Xiaomi 15 Ultra and Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra: camera comparison
By ForGeeks It’s time to compare the two smartphones with the most powerful cameras. The Xiaomi 15 Ultra and the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra will vie for the title of the best device. And while both smartphones have gotten high marks in reviews and overall from users, you’ll need to decide which one you should buy if you really care about mobile photo quality.
Similarly, the Xiaomi 15 Ultra and the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra are the two smartphones with the best cameras.
Camera Specifications
The Xiaomi 15 Ultra and Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra both feature the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite processor. Samsung claims its chip has received special “For Galaxy” treatment, while Xiaomi has commissioned Leica camera experts to tweak the hardware and software to make the camera even better than the 14 Ultra’s.
The Xiaomi 15 Ultra’s camera is even better than the 14 Ultra’s.
The Samsung camera features a 200MP main module, which is joined by a 50MP wide-angle module, a 50MP module with 5x optical periscopic zoom and a 10MP module with 3x optical zoom. The Xiaomi 50 Ultra also features a 200MP base module, but the camera takes pictures with a 4.3x optical zoom. The other modules are a 50MP base module, a 50MP wide-angle module, and a 50MP module with 3x zoom.
The other modules are.
In this test, we directly compared the Galaxy S25 Ultra’s 5x optical zoom to the Xiaomi’s 4.3x optical zoom, as there is very little difference between the zoom levels. No additional processing was applied to the photos.
The photos were not processed.
Main Camera
It’s important to see the differences between the 15 Ultra and 25 Ultra’s main cameras, and the first photo of the tree in the field shows this well. The Xiaomi camera has a warmer tone overall (all photos are taken using the Leica Vibrant setting), but exposes the photos differently, resulting in slightly muted colors.
Which pictures you like better is a matter of taste. But Xiaomi wins here for us, as the warm tones of the photo are much more pleasing to the eye than the cooler ones. The 15 Ultra also has more depth of field in close-up photos compared to the S24 Ultra. But this, unfortunately, doesn’t always translate to precise focus, as shown in the daffodil photo. It’s when you get into specific situations and zoom out to see more detail that the Xiaomi 15 Ultra pulls ahead.
The Xiaomi 15 Ultra is the best.
The photo of the interior of the store shows that HDR is more effective on the 15 Ultra, and if you look closely at the products on the shelves, you’ll see more detail and less noise in the image. This is a problem with the Galaxy S25 Ultra’s camera that we noticed in our review: it introduces haze and blur in the details. You also can’t ignore the window flare in Samsung’s photo.
Winner: Xiaomi 15 Ultra
Style camera
The wide-angle camera category is harder to evaluate than the main camera, as both have their positives and negatives. The Xiaomi 15 Ultra’s shot of the church has a lot more detail than the S25 Ultra, which suffers from the same blurriness as the shots taken by the main camera. The stonework looks heavily processed and sharp compared to the Xiaomi 15 Ultra’s photo.
A lot more detail than the main camera.
This can also be seen in the wide-angle version of the photo in the “Main Camera” category. However, in this mode, the S25 Ultra does a better job with color reproduction and exposure, making the sky brighter. This is important when shooting landscapes. But the warmer, earthier tones in the 15 Ultra look more natural.
But if you use the Galaxy S25 Ultra’s wide-angle camera in more challenging lighting, such as indoors, it does a better job than the Xiaomi 15 Ultra. The interior of the church conveys this best, with the S25 Ultra’s camera containing much more detail, less blur, and better exposure. Its ability to shoot indoors and in low light saved it from failing. That said, the 15 Ultra can’t be said to photograph poorly in the same conditions.
Winner: tie
Zoom Cameras
In this category we’ll look at the different zoom ranges, starting with 3x photography. Cat hair — a great test of sharpness and the camera’s ability to convey detail, and these two shots are very close together. But, as in the previous two categories, the blurry photos of the Galaxy S25 Ultra let it down, while the sharper 3x photos of the Xiaomi 15 Ultra fared much better.
The Galaxy S25 Ultra’s blurry photos let it down, while the sharper 3x photos of the Xiaomi 15 Ultra fared much better.
The following photo was also taken at 3x, and it shows the Xiaomi’s greater depth of field and warmer, more natural tones. There’s more texture and detail in the brickwork, and it captures light better than the S25 Ultra. At 3x, the 15 Ultra’s camera is definitely better.
At 3x.
The 5x and 4.3x photos are interesting. There is too much detail in the rusty metal to be seen. The S25 Ultra takes good pictures – the colors are much more natural compared to the overexposed Xiaomi shot, and there’s more detail in general. The second shot is the same: less harsh processing, more attractive colors, and while the depth of field isn’t as strong, it’s still pleasing. The 5x mode is better than Xiaomi’s 4.3x mode.
If you go to 10x mode, the S25 Ultra’s stability issues return, and blurring and over-sharpening will be noticeable in many shots.
The Xiaomi 15 Ultra’s sharper photos win out when more detail is needed, though. It’s hard to judge the 10x telezoom category: each camera has both positives and negatives, so for now we have a tie.
The Xiaomi 15 Ultra is the best in the category.
Surprisingly, given how much Samsung has touted its 30x and 100x modes in the past, Xiaomi has outperformed the S25 Ultra.
Winner: Xiaomi 15 Ultra
Night Mode
The two cameras had a difficult task. The first photo of the cars was taken in almost total darkness. Considering how dark it was, the 15 Ultra did an excellent job, producing a less processed, sharper and more color-accurate image.
The 15 Ultra did a great job, producing a less processed, sharper and more color-accurate image.
Xiaomi also photographed the night sky better, with more pleasing and accurate colors, less streaking from light clouds, and less blurring. Considering this is a tripod-less shot with a full three-second exposure, the Xiaomi 15 Ultra’s photo is very good.
The Xiaomi 15 Ultra’s photo is very good.
The last photo shows that the S25 Ultra’s white balance is a bit better, but really the lighting color was somewhere in the middle between these two photos. But here the 15 Ultra still wins over the S25 Ultra because of the sky and background processing.
The S25 Ultra’s white balance is a bit better than the S25 Ultra’s.
Winner: Xiaomi 15 Ultra
Winner: Xiaomi 15 Ultra
Xiaomi 15 Ultra beat the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra in every category except for the wide-angle camera, where the Galaxy phone managed a tie. Unlike some of the comparisons we do, there are significant and obvious differences between the two cameras here. Photos are largely a matter of taste. But it’s the 15 Ultra that we’re giving the win.
And we’re giving the win to the 15 Ultra.
Xiaomi’s decisive win shows that Samsung still has work to do on the Galaxy S25 Ultra’s camera, as strange blurring and lack of sharpness let it down several times during the test. For now, the 15 Ultra is the best camera phone you can buy in 2025.
