Now that we have our hands on the Galaxy S25 Ultra, it’s time to start comparing its new cameras to the OnePlus 13. In a battle of the 2025 flagships (so far).
For the Galaxy S25 Ultra, Samsung only upgraded the ultrawide sensor, which is now a 50-megapixel sensor, versus a 12-megapixel sensor on the Galaxy S24 Ultra. The other cameras are a 200-megapixel primary, a 10-megapixel 3x telephoto, and a 50-megapixel 5x telephoto. While the OnePlus 13 is sporting three 50-megapixel sensors (primary, ultrawide and a 3x telephoto). Which was tuned in collaboration with Hasselblad.
Galaxy S25 Ultra is still a tad oversaturated
When it comes to taking photos outdoors or with loads of light, the Galaxy S25 Ultra does seem to be a tad oversaturated, compared to OnePlus. You can especially notice this in the comparisons below with the blue sky. The OnePlus 13 provides a more realistic looking blue sky, while Galaxy S25 Ultra makes it much bluer than it actually is.
However, once you zoom in, the Galaxy S25 Ultra does a much better job with details than the OnePlus 13, which actually surprised me, especially at 3x and 5x zoom levels. The third picture here is at 5x (and 6x on OnePlus 13).
OnePlus 13 and Galaxy S25 Ultra are effectively a tie at night
So how do they stack up? Well, they are very similar in a lot of circumstances. Where one really starts to pull away from the other is, in low-light or at night. During Samsung’s post-Unpacked party, I was able to take loads of photos with both phones, and around Downtown San Jose afterwards, getting quite a few great comparison shots between the two phones. And at night, I have to say, I prefer the Galaxy S25 Ultra in some shots, and OnePlus 13 in others. Take a look for yourself.
OnePlus 13 tends to make the photos a lot brighter than it actually is, making it look unrealistic. It’s a problem I’ve complained about with a lot of phones, so this is not exclusive to the OnePlus 13.
Galaxy S25 Ultra’s added details in macro is a huge upgrade
This year, Samsung upgraded the ultrawide sensor on the Galaxy S25 Ultra. Going from a 12-megapixel sensor to a 50-megapixel sensor, which technically has smaller megapixels. However, it does add about 4x more details in the shot. It’s noticeable in ultrawide shots, but even more noticeable in macro shots. While I do wish that Samsung would go back to doing telemacro, this is still a really nice upgrade for the Galaxy S25 Ultra.
In the shots below, I tried my best to get the exact same shot on each phone, but with macro it’s a lot tougher to take them side-by-side. You can really notice the added details on the flowers in the first two photos. And also on the lamp post in the fourth photo. While OnePlus does offer more natural bokeh in some shots, I prefer the Galaxy S25 Ultra overall, as it does offer more details and more bokeh.
So which camera is better? It’s really a tough call. In some instances, I prefer the Galaxy S25 Ultra and in others I prefer the OnePlus 13. And honestly, you really can’t go wrong with either phone. Both cameras are pretty impressive, of course, the OnePlus 13 is much cheaper than the Galaxy S25 Ultra, however.
