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iPhone 17 Pro Outperforms Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra in DxOMark’s Camera Evaluation

iPhone 17 Pro Outperforms Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra in DxOMark’s Camera Evaluation

The Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra was found to be applying more aggressive sharpening and contrast, reducing natural texture in certain scenes.

Written by Shaurya Tomer, Edited by Ketan Pratap | Updated: 11 March 2026 09:00 IST

iPhone 17 Pro Outperforms Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra in DxOMark’s Camera Evaluation

Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra features a quad camera system at the back

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Highlights

The Galaxy S26 Ultra scored 157 in camera tests
The iPhone 17 Pro excelled in colour accuracy and exposure
Samsung’s flagship phone impressed with its zoom capabilities

Apple and Samsung usually compete for the mantle of the best smartphone on the planet, courtesy of their respective iPhone Pro and Galaxy S lineups each year. The same story continues this year, with the recently launched Galaxy S26 Ultra competing against the iPhone 17 Pro models. However, when pitted against each other, the iPhone 17 Pro outperformed the Galaxy S26 Ultra in DxOMark's comprehensive camera evaluation, despite Samsung's inclusion of the 200-megapixel sensor.

iPhone 17 Pro Beats Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra

DxOMark's assessment positioned the iPhone 17 Pro over the Galaxy S26 Ultra for camera performance among ultra-premium smartphones. The testing platform evaluated both handsets across several factors, including image capture, video recording, zoom, exposure, colour, and autofocus.

According to the benchmarking website, the iPhone 17 Pro excelled in colour accuracy, consistent exposure, and video quality. Apple's 2025 flagship model also performed well in dynamic range and subject tracking, earning a higher DxOMark score.

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The Galaxy S26 Ultra, on the other hand, received praise for its zooming features and high-resolution camera, thanks to its telephoto lenses: a 50-megapixel periscope lens and a 10-megapixel telephoto lens. However, DxOMark observed that the phone sometimes failed to deliver consistent performance, which affected the final rating.

DxOMark's comparison also pointed out several differences in the imaging behaviour of the two flagship handsets. The iPhone 17 Pro was found to produce more natural colour rendering and more consistent exposure across consecutive shots, resulting in a more predictable shooting experience.

In contrast, the Galaxy S26 Ultra sometimes applied more aggressive sharpening and contrast, reducing natural texture in certain scenes.

Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra secured a total of 157 points in camera ratings, a significant increase compared to its predecessor, Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra, which secured 151 points. Despite this increase, Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra is still not in a position to surpass its competitor, iPhone 17 Pro, which is placed higher in the ratings leaderboard with 168 points. What is surprising is that the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra is even behind other popular models, such as the iPhone 16 Pro Max and Google Pixel 10 Pro XL, which secured 161 and 163 points, respectively.

iPhone 17 Pro

KEY SPECS
NEWS

Display 6.30-inch

Processor Apple A19 Pro

Front Camera 18-megapixel

Rear Camera 48-megapixel + 48-megapixel + 48-megapixel

RAM 12GB

Storage 256GB, 512GB, 1TB

OS iOS 26

Resolution 1206x2622 pixels

More Apple mobiles Apple mobiles price in India

Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra

KEY SPECS
NEWS

Display 6.90-inch

Front Camera 12-megapixel

Rear Camera 200-megapixel + 50-megapixel + 50-megapixel + 10-megapixel

RAM 12GB, 16GB

Storage 256GB, 512GB, 1024GB

Battery Capacity 5000mAh

OS Android 16

Resolution 1,440x3,120 pixels

More Samsung mobiles Samsung mobiles price in India

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Further reading: Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra, iPhone 17 Pro, DxOMark

Shaurya Tomer

Email Shaurya Tomer

Shaurya Tomer is a Sub Editor at Gadgets 360 with 2 years of experience across a diverse spectrum of topics. With a particular focus on smartphones, gadgets and the ever-evolving landscape of artificial intelligence (AI), he often likes to explore the industry's intricacies and innovations – whether dissecting the latest smartphone release or exploring the ethical implications of AI advancements. In his free time, he often embarks on impromptu road trips to unwind, recharge, and ...More