The sphere caught the attention of many CES 2024 attendees, sparkling like a shiny marble in the Las Vegas night. When I visited the world’s largest spherical arena, I happened to have my iPhone 14 Plus and Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra in tow.
Wouldn’t it be a good idea to test the ability of two cameras to capture a sphere? That’s what I wanted to know, that’s what I did. I took photos of the structure’s exterior and interior using the wide-angle lenses of two cell phones.
Photo credit: Kimberly Gedeon/RapidTables
Given that the iPhone 14 Plus only comes with a 12-megapixel wide-angle lens, while the Galaxy S22 Ultra offers a 108-megapixel version, the latter seems to be the clear winner.
But not that fast.
The wide-angle lens on the iPhone 14 Plus has a better aperture (f/1.5 over f/1.8 because a smaller aperture number means better light gathering). Plus, the iPhone’s pixel size seems bigger and better.
So how does this all translate into actual photos?
Sphere (outside)
On its vast exterior, The Sphere features a large, eye-catching display that sometimes advertises brands. While I was at the Sphere, a Samsung Galaxy commercial was playing to prepare us for the upcoming Unpacked event.
Here’s what happens when I take Sphere photos using iPhone and Android:
left:
Beyond the Sphere (iPhone)
Photo credit: Kimberly Gedeon
correct:
Beyond the Sphere (Android)
Beyond the Sphere (iPhone)
Photo credit: Kimberly Gedeon/Mashable
I asked Jason England, Tom’s Guide’s computing editor-in-chief and mobile device expert, to analyze the photos. Long story short, England prefers the Galaxy S22 Ultra in this round.
“Apple’s approach when it comes to night photography is to try to balance all light sources to produce a flatter photo,” England said. “I prefer the Samsung one, though, because the shots of the sphere and surrounding lights have more depth and dimension.”
winner: Android
Sphere (inside)
Inside is Darren Aronofsky’s “Postcards from Earth,” an immersive multi-sensory experience splashing across the venue’s bowl-like interior. I took several photos showing different parts of the Postcard experience.
Earth
left:
Inside the sphere (iPhone)
Photo credit: Kimberly Gedeon/Mashable
correct:
Inside the Sphere (Android)
Photo credit: Kimberly Gedeon/Mashable
A beautiful image of Earth appears – and in this one, England prefers an iPhone.
“iPhone pictures have better color balance,” he said. “Samsung’s computational photography appears to take the dominant color of the scene (i.e. blue in this case) and use it to change the hue of the entire shot. This explains the cooler tones of the Earth actually eliminating the green color of the land.”
winner: iPhone
flowers
left:
Inside the sphere (iPhone)
Photo credit: Kimberly Gedeon/Mashable/Darren Aronofsky
correct:
Inside the Sphere (Android)
Photo credit: Kimberly Gedeon/Mashable/Darren Aronofsky
England once again let the iPhone win in this shot of the ball. “Samsung’s focus on increasing vividness means that more intricate details on flowers are lost,” he said. “On the other hand, the iPhone’s balanced palette keeps the floral textures crisp.”
winner: iPhone
church
left:
Inside the sphere (iPhone)
Photo credit: Kimberly Gedeon/Mashable/Darren Aronofsky
correct:
Inside the Sphere (Android)
Photo credit: Kimberly Gedeon/Mashable/Darren Aronofsky
But it’s not all bad news for Android, which England believes provides better photos of the virtual church.
“Snapper in the S22 Ultra does a great job of balancing the various light sources in the church and retaining detail, while the darker areas on the iPhone image remove complexity in the shadows.”
winner: Android
final thoughts
It looks like the two phones are evenly matched, with Android winning the outer wheel and Apple winning the inner wheel. Of course, this is just England’s perspective: look at the photos and decide for yourself.
As for my thoughts: I have two phones for a reason. Both the iPhone 14 Plus and the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra have pros and cons. If I want to capture something—a product photo, a must-see attraction—I pick up my iPhone. In my opinion, these photos are more realistic, capturing tiny yet rich details that cannot be noticed by the naked eye.
However, if I wanted to take selfies or other photos of people, I would choose the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra. The iPhone 14 Plus photo software tends to oversharpen faces, but the Galaxy S22 Ultra seems to smooth out imperfections and bring out the subject’s undertones.
Your pixel mileage may vary.
