iPhone 17 Pro vs Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra: DxOMark reveals the real camera champion

Apple and Samsung are hardcore competitors in terms of bringing advanced features and enhancements to their flagship smartphones. Both the tech giants launch their premium devices, with Apple focusing on iPhones and Samsung with their S series. Their flagship devices often lead in performance and camera quality. This year, the iPhone 17 series and Galaxy S26 series are the latest smartphones from both brands. Recently, a camera comparison between iPhone 17 Pro and Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra revealed who wins the ultimate battle.

DxOMark Conducts Camera Comparison

DxOMark recently conducted a camera comparison between iPhone 17 Pro and Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra. The results showcases thet iPhone 17 Pro achieved a higher score as compared to the Galaxy S26 ultra in overall camera comparison.

DxOMark is a technology benchmarking company that tests and reviews cameras, smartphones, audio devices, and displays, using several technical parameters. After evaluating both smartphones, the iPhone 17 Pro won the camera battle and received a higher overall score.

The result revealed that iPhone 17 Pro performed well in multiple camera areas, and hence delivering stable exposure and accurate colors. Not only this, the device also exhibited strong video recording results. All these testings and factors helped the device to achieve higher ratings in DxOMark rankings.

What are the Camera Strengths of iPhone 17 Pro

The areas where iPhone 17 Pro performed better than Galaxy S26 Ultra is the color accuracy and exposure consistency. As per test results, the device produced more natural colors in photos. Furthermore, it also maintained balanced lighting across different shots.

Another strong point was video recording, providing stable output with good dynamic range. Apart from this, the subject tracking also worked effectively, and hence, maintained focus on moving objects. It helped in maintaining focus on moving objects, contributing to the higher camera score.

Besides, the iPhone 17 Pro was also praised for delivering consistencies during taking multiple photos in similar conditions. This created a predictable shooting experience for users.

Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra camera performance

Talking about the Sasmsung Galaxy S26 Ultra it also showcased strong camera capabilities, however, the test results revealed that the camera performance was not always consistent. The device packs a a 200-megapixel main camera sensor include a 50-megapixel periscope lens and a 10-megapixel telephoto lens. It performed well in zoon photography. Its high-resolution and telephoto setup captured distant objects with good detail. In several cases, the phone started applying sharpening and contrast in images, reducing natural texture in photos.

DxOMark camera scores and rankings

After conducting detailed comparison, the DxOMark revealed that Galaxy S26 ultra scored 157 points, which is an evident improvement compared to the Galaxy S25 Ultra, which received 151 points.

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Nevertheless, despite these improvements, the device ranked lower than iPhone 17 Pro. Apple’s iPhone 17 Pro received a score of 168 points, which is higher than Samsung’s smartphone. The Galaxy S26 Ultra also ranked behind other flagship devices such as the iPhone 16 Pro Max and the Google Pixel 10 Pro XL in the DxOMark leaderboard.