The battle for the best camera phone rages on now that we have a newcomer entering the scene. That’s why a Pixel 10 Pro XL vs Galaxy S25 Ultra photo shootout is needed to determine which of these best phone contenders offers the better camera performance.
For the entire year so far, Samsung’s flagship phone has managed to stay at the top spot beating out other newer phones like the OnePlus 13. In our Galaxy S25 Ultra review, Samsung's premium model stands out for its excellent low light and ultrawide performance. The Ultra packs a 200MP main sensor, 50MP ultrawide, 50MP 5x telephoto, 10MP 3x telephoto, and 12MP selfie camera.
Despite having the same hardware as the previous Pixel — namely, a 50MP main, 48MP ultrawide, 48MP 5x telephoto, and 42MP selfie camera — the biggest boost with the Pixel 10 Pro XL’s camera is with the new Pro Res Zoom feature that uses AI to enhance zoom photos. I’ve seen it in action first hand with exceptional results, but the Pixel 10 Pro XL is going to need more than just telephoto skills to knock off the Galaxy S25 Ultra.
Just like my other photo shoot outs, I snap identical photos with both phones and then preview them on a monitor to inspect any differences they might have. In my Pixel 10 Pro XL vs Galaxy S25 Ultra photo face-off, I’ll tell you exactly what differences I can uncover to determine a winner. Here’s the results.
Pixel 10 Pro XL vs Galaxy S25 Ultra photo face-off: Daytime
This one honestly comes down to personal preference, seeing that the only difference I can see from the main cameras of either phone during the daytime is their color temperature.
I prefer the warmer color temperature of the Galaxy S25 Ultra’s shot, as it offers a more inviting look compared to the Pixel 10 Pro XL’s cooler one. Details, however, are identical with both camera phones — as they do well to capture the wooden pole in the background and the flower arrangement on the right.
Winner: Galaxy S25 Ultra
Pixel 10 Pro XL vs Galaxy S25 Ultra photo face-off: Ultrawide
Although the Galaxy S25 Ultra’s ultrawide shooter casts the same warmer color temperature as its main camera, the Pixel 10 Pro XL’s 48MP ultrawide lens does a much nicer job of evening out the exposure throughout the shot. This results in better exposure for the areas in shadows.
Winner: Pixel 10 Pro XL
Pixel 10 Pro XL vs Galaxy S25 Ultra photo face-off: Colors
Both phones do an excellent job of drawing out the vibrant color tones from all the flowers in the shot, but the Pixel 10 Pro XL maintains the highlights better than the Galaxy S25 Ultra. Those same highlights look overexposed with the Galaxy S25 Ultra, like how some of the yellow flowers appear washed out.
Winner: Pixel 10 Pro XL
Pixel 10 Pro XL vs Galaxy S25 Ultra photo face-off: Indoors
These indoor snapshots almost look similar, but I can again pinpoint how the Galaxy S25 Ultra has a penchant at boosting the highlights in the shot — which makes the overall picture brighter, but it does come at the expense of washing out some of the colors.
Take, for instance, green and orange: they look washed out on the S25 Ultra shots. In contrast, the Pixel 10 Pro XL has the more balanced look that captures everything nicely.
Winner: Pixel 10 Pro XL
Pixel 10 Pro XL vs Galaxy S25 Ultra photo face-off: Dynamic Range
In reality, the side of the building in shade looks almost completely dark due to the shadow that’s produced over there — but their strong dynamic range performances manage to draw out those details. Between them, I like how the Galaxy S25 Ultra boosts the exposure of the shadows while still retaining some level of contrast through the scene.
The Pixel 10 Pro XL seems to try and keep an even exposure throughout the shot, but it results in a low-contrast look.
Winner: Galaxy S25 Ultra
Pixel 10 Pro XL vs Galaxy S25 Ultra photo face-off: Panorama
When I zoom into different parts of the panoramas above, I really like the amount of detail both phones are able to capture, like the textures of the tree on the left side. At the same time, they maintain an even exposure throughout the scene, which is an area that other phones struggle at.
The only reason why the Galaxy S25 Ultra gets my vote here is because of the bolder colors it produces and its higher-contrast look.
Winner: Galaxy S25 Ultra
Pixel 10 Pro XL vs Galaxy S25 Ultra photo face-off: Selfie
First of all, it’s apparent that the Pixel 10 Pro XL has a wider field of view with its 42MP selfies camera, so it’s much more suitable for group photos when you need to cram more faces into the shot. However, the Galaxy S25 Ultra does a much better job of exposing my face and shirt.
Winner: Galaxy S25 Ultra
Pixel 10 Pro XL vs Galaxy S25 Ultra photo face-off: Macro
Interestingly, the Pixel 10 Pro XL leans on the 50MP main camera for macro shots, which is indicated by the flower icon that shows up in the camera app.
While the Pixel 10 Pro XL technically captures better fine details, it causes everything else outside of the center to be out of focus — whereas the Galaxy S25 Ultra keeps it in sharp focus because it uses the ultrawide camera for macros.
Winner: Galaxy S25 Ultra
Pixel 10 Pro XL vs Galaxy S25 Ultra photo face-off: Zoom
The most interesting part of this Pixel 10 Pro XL vs Galaxy S25 Ultra photo shootout centers around their telephoto cameras. On paper, it looks like a close matchup between the Galaxy S25 Ultra’s 50MP 5x telephoto camera and the Pixel 10 Pro XL’s 48MP 5x zoom lens, but there’s noticeable differences.
I would argue that the Galaxy S25 Ultra has the stronger performance when I captured the electrical pole at 100x zoom with both phones. In the shot above, the Galaxy S25 Ultra’s shot is clearer and more in focus, drawing out the textures of the wooden pole
However, when you look at the Pro Res Zoom shot from the Pixel 10 Pro XL, there’s just no comparing the two. Not only is it sharper and more detailed, but it also adds definition to the surrounding leaves. I know the Pixel 10 Pro XL is getting help from AI, but it’s the end result out of the camera.
Winner: Pixel 10 Pro XL
Pixel 10 Pro XL vs Galaxy S25 Ultra photo face-off: Low Light
Night Sight mode does wonders in boosting the brightness of the shot taken with the Pixel 10 Pro XL, but the Galaxy S25 Ultra does that too while keeping the details sharp across the board. The Pixel 10 Pro XL details look soft by comparison, especially when you zoom into different parts of the image.
Winner: Galaxy S25 Ultra
Pixel 10 Pro XL vs Galaxy S25 Ultra photo face-off: Bottom Line
Newer phones have an inherent advantage, but the Galaxy S25 Ultra proves it still sets the bar for every other camera phone out there. Yes, it narrowly comes out on top in this Pixel 10 Pro XL vs Galaxy S25 Ultra photo shootout — its 200MP main camera continues to deliver outstanding shots filled with detail. At the same time, its low light and macro performances prove to be a slight step up over its rival.
Despite coming up short, there’s still a lot I’m impressed about with the Pixel 10 Pro XL. Namely, Pro Res Zoom shows how AI is being used in a meaningful way to boost the phone’s telephoto performance. It’s so good that I often find myself asking how accurate the AI is to real-life shots taken up close with the main camera.
As a power user who’s constantly shooting photos and videos, I do like the diverse amount of shooting modes that Samsung offers like its manual video mode. The Pixel 10 Pro XL has some neat additions too, like Auto Best Take and Camera Coach.
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