Video has a more profound presence in our lives, evident in the amount of media we consume on a daily basis with our phones. While the iPhone 17 Pro and 17 Pro Max are two of the best phones you can buy, there’s one specific thing they can’t do — record in 8K resolution.
Apple’s latest flagship models top out at 4K 120fps, while some of the best Android phones can shoot at the higher 8K resolution. You might think this is a big advantage, but I put the Galaxy S25 Ultra, Pixel 10 Pro XL, and OnePlus 15 to the test to find out if it matters or not.
What you need to know
With the S25 Ultra and OnePlus 15, I shot two different videos — one at 4K 30fps and the other at 8K 30fps. These two phones can natively record at 8K, but the Pixel 10 Pro XL can only do it when you enable its Video Boost mode. Cloud processing cleans up the clip, which is then downloaded back to the phone. It's not straightforward, but it's the only way to access 8K on a Pixel.
As for the iPhone 17 Pro? I recorded the same clips, but I will show you side-by-side if there’s any notable difference between its 4K 30fps capture. It’s also worth mentioning that all the videos are on YouTube, which uses compression and results in loss of quality.
However, I will also share cropped images from each phone that shoots 8K video to better illustrate their differences with the details.
Galaxy S25 Ultra
Starting off with the Galaxy S25 Ultra, it’s not the detail that immediately stands out. Rather, it’s the improved dynamic range performance of its 8K capture that elevates the video’s performance over standard 4K recording. Areas in shadow are better exposed with its 8K recording, which makes the exposure across the scene more uniform.
If you look at the snapshot above where I cropped into the billboard sign, I can tell there's slightly more definition with the 8K capture. I notice it most with the small “best hospitals” emblem in the lower right corner.
OnePlus 15
Interestingly enough, the OnePlus 15 behaves a little differently from Samsung’s flagship because its 8K capture has a little more contrast. You can see how the areas in shadow in the 8K video are darker, whereas they’re slightly more exposed with the 4K footage.
When it comes to the details, the clips prove that 8K draws out better definition — which you can see from the cropped image of the same billboard. Don’t get me wrong, the 4K footage has good detail, but the edges of the words on the billboard are better defined with the 8K shot. Is it a substantial improvement? I wouldn’t say so, but nonetheless one.
Pixel 10 Pro XL
Even though it has the best AI-assisted photo editing tools around, it’s not quite as straightforward recording in 8K with the Pixel 10 Pro XL. That’s because it requires you to enable Video Boost to do it, which is a lengthier process to complete due to how it uploads the clip to the cloud, cleans it up, and then sends it back to the phone. The 8K videos I recorded were just 15-second clips, but it took over an hour to process.
Video Boost clearly sharpens the fine details over the 4K clip, but unless you really look closely, I doubt most people will notice looking at the clips on a phone. If you peek at the freeze frame snapshot above, I can better distinguish the 33rd street sign in the lower left corner. It’s not by a whole lot, but shows off Video Boost’s enhancing abilities. I also see the same results with the tighter crop of the billboard sign.
iPhone 17 Pro
Apple hasn’t jumped on the 8K bandwagon just yet, and I can understand why after looking at the 4K clip I recorded of the same scene. What I will say is that I love its brighter look and excellent dynamic range. But despite not having the option to record in 8K resolution, I’ll admit that its 4K capture holds up.
The biggest thing I’m looking for here is if there’s any meaningful loss in its details. The only time I begin to see a difference is when I heavily crop into the video. That same emblem on the billboard looks fuzzier, with less definition compared to its rivals shooting at 8K. I would say the Galaxy S25 Ultra has the best details, whereas the Pixel 10 Pro XL appears too processed.
Bottom Line
I know very well the advantage of recording video at higher resolutions. When 4K recording first became accessible, I was able to crop the videos from my Panasonic GH4 mirrorless camera and still have the footage look really good on a 1080p television. But the times have changed, as 4K TVs have become the norm — and that’s why 8K recording is increasingly becoming available on more devices.
By default, all of the phones that shoot 8K video have an inherent advantage of capturing better details than at 4K. I personally don’t think it’s a tremendous gap between the two, but still enough to give editors extra room in post to crop the 8K clips without quality loss. The iPhone 17 Pro and 17 Pro Max don’t have 8K recording, but I don’t think it’s missing out just yet.
If you’re looking at the clips on smaller screens, including on a laptop or desktop monitor, there’s very little incentive to start shooting in 8K — more so when the file sizes are huge. Apple’s flagships aren’t missing out on anything by not offering it, unless there’s a substantial improvement with the next generation of phones. For the moment, however, I don’t think it’s a dealbreaker.
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