Different models in Samsung’s S series have been competing with their respective Apple iPhone counterparts ever since these brands started offering multiple variants in their flagship portfolio. Last week, we published a camera comparison article between Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra (Review) and Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max (Review), where we saw that the Samsung phone outperformed the iPhone in most scenarios. Today, I’ll be comparing the base versions of both the lineup – the Samsung Galaxy S23 and the iPhone 14 – and pitting them against each other to see which one is the better shooter. In this comparison, we’ll see if the S23 continues to outperform the iPhone. So, without further ado, let’s take a detailed look at their camera comparison.
lowlight photo
In daylight practically every phone captures good colors and produces great results. Night photography is the real test for cameras. So, I’ll start the comparison with a low-light scenario. Here, you can see that the Samsung S23 follows in the footsteps of its big brother – the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra. The image taken from the S23 has dark shadows and in fact the bulb inside the temple is overexposed. In contrast, the image captured by the iPhone 14 is much brighter and the furniture in the frame is also quite visible. This makes the iPhone 14 a better performer in low-light conditions.
the winner: apple iphone 14
night mode
I took the same shot with night mode on both the phones. Samsung Galaxy S23 lost the battle again. Although the picture taken from the S23 has more light this time, the picture taken from the iPhone still has more vibrancy than the Samsung picture. Furniture is more visible and in fact, the sky outside looks great on the iPhone. So I can say that low-light photography goes in favor of iPhone 14.
the winner: apple iphone 14
lowlight selfie
To further analyze the low-light camera performance, let me share the low-light results of the front-facing camera. Looking at these pictures, you can also see that the iPhone 14 took better selfies in this dark condition than the Samsung S23. Although both photos appear dull and dark, the shot I took with the iPhone is vivid and has better color balance. The S23 captured some kind of magenta tone in the images. The Samsung picture seems to be somewhat influenced by the multicolored lights behind me. Hence, it would not be wrong to say that the iPhone 14 is a better camera phone in low-light scenarios.
the winner: apple iphone 14
daylight landscape photo
After examining low-light photos, let’s move on to daylight scenarios. This is a standard shot that I took with both phones using Auto mode. You can see that the result here is quite the opposite. The image captured by the Samsung Galaxy S23 comes somewhat close to natural. The sky and grass appear neutral in color, and the area under the shed is well lit. In contrast, snaps taken with the iPhone have unrealistic color balance. The sky is intensely blue, the grass looks black and scorched, and the shadows under the shed burn dimly. So, Samsung S23 reigns in this round and turns out to be the winner.
the winner: Samsung Galaxy S23
Daylight Ultra-Wide Angle
Also, in the ultra-wide angle mode in daylight, the Samsung Galaxy S23 wins again. As a prelude, the sky, grass and the area under the shed turned out to be more appropriate and closer to natural. On the other hand, the photo taken with the iPhone 14 maintains the same color balance. The sky is overly saturated, the grass is burnt out and the shade area is poorly lit. As a result, the Samsung Galaxy S23 proves to be a better option if you frequently use the ultra-wide sensor.
the winner: samsung galaxy 23
3x zoom
The Samsung Galaxy S23 comes with an additional telephoto sensor with 3x optical zoom capabilities, which the iPhone 14 doesn’t offer. As a result, S23 already leads the round. Still, when we compare photos taken using the 3x by both phones, colors appear better on the iPhone and sunlight exposure is more balanced. However, the real test is when we zoom in to see the details.
Here, I have attached the zoomed versions of both the photos. It is clear, that the image taken from the Samsung Galaxy S23 has a high level of detail across the board, while the text on the iPhone picture looks completely distorted. Hence, the Samsung Galaxy S23 is the winner of this round.
the winner: Samsung Galaxy S23
high resolution
Moving on, the Samsung Galaxy S23 features a 50MP primary sensor, whereas, the iPhone 14 comes with a 12MP main camera, just like previous iterations. For this round-up, I pitted the Samsung’s 50MP mode against the iPhone’s 12MP shooter. You can see that the picture clicked from S23 still has better color balance than the picture clicked from iPhone 14.
Also, if we take a closer look at the pictures by magnifying them, the Samsung clearly surpasses the iPhone’s picture quality, as the text in the snap I took with the Samsung Galaxy S23 is very sharp. Hence, Samsung Galaxy S23 stands out as the winner here.
the winner: Samsung Galaxy S23
portrait shot
After examining landscape photos, it is time to evaluate how these phones respond when capturing human skin tones. Of course, the Samsung Galaxy S23 has been a winner in daylight conditions in previous photos, but it failed to impress me in this round. The color balance is better in the photo taken with the iPhone and my skin tone and hair color also look accurate. In contrast, the image captured by Samsung’s handset appears more saturated, with darker and redder skin tones, and a cooler tone across the frame. While the edge detection of both the phones is impressive for portraits, the iPhone 14 takes the lead in this round due to its better color balance.
the winner: apple iphone 14
close up
Next up, let’s take a look at the close-up shooting capabilities of both the phones. Unfortunately, the iPhone 14, like the 14 Pro Max, loses the game against the Samsung S23. The iPhone couldn’t move that close while taking flower shots, which was really disappointing. Whereas, the Samsung Galaxy S23 specializes in taking great close-up photos. You can see that the pollen and petals on the flower in the Samsung image are sharp and pleasing to the eye. Although the iPhone 14 captures great color balance and vivid images, the Samsung has the advantage of getting subjects extremely close, and hence, the Samsung Galaxy S23 wins.
the winner: Samsung Galaxy S23
daylight selfie
With the back camera, the Samsung Galaxy S23 also outperforms the iPhone 14 in taking front camera pictures in daylight. Although both the images attached above look impressive, the colors are different. The S23’s picture has cooler tones, while the iPhone captures warmer tones. Another difference I noticed is that my sweater looks a bit dark and my skin pale in the photo taken with the iPhone 14, whereas the Samsung camera captured somewhat closer to the actual color of my sweater and my Skin tone is also neutral. When it comes to edge detection in selfies, both the phones do a great job. However, the impressive color balance gives the Samsung camera the win in this aspect.
the winner: Samsung Galaxy S23
Decision
To compare, I can say that the Samsung Galaxy S23 has an edge over the iPhone 14, as it offers better daylight camera performance, plus it comes with a telephoto lens and a higher-resolution camera sensor. On the other hand, the iPhone 14 takes the cake in low-light scenarios. So, if you are specifically looking for a phone that allows you to capture impressive images in low-light conditions, then the iPhone 14 is the phone for you. However, if you want an all-rounder with an additional sensor and can shoot more detail in images, I recommend investing in the Samsung Galaxy S23.
