The Samsung Galaxy S22 seems to have an advantage over the iPhone, iPhone 13 Pro Max in low-light situations after some testing.
Because of this, the iPhone 13 Pro Max has topped our list of the best camera phones, but there’s a huge caveat attached. When the sun sets, I believe the new Samsung Galaxy S22 Plus takes the picture quality crown from the recently launched Galaxy S22.
The S22 Plus is still a premium flagship phone, but it isn’t the greatest in the series. If you don’t need the Galaxy S22 Ultra’s extra low-light shooting capabilities, I still think the S22 Plus is a superior low-light camera than even the most costly iPhone 7.
With only a few touches, you can capture the greatest low-light photographs possible on a Samsung Galaxy S22 rather than an iPhone 13.
Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max versus. Galaxy S22 Plus in Low-Light
The S22 is a bit more prone to activating its night mode than the iPhone when it encounters a low-light subject. The Samsung phone took a picture of a string of lights in a tree in night mode, but the iPhone didn’t. When I went back to look at my photographs, I was surprised to see that there wasn’t much of a quality difference between the two phones. It turned out that the iPhone need a darker backdrop before going into night mode on its own.
The night mode may be activated manually on both phones, however the requirements are somewhat different. This feature is only available in the “More” menu on the Galaxy S22, where you may either have the phone automatically modify its exposure duration, or you can explicitly request that it do so.
If you activate night mode in the iPhone camera app, you may pick the suggested pre-set exposure duration or set it to maximum, or something in between if the maximum exposure time is two seconds or more. All of the photographs you see here were taken in automated mode, however the iPhone provides you a little more control over night photography in the default app if it wants to play nice with you.
Comparing the Galaxy S22 Plus with the iPhone 13 Pro Max in low-light conditions
That’s all for now; let’s have a look at some of my images. In the first place, a “green wall” in Paddington Central appears in two completely different ways on each of the two phones. The iPhone picture has a lot more texture, but the colours is a little wrong because of it. However, despite the lack of fine detail in the stonework or foliage, the colours is far more appealing and true to how I viewed the picture in my mind’s eye.
We’re in a tighter race if we use our phones to get a close look at this statue (and ignore the significant difference in field of vision). Increasing the zoom reveals an even more vibrant, detailed, noise-free picture from the S22. However, this time around, I think the colour accuracy of the iPhone photo is superior.
In the same location, I snapped this selfie, which is another another example of Samsung’s success. For one thing, the S22’s were able to catch my hair better, and the general border between myself and the backdrop was clearer. As a result, my skin tone seems more realistic, and the area behind me appears less overcast.
Finally, we have an inside image of one of my housemate’s gorgeously designed espresso cups, which are stored on a low shelf in a dismal area. Due to the general lack of light, neither photo is especially outstanding, but the image from the S22 is less noisy and brighter than the iPhone’s.
As a result, it was able to catch both the cup and the saucer reflections more accurately, as well as receiving the honesty medal this time around.
The gist of it
Galaxy S22 Plus proves that Samsung’s night mode has surpassed Apple’s, even without the top-tier technology found in the Ultra variant. To be sure, the S22’s photo must be evaluated against the subject’s actual appearance, but this isn’t always going to be an issue.
I won’t be asking the TG council of elders to remove the iPhone 13 Pro Max off the top of our best camera phones recommendation because of this test. Keep your fingers crossed that Apple has some new night mode upgrades in the iPhone 14, and remember to put the Galaxy S22 Plus in your pocket while you’re out for a night on the town!