Review: Samsung Galaxy S22+ vs Ultra vs iPhone 13 Pro

Samsung sold its S22 line of Galaxy phones with the promise: "break the rules of light."

The term 'Nightography' was all over its world premiere.

And yet, far from setting an "epic" new standard, shots I've taken turned out better on Apple's now six-month-old iPhone 13 Pro.

I put the S22+ and S22 Ultra to the test at an engagement party this weekend.

TEST 1: LOW-LIGHT, PORTRAIT, INANIMATE OBJECT

A simple photo of a cake can say so much.

The golds are notably more vibrant on the Samsung line of photos and there are far fewer artefacts muddying the white of the flower petals when you zoom in for a closer look.

However, what truly separates Samsung from iPhone is accuracy.

Both the S22+ and S22 Ultra had no issue cutting the cake from the background in low-light, ensuring the entirety of its "Engaged" sign is clear.

Samsung claims its software is so accurate that it can now detect individual hairs (more on that later).

Compare that to the same shot on iPhone 13 Pro, and Apple's sensor struggles.

Not only is the left-hand-side of the sign blurred into the background, but so are many of the smaller flowers.

They're problems that can be fixed in post with apps but Samsung wins this one easily.

TEST 2: LOW-LIGHT, MAIN CAMERA, MOVING OBJECT

The average eye won't notice much between these three photos.

Taken directly under a spinning disco ball, the lighting wasn't consistent enough for a true 1:1:1 comparison but the differences are meaningful.

Both Samsung shots are noticeably darker than on iPhone 13, and both lose detail in those darker bottom corners.

Arguably, the S22+ and S22 Ultra captured a more vibrant looking disco ball at a cost.

Zoom in and the sharpness on both shots is noticeably worse than on iPhone 13 which clearly snapped the individual square mirrors with incredible accuracy.

It doesn't matter if you chalk this up to Apple's superior computational photography algorithm or the noticeably slower shutter speed on Samsung's devices, the fact is, Apple's looks better.

TEST 3: LOW-LIGHT, TELEPHOTO CAMERA, MOVING OBJECT

Same disco ball. Different angle, different lens.

Again, Samsung's slower shutter speed in low-light situations appears to hurt here.

The problem is far more pronounced on S22+ which struggled to take a clear image at all. My shaky hands may have been the problem here, but I didn't encounter the same issue on the new Ultra or iPhone 13 Pro.

The disco ball isn't the sharpest but the data loss in the background is the worst offender. The edges of the heating vent are down-right muddy.

That same image is far clearer on the S22 Ultra however, side-by-side with iPhone 13 Pro at 3x, the detail in Apple's is superior.

TEST 4: HIGH CONTRAST, MAIN CAMERA, STATIC OBJECT

Lightbulbs dangling over the bar were the final target of my test; this time, focused on colour accuracy.

In reality, the filament grew a vibrant orange while the glass remained relatively clear.

Neither the iPhone 13 Pro or Samsung's S22 models managed to capture the detail I was seeing by eye, but the colour difference is remarkable.

The glow on both the S22+ and Ultra images has a hint of blue that's not present in Apple's image.

Ultimately, this one comes down to personal preference but in terms of colour accuracy, again, iPhone 13 Pro wins.

VERDICT

Samsung's S22+ and Ultra fall short of the promise of a new, "epic standard" in night photography.

Portrait mode is the exception to rule and gets even better during the day.

Samsung claims its S22 line can detect individual hairs and going by this gorgeous shot of my pup, they weren't lying.

However, most of my tests looked objectively better on iPhone 13 Pro.

Outdoors, Samsung's S22+ and S22 Ultra fare far better, capturing stunning cityscapes and dazzling contrast that draws enough light from the night sky to turn navy blue, but most people take photos of things, friends and family indoors - and in low light - there's room for improvement.