Discussion - I tested the Pixel 11 Pro XL’s new 5X Portrait Mode against the iPhone and Galaxy

Wait. Am i reading this right. Both the Samsung Galaxy Ultra and Pixel beat an Iphone? Scandalous!

I think my 26 ultra has a better camera all around including video then my 17 pro max. It's nice to have both and if you only have one you won't complain because you have nothing to compare it against. I'm not a Log video user until I became one by accident. I used it once at my kids dance recital and forgot to change it back. When I took another video and noticed it was washed out I remembered I turned it on and it kept log as default as I had the option to keep settings and when I realized I could grade it in the photo app, what came out was the best video I've seen on a phone.

The photos don't lie .... We clearly see which is best in this category...

Iphone is sooo 2007

It feels strange that PhoneArena consistently ranks Samsung at the top, while most other tech outlets and DxOMark place it significantly lower—often well behind the iPhone. It’s hard to understand the discrepancy, and it makes me suspicious that these results don't align with broader consensus.

https://www.dxomark.com/smartphones/

My fold 8 ultra camera dont stand a chance against my iphone

The difference we actually provide a bunch of camera comparisons with real-world photos for everyone to look at make up their minds. We believe this has lots of advantages.

Log video is a great option indeed.

While I don't use the camera features that heavily, I have noticed for a few years that PhoneArena consistently ranks Samsung at the top, even when it appears to be outperformed by other major tech outlets. For example, when I compared the S25 Ultra against my iPhone 16 Pro Max last year, the Samsung didn't stand a chance. It’s strange because my personal experience aligned with the findings from sites like DXOMARK, which contradict the rankings I see here. It’s just surprising to see such a consistent discrepancy.

I’ve alos noticed a recurring discrepancy between your benchmarks and my own real-world testing. Specifically, when comparing the iPhone 17 Pro Max and the Galaxy Fold 8 Ultra, my own testing consistently shows the iPhone outperforming the Samsung in CPU benchmarks, yet your articles frequently claim higher multicore performance for the Snapdragon-powered Galaxy. As someone who owns and tests both devices, these results feel inaccurate; could you clarify your testing methodology or explain why your findings consistently differ from both user experience and other industry benchmarks?

I am simply asking because, even though I don't base my decisions solely on these results, I am concerned that readers might purchase devices based on these benchmarks only to find the real-world performance is inaccurate. Could you clarify your testing methodology? It is confusing because most other tech outlets, such as GSMArena, consistently rank the Samsung camera significantly lower than the iPhone, whereas your findings often diverge from the broader industry consensus.

From GSM Arena.

Photo quality verdict

The Galaxy S26 Ultra is a capable cameraphone, but one that's lagging behind - more so every year. This year's photo quality is generally no better than last year's, which itself wasn't really a meaningful step up. The main camera, the ultrawide and the long telephoto are alright in most conditions, but the short telephoto might as well be scrapped. Low-light performance can be great, but is hampered by an iffy night mode implementation. Close-up shooting is practically impossible with any of the cameras. The one truly great showing is from the selfie camera, but you don't have to get the Ultra for that.

I find it difficult to view your reviews as credible given the significant discrepancy between your findings and what other major tech outlets—as well as my own real-world testing—consistently report.