Mumbai, March 9: Recent camera comparisons indicate that while the Galaxy S26 Ultra shows improvements over its predecessor, it still falls short of Apple’s iPhone 17 Pro in several critical areas, according to initial findings from DxOMark.
On paper, the Galaxy S26 Ultra appears similar to the Galaxy S25 Ultra regarding camera hardware. Samsung has retained the 50MP ultra-wide camera (f/1.9, 1/2.52-inch sensor) and the 10MP 3x telephoto lens (f/2.4, 1/3.94-inch sensor). The main upgrades focus on the primary and long-range zoom cameras.
The standout enhancement is the new 200MP main sensor, now featuring a brighter f/1.4 aperture instead of f/1.7. This seemingly minor change allows approximately 47% more light to reach the sensor, as claimed by Samsung. This improvement is expected to enhance detail and reduce noise in low-light environments.
Additionally, Samsung has revamped the 50MP 5x periscope telephoto camera, which now employs an f/2.9 lens and a more compact Adaptive Lens on Prism (ALoP) design. A noticeable difference is the shape of the background blur, with highlights appearing more rounded compared to the square-like bokeh of earlier models. However, this comes with a trade-off: the minimum focusing distance has increased to about 52cm, making close-up shots slightly more challenging.
According to DxOMark’s early assessments, these modifications yield positive results. The S26 Ultra reportedly captures more detail with reduced noise in low-light settings, and skin tones appear more natural than on the S25 Ultra. Portrait photos also benefit from enhanced processing, particularly in noise management and overall balance.
Nonetheless, these advancements do not fully bridge the gap with Apple’s iPhone 17 Pro, launched in September 2025. DxOMark highlights that the iPhone still produces slightly cleaner images in challenging low-light conditions and excels in portrait segmentation, achieving more accurate subject separation in complex scenes.
In summary, Apple maintains a slight edge in overall consistency under difficult shooting conditions.
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