How effective is the new ultra-wide camera on the Galaxy S25 Ultra? I conducted a test to discover.

      Samsung's strategy for the camera in its Ultra phones has centered around gradual evolution and the integration of incremental enhancements with every new model.

      The previous year's Galaxy S24 Ultra saw Samsung replace the secondary telephoto lens with a 50MP sensor featuring 5x optical zoom, leading to enhanced zoom quality compared to the Galaxy S23 Ultra’s 10x zoom, despite the shorter zoom range. The Galaxy S25 Ultra continues with the 200MP main camera that first appeared in the Galaxy S23 Ultra.

      This year, Samsung has decided to launch a brand new 50MP ultra-wide camera, aimed at significantly outperforming the previous 12MP ultra-wide. But does it truly deliver? How substantial is the upgrade, and how does it stack up against its primary competitors? During a recent trip to the Middle East, I conducted tests to explore these questions, and here are the results.

      Key camera specifications

      Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

      We’ll start with a brief overview of the Galaxy S25 Ultra camera specifications and how they line up against competitor devices:

      **Phone**

      *Ultra-wide camera specifications*

      - **Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra**: 50MP, f/1.9 aperture, 120°, 0.7µm, dual pixel PDAF

      - **Samsung Galaxy S25 Plus & Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra**: 12MP, f/2.2 aperture, 120°, 1/2.55”, 1.4µm, dual pixel PDAF

      - **Google Pixel 9 Pro**: 48MP, f/1.7 aperture, 123°, 1/2.55”, dual pixel PDAF

      - **Apple iPhone 16 Pro**: 48MP, f/2.2 aperture, 120°, 0.7µm, PDAF

      - **OnePlus 13**: 50MP, f/2.0 aperture, 120°, 1/2.75”, 0.64µm, dual pixel PDAF

      It's evident that the Galaxy S25 Ultra aligns Samsung's flagship camera with competitors that have also upgraded to better ultra-wide lenses. Apple introduced a new 48MP ultra-wide in the iPhone 16 Pro, while the Pixel 9 Pro enhances its predecessor with an improved 48MP ultra-wide camera. The OnePlus 13, in contrast, maintains consistency with all three lenses set at 50MP.

      Next, we'll analyze the ultra-wide performance across various landscapes in Dubai and its competition.

      **Galaxy S25 Ultra vs Galaxy S25 Plus, S25 and S24 Ultra**

      Nirave Gondhia / Digital Trends

      The primary question to address, which is also the simplest to compare, is whether Samsung needed to implement a new sensor and whether it's an upgrade over the previous versions. Testing with the Galaxy S25 Plus, which shares the same ultra-wide sensor, will reflect similar performance levels to the other two devices.

      In the initial test, the upgraded ultra-wide sensor on the Galaxy S25 Ultra doesn’t exhibit a marked improvement. The Galaxy S25 Ultra indeed captures superior images, but there's not a significant difference in detail. When zooming in, the details on the buildings in the foreground appear comparable between both sets of images.

      A similar pattern is observed in the first shot of this test, although it is even closer than the initial two. When zooming into the pier's details, neither device reveals much detail, yet the Galaxy S24 Ultra photo displays discernible details more clearly.

      In another photo, while both devices look quite alike, the sky appears more saturated in the Galaxy S25 Ultra images. This ultimately creates a more visually pleasing photo, suitable for social media sharing, even if it's not the most color-accurate.

      The primary motivation for Samsung to adopt a new ultra-wide sensor in the Galaxy S25 Ultra was to enhance low-light and macro photography. Regarding low-light performance, the difference is significant: the Galaxy S25 Ultra delivers a distinctly superior image right out of the box. Upon zooming in, the enhancement in detail capture is also apparent.

      Overall, the Galaxy S25 Ultra indeed has a better ultra-wide camera, but you'll notice these advantages primarily in low-light situations, as the pixel binning enables it to capture considerably more light. Moreover, the ultra-wide camera in the Galaxy S25 Ultra is likely to be the same one featured in the next year’s Galaxy S26 Ultra. But is it superior to its current rivals?

      **Galaxy S25 Ultra ultra-wide vs iPhone 16 Pro**

      Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

      Let’s begin with the iPhone 16 Pro. Apple's history suggests that this new 48MP ultra-wide camera will likely continue into the iPhone 17 Pro and beyond, providing an early glimpse into the potential of both the iPhone 17 Pro and Galaxy S26