The Galaxy S26 Extremely and the Pixel 10 Professional characterize one of the best cell cameras Samsung and Google have to supply. Samsung has the higher {hardware} on paper, with a quadruple-camera rear system that includes a standout 200MP major shooter. In the meantime, Google is understood for its computational pictures and software program tips. This yr, Samsung refreshed the primary and telephoto lenses on the Galaxy S26 Extremely. Google did not improve the bodily digital camera sensors on the Pixel 10 Professional, however added a brand new Tensor G5 processor with an all-new image-signal processing pipeline.
In order for you one of the best digital camera an Android cellphone has to supply, do you have to go along with the Galaxy S26 Extremely or the Pixel 10 Professional? I spent a few month snapping photographs with each flagship handsets to search out all of the variations, and the way they carry out in each scenario. The outcomes had been clearer than I might’ve anticipated — one digital camera definitively outperforms the opposite extra instances than not.
Within the photograph comparisons under, the left picture was captured with the Samsung Galaxy S26 Extremely and the precise picture was captured with the Google Pixel 10 Professional.
How the specs examine
First, let’s assessment the digital camera specs. The Samsung Galaxy S26 Extremely sports activities 4 digital camera lenses on the again: a important digital camera, an ultrawide lens, and two telephoto cameras. The first digital camera is a 200MP sensor with a sooner f/1.4 aperture in comparison with final yr’s mannequin. You additionally get a 50MP ultrawide lens with a 120-degree subject of view. The 50MP telephoto lens additionally has a brand new f/2.9 sensor utilizing Samsung’s new All Lenses on Prism (ALoP) design with 5x optical zoom. Rounding out the lenses is a 10MP, 3x optical zoom telephoto sensor.
Whereas all 4 Galaxy S26 Extremely lenses have the identical megapixel counts as their predecessors, the 200MP and 50MP telephoto lenses can soak up extra mild because of the broader apertures.
The Google Pixel 10 Professional and Pixel 10 Professional XL each have a triple-camera setup on the rear with a important digital camera, ultrawide digital camera, and telephoto digital camera. The primary digital camera is a 50MP, f/1.7 lens with a pixel measurement of 1.2 microns — for context, that is double the dimensions of the 0.6-micron pixels utilized by the Galaxy S26 Extremely. There’s additionally a 48MP, f/2.8 periscope telephoto digital camera with 5x optical zoom. Lastly, you get a 48MP, f/1.7 ultrawide digital camera with a 123-degree subject of view.
Each digital camera pattern captured with the Galaxy S26 Extremely and Pixel 10 Professional was taken utilizing the default settings. The Samsung flagship captures pictures at 12MP by default, whereas the Google one shoots at 12.5MP by default.
Each telephones shine in the course of the day
Daytime photographs are crisp, however solely Samsung nails the colours
Daytime photographs with pure lighting usually showcase smartphone digital camera techniques at their very best. The comparatively small picture sensors utilized by cellphone cameras produce higher pictures when the lighting circumstances are favorable. On this case, I took pictures with each the Galaxy S26 Extremely and Pixel 10 Professional important cameras throughout golden hour — the hour previous sundown. That is why, within the photos above and under, you will see multicolor skies that check a cell digital camera’s potential to precisely reproduce these colours.
Within the first pair of pictures above, neither digital camera does an ideal job at recreating true-to-life colours. The Galaxy S26 Extremely will get the colours of the lake, grass, and tree leaves proper, replicating the clear water sprays and inexperienced leaves precisely. The house buildings throughout the water had been a special story. They appeared too heat as captured by the Galaxy S26 Extremely, and solely the Pixel 10 Professional might recreate the off-white paint and clay-colored roof. The issue? The Pixel 10 Professional additionally made the lake and tree leaves too darkish, making a uninteresting and bleaker picture than what I used to be seeing in actual life.
The following set of pictures had been a transparent win for the Galaxy S26 Extremely. It completely coloured the scene, with the assorted shades of inexperienced throughout the grass and tree leaves well-represented. The Pixel 10 Professional did a nasty job right here, particularly with white stability and shade accuracy. Check out the trail and the white constructing within the background. The Galaxy S26 Extremely digital camera recreates the pure-white constructing and the soiled concrete path, whereas the Pixel 10 Professional provides a bluish hue to the whole lot. The complete scene is darker, from the grass and the tree to the lake and the sky.
It is a frequent theme among the many daytime photographs captured with the Galaxy S26 Extremely and the Pixel 10 Professional. The previous is brighter, with higher dynamic vary and extra correct colours. The latter is darker with uninteresting shade replica, and most of the time, fails to precisely recreate the scene.
There isn’t any higher instance of this than the above comparability of a brief palm tree captured in daylight. The Galaxy S26 Extremely nails the colour of the palm tree bark and the leaves, and the brightness and shade accuracy lengthen all through the photograph. The comparability to the Pixel 10 Professional photograph, captured at the very same time, is putting. The Google cellphone darkens the whole lot, ensuing within the palm tree, grass, and constructing failing to look true to life.
The Galaxy S26 Extremely’s zoom high quality is unmatched
The Pixel 10 Professional appears alright till you examine photographs in opposition to the Galaxy
Regardless of the Galaxy S26 Extremely and Pixel 10 Professional every providing digital camera lenses with 5x optical zoom, one was extra detailed than the opposite. Within the photograph above, check out the banners hanging from the Madison Sq. Backyard rafters. For those who zoom all the best way in on the banners, you will discover the years on each are nonetheless legible on the Galaxy S26 Extremely model of the photograph. You possibly can nonetheless make out the years on the Pixel 10 Professional photograph of the identical banners, however they’re blurry and harder to learn.
The blue New York Knicks banners to the left of the picture actually display the element hole between 5x photographs on the Galaxy S26 Extremely and the Pixel 10 Professional. The white lettering is tremendous crisp on the Samsung shot, however the Google model would not have the identical punch.
Telephoto photographs on the Pixel 10 Professional cross the attention check, however the element hole is obvious after they’re considered side-by-side in opposition to Galaxy S26 Extremely captures. Zooming in on the palm tree leaves or the person’s face within the Pixel 10 Professional shot above reveals a scarcity of sharpness in comparison with the identical shot captured with the Galaxy S26 Extremely.
The extraordinary occasion lighting at Madison Sq. Backyard is difficult for any digital camera, not to mention tiny smartphone cameras. The Pixel 10 Professional dealt with it properly within the pattern under, appropriately reproducing the hue of the wood basketball court docket. The Samsung Galaxy S26 Extremely made the court docket, and the photograph total, too heat.
Even on this instance, the Galaxy S26 Extremely’s telephoto digital camera produced a barely sharper shot. For those who take a look at the photographer’s yellow vest, you will see the Galaxy S26 Extremely photograph presents clearer textual content than the Pixel 10 Professional — however not by a lot.
The Pixel 10 Professional shines beneath the celebrities
Google’s flagship beats the Galaxy S26 Extremely in low-light efficiency
The script utterly flipped in low-light circumstances. The Google Pixel 10 Professional crushes the Galaxy S26 Extremely whereas capturing night time photographs, offering brighter photos with extra element and fewer noise. It is considerably ironic, as a result of the Pixel 10 Professional struggles with brightness, element, and shade in the course of the day, but it surely’s true.
Within the pictures above, you will see the Pixel avoiding mild streaks or flares coming from the streetlamp whereas brightly depicting the highway and bus cease. The Galaxy S26 Extremely would not carry out as properly, succumbing to mild flares and failing to paint the sidewalk or highway appropriately. It has the identical bluish, darkish hue that plagued the Pixel in daytime photographs. The whole function reversal demonstrates the Pixel’s energy in nighttime pictures.
The following pair of pictures function comparable outcomes. Whereas the Galaxy S26 Extremely shot is barely brighter this time round, it is a lot much less detailed. Search for the reflections of lights within the water — all of them mix collectively on the Galaxy photograph, whereas the Pixel snap presents larger separation. In all of the night time photographs I took with these two telephones, the Pixel 10 Professional virtually at all times got here out on prime.
The Galaxy S26 Extremely takes the crown
But it surely’s clear the Pixel 10 Professional has the benefit at night time
Credit score: Brady Snyder / MakeUseOf
Google can not seem to get shade science proper with Pixel cameras. Prior to now, I’ve criticized Pixel telephones for taking pictures with an excessive amount of vibrancy and over-saturation. With the Pixel 10 Professional, the cameras have the other downside. They seize photos which are ceaselessly uninteresting with colours that are not true to life. You do not must be a pictures skilled to identify the problem — when a white constructing has a blue tint or a lightweight inexperienced palm tree leaf appears virtually black, it is an issue.
I’ve to present credit score the place it is due, as a result of the Pixel 10 Professional is the clear winner in low-light and nighttime pictures. It is not even actually shut. The Pixel 10 Professional turns in brighter photos with extra particulars and will get tripped up by shiny mild sources a lot much less ceaselessly than the Galaxy S26 Extremely.
That mentioned, the Galaxy S26 Extremely digital camera system carried out extra constantly, and received shade accuracy proper more often than not. I care extra about daytime high quality and reliability than nighttime prowess, and I can not stand inaccurate colours. I need a photograph to precisely characterize a second, so I can return and really feel like I used to be there. The Galaxy S26 Extremely does that. The sharper zoom efficiency was actually an added perk, too.
SoC
Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5
Show
6.9-inch Dynamic Tremendous AMOLED 2X
RAM
12 or 16 GB
Storage
256GB, 512GB, or 1TB
Battery
5,000 mAh
The Samsung Galaxy S26 Extremely is not a large leap in specs in comparison with the earlier era Samsung Galaxy S25 Extremely, but it surely boasts enhancements in each facet. It features a standout digital camera system with improved major and telephoto lenses that includes wider apertures.
Model
Google
SoC
Tensor G5
Show
6.3″ Tremendous Actua show
RAM
16 GB
Storage
128 GB, 256 GB, 512 GB, 1 TB
Battery
4870 or
The Pixel 10 Professional is Google’s highest-end flagship smartphone. It options an improved rear digital camera system, the Tensor G5 chip, seven years of software program updates, and a 6.3-inch Tremendous Actua show. Nonetheless, its digital camera shade science leaves a bit to be desired.
