iPhone X vs. Galaxy S9+ shootout

Introduction

So which phone do you get when you part ways with your Google Pixel 2 XL? If you are after a great camera, chances are you are going to pick either the iPhone X or the Galaxy S9+. Well, this is exactly what happened to two of our editors. And what better way of settling the argument which phone has the best camera than pitting them together in a camera shoot-out.

It won't be an easy call this one - these two phones are quite equally matched so deciding which one has the best camera, is going to call for lots of pixel peeping. And that is quite alright since we're the pixel peeping type of crowd.

But let's have a look at the camera hardware they are offering. Both come with dual cameras on their backs, 4x12MP in total. They're also in the same regular+telephoto configuration - no ultra wides or monochromes between these two. All four cameras feature stabilized optics too.

Samsung's caught up with Apple this year and offers 4K video recording at 60fps and also gives you the option of using the storage-efficient H.265 codec. 1080p/240fps slo-mo was missing from the S8's spec sheet, but the S9+ levels the field with the iPhone here as well. In fact, no - the S9+ one-ups the iPhone X in slo-mo. Naturally, it's called 'Super' slo-mo and records at 960fps in 720p resolution, with auto triggering and easy GIF-making afterwards.

On the flip side, neither of these has brought any tangible improvements to the selfie game. So that should probably mean that the Galaxy is ahead of the iPhone? Probably, but a refresh on this one can't hurt.

Numbers look better in a table, so here's one with the iPhone X and the Galaxy S9+'s camera specs.

	Apple iPhone X	Samsung Galaxy S9+
Main (wide-angle) camera	12MP, 4032 x 3024px	12MP, 4032 x 3024px
Sensor	4:3 aspect, 1/3" sensor size, 1.22µm pixel size	4:3 aspect, 1/2.55" sensor size, 1.4µm pixel size
Lens	f/1.8, 28mm, OIS	f/1.5-2.4, 26mm, OIS
Focus	PDAF	Dual Pixel PDAF
Telephoto camera	12MP, 4032 x 3024px	12MP, 4032 x 3024px
Sensor	4:3 aspect, 1/3.6" sensor size, 1.0µm pixel size	4:3 aspect, 1/3.6" sensor size, 1.0µm pixel size
Lens	f/2.4, 52mm, OIS	f/2.4, 52mm, OIS
Focus	CDAF	PDAF
Flash	Dual-tone, 4-LED flash	Single LED Flash
Video recording	2160p@60/30/24fps, 1080p@60/30fps	2160p@60/30fps, 1440p@30fps, 1080p@60/30fps
Slow motion	1080p@240/120fps	1080p@240fps, 720p@960fps
Video IS	OIS+EIS	OIS+EIS
Video features	Mono audio	Stereo audio
Front camera	7MP, 1.0µm, f/2.2, 32mm, 1080p@30fps	8 MP, 1/3.6", 1.22µm, f/1.7, 25mm, 1440p@30fps

A camera comparison also looks a lot better with some photos in it, but we're not ready for that just. First up, we'll be starting off on the next page with a more detailed look at the hardware and software these two have. You will find the camera samples just after that.

Two phones with two 12MP cameras each

The iPhone X and the Galaxy S9+ each have a pair of 12MP cameras on their backs. But they are not quite the same.

Sure, their sensor resolution is the same, but a few other numbers differ. Looking at the main cameras, the normal ones, the Galaxy's 1/2.55" sensor is larger than the iPhone's 1/3" and it's also got bigger individual pixels - 1.4µm vs. the iPhone's 1.22µm pixel pitch. In theory, larger sensors mean more total light can be collected, and larger pixels potentially lead to lower noise and better dynamic range. However, not the entire pixel area is used for light gathering.

You see, the Galaxy S9's pixels also double as phase detection agents, all of them - that's what dual-pixel autofocus stands for. It makes for a wickedly fast auto focus, but it also wastes some of the light gathering surface. So we shouldn't compare pixel sizes directly on these two.

The iPhone relies on phase detection auto focus too, but only a small portion of the total pixels are dedicated to the task.

This year's Galaxy's chief claim to fame is the ability to switch aperture between f/1.5 and f/2.4 on its main camera. The brighter setting lets in more light (to an already larger sensor) for improved images in dim environments, while the f/2.4 setting allows for sharper photos and larger depth of field in brighter conditions. Meanwhile, the iPhone X is using f/1.8 on its main camera.

The main camera at the top: f/1.5 on the left, f/2.4 on the right

The Galaxy's field of view is wider - 2mm may not sound like much, but it's a noticeable difference when you're talking about wide angle lenses, and the Galaxy's 26mm equivalent lets more in the frame than the iPhone's 28mm.

Not so with the telephoto cams - these are, in fact, mostly the same when it comes to the numbers. On either phone, you'd be getting a 1/3.6" sensor with 1.0µm pixels, and a stabilized lens with an f/2.4 aperture and a 52mm equivalent focal length. That last bit means that on the iPhone you'd be a few mm short of a 2x zoom as 52<2*28.

As for selfies, the Galaxy S9+ has a distinct edge. It's packing an 8MP cam with 1.22µm pixels, and a lens that's both wide (25mm) and bright (f/1.7), and has autofocus.

The iPhone X's front-facing cam has a 7MP resolution, smaller 1.0µm pixels, and a dimmer lens (f/2.2) with a much narrower field of view (32mm equiv. focal length); no autofocus either. The iPhone's selfie cam can gather depth information from the FaceID depth mapping tech, enabling a faux-bokeh portrait mode - something the S9+ can do too despite being FaceID-less.

Camera apps

Both camera apps have been refined over generations of smartphones, but while Apple's has been mostly unchanged, Samsung's has seen some more serious alterations. From S8 to S9 (and the respective Pluses by extension), Samsung's camera has gotten as close to Apple's as ever.

On both camera apps, you change modes by swiping left and right, and you get the option to customize the order and the modes that will be available at all. Which you need to do to get to the non-Super slow-mo, which isn't listed by default. There's no such customization on the iPhone X, but when was there any?

iPhone X camera app

The Galaxy takes the swipe gesture a level up and lets you toggle between front and rear cameras with a swipe up or down - either will work. Alternatively, you can tap on a button, and it's now more easily accessible with one hand as it's not up top as on the S8. On the iPhone, only the second method is available, but the button is within immediate reach too.

One UI element that's not quite right on either phone is the '1x-2x' toggle. On the iPhone, the button displays '1x' when you're using the wide cam, '2x' when in telephoto, so it's more of a status indicator. Samsung's has the exact opposite logic - it shows the setting you'll get to when you tap it, so it shows '2x' when you're in wide-angle view, and '1x' when in telephoto. These two have the exact same appearance, yet behave in opposite ways - in our book that means bad UI design, and we are still on the fence on which of the two is guilty of it buy we're leaning towards Samsung.

Galaxy S9+ camera app

Another instance of bad UI is Apple's stubborn refusal to put the camera settings in the camera app instead of the global settings menu. Maybe, just maybe, you want to switch between 4K and 1080p video recording more than once in a lifetime, right?

One thing that you may indeed limit to once in a lifetime is the use of Animoji on the iPhone X or AR emoji on the Galaxy S9+. Same, yet different, the two features let you send customized animated responses to your friends. You can only hope they remain your friends afterwards.

The iPhone X can save photos in either classic JPEGs or the newer and more storage-efficient HEIF format. Videos can be encoded using the old-school H.264 or the newer and more storage-efficient (sensing a pattern?) HEVC codec, or H.265. Compatibility has grown since the launch of the iPhones last Fall and going the HEVC/HEIF route is now less cumbersome though still not ideal. We would have appreciated a way to switch the codecs toggle for video and photo independently of each other.

With the Galaxy S9+, Samsung's joining the HEVC crowd and also lets you choose between wider compatibility and smaller files when it comes to video. Not so for stills, where it's just JPEGs.

JPEGs are what we'll be looking at on the next few pages. We'll start with some comparison shots in bright daylight. The red button below is what takes you there.

Daylight

Both phones take great photos in daylight, but we have to admit the iPhone X's are a little harder to love. Apple's more toned down approach to colors often leaves images a little lifeless. This is evident in all shots but the model cars, in particular, look especially bland. Meanwhile, the skies have a particular iPhone shade of blue - a grayish one.

Camera samples, iPhone X, normal camera

On the contrary, Samsung's color science, while not to everyone's liking, still delivers more punch and much more consumer-friendly photos straight out of the phone. And it's not really going to extremes - we've seen saturation dialed higher in other high-end models.

Camera samples, Galaxy S9+, normal camera

We're not huge fans of the iPhone's foliage either. Oftentimes bushes end up looking... past their prime. Grass and leaves appear more vivid, and more natural, coming out of the S9+.

Detail levels are comparable between the two, just as the resolution numbers would have you expect. What is markedly different is how the two go about canceling noise. The Galaxy's noise suppression algorithms are superior and manage to produce super clean looking shots, with no detrimental effect on fine detail. Mind you that could lead to a somewhat plasticky look in some solid-color surfaces.

Clouds against a blue sky also appear painted with much too coarse a brush in the iPhone's photos. The Galaxy does a much better job.

We've noticed an iPhone-specific processing trait in the past that we observe on the X too - it has to do with amping up the contrast in regions of high-frequency detail like the bush in front of the snail above, giving it some extra definition compared to the Galaxy. It's perhaps a little too much, and the S9+'s shot looks more lifelike if a little extra warm.

Camera samples, iPhone X, normal camera

The iPhone isn't as adept at noise reduction, plus it's probably got more noise to fight in the first place - you know, smaller sensor and smaller pixels.

Camera samples, Galaxy S9+, normal camera

Looking at 1:1 magnification, you can see noise contouring the borders between contrasting colors (look the windows in the last third shot above). The S9+'s windows are squeaky clean, and we don't mean the cleaner has done their job well - the difference in the noise reduction artifacts between the two is quite stark.

The Galaxy S9+ is the first S-series phone to come with a telephoto camera. Taken directly from the Note8, the tele shooter is no stranger to us, and we've previously established its advantage over the iPhone's.

Camera samples, iPhone X, telephoto camera

Simply put, you can expect sharper shots from the Galaxy's telephoto camera. The color tuning and noise properties don't really change once you're in the 2x mode, so the S9+ is, again, overall superior.

Camera samples, Galaxy S9+, telephoto camera

And here's a tight crop we picked for you.

Those were pretty much ideal conditions for taking pictures, but what happens when the light levels drop? Join us on the next page for some low-light camera samples.

Low light

The untimely late-March snowfall has forced us indoors, where storefronts provide some light, but not really an abundance of it. In these conditions, the Galaxy tends to pick faster shutter speeds than the iPhone and compensates with a higher ISO (plus it's got the upper hand with its f/1.5 aperture). And then, even at some 1.7 stops higher ISO, the S9+'s shots are cleaner with crisper detail. Impressive stuff. And colors - well, let's just say we're sold on the Galaxy's cherry tomatoes.

Lowlight camera samples, iPhone X

src="https://cdn.gsmarena.com/imgroot/reviews/18/iphone-x-vs-galaxy-s9-plus/camera2/-216/gsmarena_230.jpg">
Lowlight camera samples, Galaxy S9+

At night, the Galaxy S9+ remains ahead in this race. It holds on to its colors, while the iPhone's already muted output loses even more saturation. The S9+'s photos are sharper with better definition and less noise - again, despite consistently higher ISOs. The Samsung phone also picks faster shutter speeds in the process reducing the risk of handshake and subject motion blur.

Lowlight camera samples, iPhone X

Lowlight camera samples, Galaxy S9+

When it comes to using the telephoto cameras at night, you should keep in mind that under a certain light threshold both phones will, in fact, engage the main cam, crop the center portion to match the tele's FOV, and upscale back to 12MP - the 2x zoom is effectively digital. As you can imagine, per-pixel detail will inevitably suffer.

There is no way of forcing either phone to use its real tele camera in this situation.

Lowlight camera samples, 'telephoto', iPhone X

Lowlight camera samples, 'telephoto', Galaxy S9+

Portraits

While night shots may not be the smartphone telephoto cam's forte, at least at the current state of affairs, one comes in mighty handy for portraits with artificially blurred backgrounds. Both the iPhone X and the Galaxy S9+ can do it, though Apple calls it plainly 'Portrait' while Samsung goes for a fancier 'Live focus'.

Both do a reasonably good job of mimicking a wide-aperture portrait lens, though the algorithms on neither are foolproof. The iPhone generally draws an oval just inside the contour of the subject's face and keeps its contents sharp while blurring the rest - that's a rough approximation, obviously. That way you don't end up with a weird outline at the border between hair and background like it tends to happen on the Galaxy with messier hairstyles (if the author's mess of a hair even counts as hairstyle). On the other hand, it also means that hair which should otherwise be in the plain of focus ends up blurry in the iPhone's portraits. Naturally, less complex hairlines will work much better.

The iPhone does tend to render faces in a distinctly warmer, more reddish fashion - we're willing to concede a lot of folks will prefer it that way. The Galaxy S9+, meanwhile, is staying truer to life, a slight pinkish cast replacing the stronger yellow one you'd get from a Note8.

Portrait samples, iPhone X

Portrait samples, Galaxy S9+

The Galaxy S9+ handles complex, non-human shapes more proficiently than the iPhone X as our aloe plant torture test can prove. Both phones will, however, isolate objects from backgrounds quite well, as long as you don't deliberately try to fool them.

Non-human portrait samples, iPhone X

Non-human portrait samples, Galaxy S9+

Selfies

The iPhone X exhibits a pronounced tendency to crank up contrast in selfies, which makes for some weird looking near-black irises and overly dark facial hair and wrinkles (when you have either). The Galaxy's colors are truer and have a softer skin representation which we like better.

The iPhone's 32mm equivalent focal length is rather limiting - you can't fit all that much in the frame at arm's length, and group selfies are best done with a selfie stick. The S9+'s much wider 25mm equivalent lens is a lot better suited to stickless groufies or whatever kids like to call them these days.

Selfie camera samples, iPhone X

What the Galaxy fails at, and we've seen that a lot since this 8MP shooter debuted on the S8, is not quite so sharp focus. You'd expect an autofocusing front-facing cam to deliver tack-sharp mug shots regardless of subject distance (it's not a huge range, really), but it's probably more miss than hit this one. Oh, well - take multiple shots and hope for the best.

Selfie camera samples, Galaxy S9+

What sets the iPhone X apart from its 8-series iPhone siblings is the portrait mode on the selfie cam. It uses the depth mapping camera from FaceID to determine what's subject and what's background. The S9+ has no such thing, but it can do portraits equally well, though the mode here is called 'Selfie focus' instead of 'Live focus' - just Samsung things.

Portrait selfie samples, iPhone X

Portrait selfie samples, Galaxy S9+

Video quality

Daylight videos from both phones come out well exposed and with high contrast. The iPhone's dynamic range in videos is wider, leaving more color info in the shadows, which the Galaxy clips to black earlier.

A particularly noticeable trait in the iPhone's videos is the actual presence of color - unlike the stills, the X's videos exhibit a very pleasing balance between vividness and reality. That's not saying the Galaxy's colors are bad, it's just that the we're happy to see the iPhone come to life in video.

As a general rule the iPhone's footage looks a lot more natural and unprocessed, whereas the Galaxy's videos have a relatively more sharpened look.

The difference between the two phones' 4K output quality from the main cameras is rather noticeable and the clear winner is the iPhone X, in both 30 and 60fps. Wider dynamic range, superior definition of detail without excessive sharpening, better color preservation in the shadows - there's a lot to like about the iPhone 2160p capture. The Galaxy is not far behind, but it's not quite there either.

The line is blurrier with the telephoto cameras where S9+ is mostly on par with the iPhone in all but 4K/60fps. The iPhone wins hands down in this top mode, where the Galaxy's footage is uncharacteristically mushy.

You'll notice that the above videos weren't taken at the same time and we've used the samples from the respective reviews. We've had less than ideal weather for the past week, and the little sun we've seen was coupled with strong winds. We did shoot side-by-side at the same time, but those samples aren't strictly worthy of publication. Instead, we grabbed a frame of each for you to compare if pixel-peeping is your thing.

Main camera 4K video screengrabs: 60fps, iPhone X • 60fps, Galaxy S9+ • 30fps, iPhone X • 30fps, Galaxy S9+

Main camera 1080p video screengrabs: 60fps, iPhone X • 60fps, Galaxy S9+ • 30fps, iPhone X • 30fps, Galaxy S9+

Telephoto camera 4K video screengrabs: 60fps, iPhone X • 60fps, Galaxy S9+ • 30fps, iPhone X • 30fps, Galaxy S9+

Telephoto camera 1080p video screengrabs: 60fps, iPhone X • 60fps, Galaxy S9+ • 30fps, iPhone X • 30fps, Galaxy S9+

Stabilization

Both phones can stabilize video all the way up to 2160p/30fps in both H.265 and H.264 codecs. The Galaxy S9+ will not digitally stabilize 2160p/60fps footage at all, while the iPhone will.

We did a walk in the park with the phones side by side, and we can confirm that both will do a fine job of ironing out global shaking produced by walking (more like marching, this guy). That said, the iPhone exhibits a weird pulsation of sorts that we don't see on the Galaxy - so it's got to be the algorithm and not the walk that's doing it.

And here's the same routine only in 1080p.

Super slow-mo

Samsung's marketing machine is keen on making us believe 960fps super slow-mo videos are a killer feature, and we have to agree that they do make for some spectacular clips. The iPhone X has no answer to that - sure, it can do 1080p/240fps, but so can the Galaxy S9+.

That being said, in 960fps super slow-mo mode the S9+ is locked in 720p resolution and the slow-mo recording can only take place for a fleeting 0.2s (turned into a 6-second clip when played at 30fps). The auto detection of motion does help immensely to capture the right moment.

Final words

Let's just say we've been living happily ever after in our post-Pixel days - one of us with an iPhone X, the other with a Galaxy S9+. Despite seemingly identical specs, the two replacements couldn't be more different, and you know what - so are we (and, well, other people?).

One will prefer the more muted colors of the iPhone's images, but that's the same person who likes to post-process every photo they take on their smartphone. A lot of work, some say. If you can't be bothered with sliders, the Galaxy's out-of-camera stills will likely be more to your liking. Plus we have to point out that Samsung's tuned the S9s' processing in a more balanced and, let's face it, less Samsungy way.

That said, Samsung's noise reduction algorithms that impressed us on the S8 have been further refined, and the Galaxy S9+'s photos are objectively cleaner - at the base and higher ISO alike. And the combination of processing and hardware advantages (larger sensor, brighter lens) means the Galaxy is clearly the one to have in low-light scenarios.

If you're getting the plus-size S9 or the iPhone X, you probably care about the telephoto camera's performance and its use for faux-bokeh portraits. For 2x zooming, the Galaxy has a certain edge in sharpness, but for portraits, it's really a toss-up between the two.

Oddly, the iPhone X likes its videos more colorful than its stills - just the right amount of vibrancy for our tastes. Coupled with an overall air of more laid back processing we'd say we're liking its footage more. The Galaxy's stabilization, on the other hand, proved superior in our testing.

Every now and then (about twice a year?) we decide to make a camera comparison between the latest Galaxy and the latest iPhone, and it's getting progressively tougher every single time. On the last occasion, we picked the iPhone 8 Plus for video and the Galaxy Note8 for stills, and it's no different today between the iPhone X and the Galaxy S9+. We still like the Galaxy's photos for their noise-free clarity and colors, and we still prefer the iPhone's rendition of the world in videos. But, seriously, and we're saying this fully aware that it's the two highest-end phones from two leading manufacturers - either one will keep you smiling when you fire up the camera.

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