The smartphone camera landscape is fiercely competitive, with manufacturers constantly vying for the top spot. The Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra, with its impressive quad-camera system, aims to be a leader in this arena. This review, based on 4,000 photos taken across various locations, explores the strengths and weaknesses of the S25 Ultra’s camera, comparing it to rivals like the Oppo Find X8 Ultra and OnePlus 13.
Portrait Mode Mastery: Unmatched Versatility
Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra held in hand
The Galaxy S25 Ultra shines in portrait mode, offering an unparalleled range of options. While other phones offer similar features, Samsung’s “Color Point” mode stands out. This feature isolates the subject in color while rendering the background in grayscale, creating striking and artistic portraits.
Color Point portrait image taken with the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra
Beyond Color Point, the S25 Ultra provides various blur modes, simulated lighting effects (Studio, High-key Mono, Low-key Mono), and a backdrop mode for customized background colors. The ability to adjust the effect strength before and after capturing the image, along with the availability of these features on the front-facing camera, further enhances its versatility.
Portrait taken at 1x zoom with the S25 Ultra
Portrait taken at 3x zoom with the S25 Ultra
Portrait selfie taken with the S25 Ultra
Standard selfie taken with the Oppo Find X8 Ultra
Vibrant Colors and Social Media Readiness
Comparison: Oppo Find X8 Ultra (left) and Galaxy S25 Ultra (right)
Close-up shot taken with the Galaxy S25 Ultra
Samsung’s signature post-processing results in vibrant, richly colored images. While the S25 Ultra leans towards a more natural look compared to previous generations, its photos still retain a pleasing saturation. This is particularly evident in ultrawide shots.
Ultrawide shot taken with the Galaxy S25 Ultra
Ultrawide photo taken with the Pixel 9 Pro
Compared to phones like the Pixel 9 Pro, which prioritize natural color accuracy, the S25 Ultra delivers images that are often more visually appealing for social media sharing, requiring minimal editing.
Telephoto Performance: A Mixed Bag
Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra
The S25 Ultra’s dual telephoto lenses are a key selling point. While the 3x and 5x optical zoom offer excellent results, the “Space Zoom” feature, once a groundbreaking innovation, now lags behind competitors.
1x zoom on the S25 Ultra
3x zoom on the S25 Ultra
5x zoom on the S25 Ultra
30x zoom on the S25 Ultra
The OnePlus 13, with its single telephoto lens, and the Oppo Find X8 Ultra, with its dual telephoto setup, outperform the S25 Ultra at higher zoom levels (30x and beyond).
100x zoom on the S25 Ultra
Despite this, the S25 Ultra’s zoom capabilities remain respectable and will satisfy most users.
Conclusion: A Versatile but Fallible Camera King
Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra in a leather case
The Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra offers a highly versatile camera system with exceptional portrait mode features and vibrant image quality. However, its zoom performance, once a defining strength, has been surpassed by competitors. While it remains a strong contender in the smartphone photography arena, potential buyers prioritizing zoom capabilities should consider alternatives. The S25 Ultra, particularly for its portrait mode prowess, remains a compelling option for mobile photographers.
