Pixel 10 Professional XL vs. Galaxy S25 Extremely: Android Digital camera Battle

Seattle is thought extra for its clouds than its sunny days, so when the sky is blue, the brilliant gentle can really feel harsh. Right here, the S25 Extremely photograph pops extra by lightening the shadow areas of the automotive, however virtually an excessive amount of. The Pixel 10 Professional XL picture seems to be 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 brilliant pink umbrellas. The S25 Extremely’s shot is extra muted. I could not inform if maybe among the daylight was hitting the lens from the facet and inflicting that washed-out look. Each cameras nonetheless did a superb job of retaining particulars within the shadows, although.

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

To be trustworthy, zooming a lot previous 10x on a cellphone all the time 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, while you get previous 20x or so, photographs are likely to turn into a multitude of fuzzy enlarged pixels — it is not often 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 expertise to upscale and sharpen the outcomes, which typically end up nicely.

Within the excessive vary from 30x to 100x, although, the Pixel 10 Professional makes use of generative AI to rebuild the picture primarily based on the unique seize. It takes a number of seconds for the processing to occur, and it is all achieved on-device, not with help from cloud assets. The outcomes will be spectacular, significantly for static topics like buildings or landscapes. However while you view them with any scrutiny, it is virtually all the time apparent that the photograph 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 seen on a big display screen, however it comes throughout completely superb on a cellphone display screen.

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 may 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 scorching mess, however to be trustworthy, 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 exhibiting up and never face-planting when, actually, the photographs 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 number 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 cellphone fell again into its respective night time mode, and each made acceptable photographs within the midst of a number of colour 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; a minimum of photographs do not embody the precise aroma of an alley stuffed 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 distinguished 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 pink, as within the S25 Extremely photograph.

Leaving the bustle of downtown Seattle for the seaside close to the Mukilteo Lighthouse about half an hour north, this seaside at sundown seems to be significantly 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 sort of too darkish, whereas the Pixel 10 Professional XL picture is just 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 means of. The S25 Extremely seems to be prefer it’s throwing as a lot processing on the picture as doable, making the brighter areas look overexposed and introducing a number 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 photographs, particularly high-res 50-megapixel photographs.

On this indoor cafe with screened window gentle, the Pixel 10 Professional XL is de facto attempting to comprise the flyaway wisps of hair, however it’s made them ghostly and extra evident as a substitute. Every little thing else concerning the photograph seems to be good, from the colours to the smooth background — actually, the hair at her shoulders exhibits higher separation than on high of her head.

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

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 smooth 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 seems to be fully pure to my eye, with a smooth 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 most likely ought to have tried Digital camera Coach to compose the portraits higher within the body with out a lot area 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 photographs, largely as a result of hotter white stability and higher colour constancy. However as you possibly can see, not one of the photographs are outright unhealthy. If you happen to’re in search of a brand new flagship Android cellphone, each fashions will fill that want. And for those who particularly need an incredible digital camera system, proper now the Pixel 10 Professional has pushed into the lead.