocked the stage, another star emerged: a video showcasing some truly impressive zoom capabilities.

This whole situation prompted a question: can you tell the difference between footage shot on different flagship phones? In 2024, most $1,000+ devices have impressive camera systems (as they should). Here are some camera specs of the flagship phones just for reference:

Galaxy S24 Ultra: Quad-camera setup including a 200 MP main camera, a 50 MP telephoto periscope, a 10 MP telephoto lens and a 12 MP ultra-wide
iPhone 15 Pro Max: Triple camera setup including 48 MP main camera, 12 MP telephoto and 12 MP ultra wide
OnePlus 12: Triple camera setup including 50 MP main camera, 64 MP telephoto and 48 MP ultra wide

So, for the average person, determining exactly which phone captured a video or photo can seem like a real challenge. I couldn't help but wonder if flagship phone cameras are really that different from each other? Or is it brand loyalty that colors our perception? Let’s take a deep dive into the world of smartphone photography and its fascinating evolution!

From 0.1MP to 200MP in less than 30 years

The Sharp J-SH04 (Image credit – The Mobile Phone Museum)

In the early 2000s, the first camera phones were like carrying a brick with a blurry peephole. These grain pioneers, like the Sharp J-SH04, offered a paltry 0.1 megapixels – a far cry from today's high-resolution monsters. But hey, they started the revolution!

A few decades later, phone cameras have become a daily essential. The race for megapixels has intensified, with brands pushing the boundaries. Just think about:

Samsung
Apple
Google
Sony
OnePlus
Xiaomi

Autofocus, zoom capabilities and amazing low-light performance have become the norm. By 2024, these pocket powerhouses were capturing stunning photos that rivaled compact cameras. The game became even more interesting when big names like Zeiss, Leica and Hasselblad joined the party. These legendary optical companies have teamed up with smartphone giants:

Leica with Xiaomi
Zeiss with Sony
Hasselblad with OnePlus

They bring their expertise to the mobile world. For what? Because they saw the potential: billions of people carrying powerful cameras in their pockets!

Zoom in: Apple and Samsung

Galaxy S24 Ultra next to the iPhone 15 Pro Max (Image credit – PhoneArena)

Now let's return to the story that gave rise to this article. The new one released Galaxy S24 Ultra and the latest iPhone 15 Pro Max gets major accessories like the coolest camera phones in the game.

The S24 Ultra brings a new gear to its camera setup: an all-new 50 MP periscope zoom camera. It can offer a nice 10x optical quality zoom (that's 5x + 2x optical crop of the sensor), and it's not just impressive on paper: it delivers the goods in real-world situations.

Meanwhile, the iPhone 15 Pro Max features an improved telephoto lens with a tetraprism design, allowing for an impressive 5x optical zoom, which is an improvement over the previous year's 3x optical zoom capability.

Even though the video we are talking about was not shot with the Galaxy S24 Ultra, it totally could have been. But no, it was taken with the iPhone 13 Pro Maxthe granddaddy of the iPhone 15 series. And let’s give credit where it’s due – the iPhone 13 Pro Max's camera game is still going strong, even though it's not Apple's latest flagship.

In technology terms, two years may seem like an eternity, but when it comes to smartphone photography, it's been pretty steady (especially when you put aside the adoption of AI in smartphones). Sure, every new model brings some improvements, but nothing so mind-blowing that makes the iPhone 13 Pro Max seem too old fashioned. Just watch Rihanna's recent stage video – it speaks for itself.

Of course, if you put the The iPhone 13 Pro Max next to the iPhone 15 Pro Max, the latter has the advantage, especially for video professionals. But for the regular user, you may not even notice much difference. Can you tell which photo is from the “old-school” iPhone 13 and which is from the new one iPhone15?

What if we add the OnePlus 12 into the mix: could you tell which photo is taken by this one, the iPhone15 or the Galaxy S24? Let me know your guesses in the comments.

You may be wondering what this guessing game is for. Well, besides being a bit of fun, it's a reminder: most high-end smartphones come with impressive cameras. No surprises there.

In the shadow of the giants: OnePlus, Xiaomi, Pixel

iPhone vs. Galaxy duel sparked by Rihanna concert, but are phone cameras really that different anyway?

Sure, Samsung and Apple are doing their thing at the head of the camera phone pack, but they're not the only players in the game. OnePlus 12for example – with a main camera equipped with the Sony LYT-808 and a nifty periscope zoom.

It may not match the flashy 5X periscopes of the big players like the iPhone 15 Pro Max, Galaxy S24 Ultraor Pixel 8 Pro with its cool AI camera tricks, but it's still a solid choice for people who love photography.

Or, let's take a look at the Xiaomi 13 Ultra – it's not the latest release from the Chinese company, but it's still one of the best camera smartphones right now. This bad boy relies on a natural and cinematic atmosphere. The colors are changed, with a nod from Leica and that huge 1-inch type main camera sensor. It's a beast that works wonders whether you're out in daylight or relaxing in low-light situations.

Just for your information, this article is not just about comparing cameras. If you can't wait to see how different phone cameras stack up against each other, check out:

Is it brand loyalty that colors our perception?

After all, in 2024, flagship phone cameras offer amazing capabilities that we couldn't even imagine a phone would have a decade ago. Yes, some are better than others, but in my opinion, for the regular user the differences may not be so noticeable. Tech enthusiasts, on the other hand, might of course spot them.

Yet maybe (really, maybe?) branding also plays an important role in how we perceive different images or videos. As with the video that sparked this story, is it brand loyalty that colors our perception? What I mean by this (and I will end this article with this) is:

Preconceived notions: We might unconsciously associate certain brands with superior camera quality. If someone tells you a photo was taken with the latest iPhone, you might automatically think it will be sharper or have better colors.
Marketing Hype: Tech companies spend millions to create a premium image for their flagship products. So when we see slick marketing campaigns showcasing a phone's camera prowess, it can create a perception of superiority, even if the difference in the real world isn't that noticeable.
Confirmation bias: If you're a die-hard Samsung fan, you may be more likely to focus on details that seem to favor Galaxy S24 Ultra in photos, even if the differences are difficult to spot.
The Placebo Effect: Believe it or not, just knowing you're using a “better” camera can influence how you perceive the final image. If you think that a iPhone 15 Pro Max took the photo, you may find the colors more vibrant, although in a world where iPhone13 can still hold its place in the camera department, years after its release.