Yes, yes, this is the first shootout here on AAWP to not feature a Windows phone - here I'm trying to compare the telephoto lenses on two likely purchases following on from a (for example) Lumia 950 XL. For anyone who loves their cameras! Now, when talking about camera phone zoom, the Huawei P20 Pro should probably crop up - I tested it here a while ago. And I'm still intending to get it back in for testing with its various updates - though I'm not immensely hopeful.
I'm also hoping to get hands on with the Galaxy Note 9, which in theory has the same camera as the S9+, but which adds extra frame blending and which apparently has quite an effect. Watch this space.
In the meantime, here's my personal Galaxy S9+ against the newcomer, the iPhone XS Max - pretty much an even match, I'd have thought. Anyway, in case you love your phone imaging, love zoom, and wonder if knowing which is 'best' of these two, then this feature may help.
Note that the image processing is Auto-HDR on the S9+, the default, and 'Smart HDR', Apple's new frame blending software tech, also the default.
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Test 1: Sunny snap
An easy shot, of a steam engine, with loads of detail. Here's the scene from the iPhone:
In case you want to grab the original images to do your own analysis, here they are, from the Galaxy S9+ and iPhone XS Max, click the links to download. And to look at the images in more detail, here are fairly central 1:1 crops, again use your mouse or trackpad pointer to compare the images:
Surprisingly, I can tell the difference, with the S9+ shot, though sharpened, seems less noisy and artificial, while the Smart HDR on the iPhone goes over the top in trying to find texture where there sometimes isn't any. And, as some commenters have said, makes a right mess of the lines around the main boiler.
Galaxy S9+: 10 pts; Apple iPhone XS Max: 8 pts
Test 2: Distant detail, zoomed
A wonderful view towards the Somerset coast. Here's the unzoomed scene from the iPhone:
I then zoomed in with the 2x control on each phone camera, i.e. using the telephoto lenses.
In case you want to grab the original images to do your own analysis, here they are, from the Galaxy S9+ and iPhone XS Max, click the links to download. And to look at the images in more detail, here are fairly central 1:1 crops, again use your mouse or trackpad pointer to compare the images:
This one's a score draw, I think. While the S9+ zoomed photo has more detail and better colours, it also massacres some of the greenery, such as the trees at the bottom of the crops. The iPhone handles the trees better but is outgunned for sheer zoom power.
Galaxy S9+: 9 pts; Apple iPhone XS Max: 9 pts
Test 3: Indoor detail
A church shot - it wasn't that dark, deliberately, since the telephoto lenses on these phones don't get used when there's not enough light, and this article is all about the zoom! Here's the scene from the iPhone, unzoomed:
In case you want to grab the original unzoomed images to do your own analysis, here they are, from the Galaxy S9+ and iPhone XS Max, click the links to download. And to look at the images in more detail, here are fairly central 1:1 crops, again use your mouse or trackpad pointer to compare the images:
A close call, but the iPhone gets the more accurate colours, the greater dynamic range, and, on the whole, the better detail, though the S9+ shot is also very good in places, if a little contrasty...
Galaxy S9+: 8 pts; Apple iPhone XS Max: 9 pts
Test 4: Indoor zoom
I then zoomed in at 2x, as before, and checking that neither phone stuck to its larger-apertured lens.
In case you want to grab the original zoomed images to do your own analysis, here they are, from the Galaxy S9+ and iPhone XS Max, click the links to download. And to look at the images in more detail, here are fairly central 1:1 crops, again use your mouse or trackpad pointer to compare the images:
A clear but small win for the iPhone XS Max, with better dynamic range (in software) and thus better detail and colours. Yes, there's arguably more digital noise, but it's worth it.
Galaxy S9+: 9 pts; Apple iPhone XS Max: 10 pts
Verdict
- Apple iPhone XS Max: 36/40 pts
- Galaxy S9+: 36/40 pts
So not much in it, a tie in this battle of the telephoto camera phones. The S9+ badly needs the extra frame blending that the Note 9 has and there's every chance that Samsung will bring this in a future update. Still, both phone cameras are excellent all round and - as is becoming a cliché - it's hard to take a bad shot.
In terms of where to jump from a Lumia 950 or 950 XL, I'd say go with your OS (Android or iOS) and hardware preferences (microSD expansion, headphone jack, general form factor), since imaging is now such a close call all round.
Any comments? I'll do other alternative shootouts in the future, if there's enough interest.