Galaxy S10 vs iPhone XS Camera Comparison

Samsung’s latest flagship, the Galaxy S10 series, went on sale across the world earlier this month. With the Galaxy S10, Samsung is jumping on the triple camera bandwagon and offering an ultra-wide angle sensor in combination with a regular wide angle and a telephoto sensor. With flagship smartphones being all about their camera nowadays, is the Galaxy S10 a better shooter than the iPhone XS? Find out in this comparison.

The Galaxy S10 comes with the same primary rear shooter as the Galaxy Note and S9 from last year. It is a 12MP f/1.5-f/2.4 aperture shooter with OIS and 1.4um large pixels. Any improvements whatsoever are due to Samsung improving its post-processing algorithm. The highlight of the Galaxy S10’s camera system is the ultra-wide angle sensor which allows one to take photos even from tight spots and with a new perspective.

In comparison, with the iPhone XS, Apple used a larger sensor with bigger and deeper 1.4um pixels. Coupled with the addition of Smart HDR, the iPhone XS offer better dynamic range and captures more details than previous iPhones.

So, let’s see how the two phones stack up in our camera comparison below.

Scene 1

Shot on iPhone XS Max
Shot on iPhone XS Max
Shot on Galaxy S10+
Shot on Galaxy S10+

I find the colors on the iPhone XS Max a bit too muted while the Galaxy S10’s AI mode has made the colors a bit too saturated and aggressive. The S10’s photo also has a slightly better bokeh effect.

Scene 2

Shot on iPhone XS Max
Shot on iPhone XS Max
Shot on Galaxy S10+
Shot on Galaxy S10+

The Galaxy S10’s tendency to boost colors and saturation helps in making its photo look more lively. The iPhone XS Max photo looks a bit dull in comparison. Where the Galaxy S10’s triple camera setup excels is in terms of versatility. With the ultra-wide angle shooter, one can capture the above scene with a different perspective altogether.

Shot on Galaxy S10+
Shot on Galaxy S10+

There’s heavy fish-eye distortion at the edges of the above photos but even then, there’s no denying just how useful the ultra-wide angle shooter is.

Scene 3

Shot on iPhone XS Max
Shot on iPhone XS Max
Shot on Galaxy S10+
Shot on Galaxy S10+

The Galaxy S10’s photo has better colors, though I’d say its white balance is a bit skewed. The iPhone XS Max nails the white balance but the colors look a bit dull. Or they look just how the scene actually looked like in real life.

Scene 4

Shot on iPhone XS Max
Shot on iPhone XS Max
Shot on Galaxy S10+
Shot on Galaxy S10+

Both phones do an excellent job here. The Galaxy S10 does end up capturing more details in the shadows though.

Scene 5

Shot on iPhone XS Max
Shot on iPhone XS Max
Shot on Galaxy S10+
Shot on Galaxy S10+

The iPhone XS Max gets the color temperature of the scene absolutely wrong. The Galaxy S10 nails the white balance but oversharpens the photo a bit.

We Want to Hear From You

What are your thoughts on the iPhone XS and Galaxy S10 camera performance based on the image samples above? Do you prefer the photos taken from the Galaxy S10 or the ones from the iPhone XS?