Reviews

S22+ vs. Pixel 6 vs. iPhone 11: Which phone takes better portrait photos?

Does "AI Stereo Depth Map" in the Galaxy S22+ really make portrait mode photos better than on iPhone 11 or Pixel 6? We did a three-way camera shootout to find out.

Raymond Wong / Input

Samsung hasn’t gone back to the drawing board entirely with the cameras on the Galaxy S22+ but it does claim changes to the sensors on the rear and selfie cameras and a new “AI Stereo Depth Map” feature have dramatically improved portrait photography.

Samsung

Galaxy S22+ camera specs to keep in mind:

  • Selfie: 10 megapixels (f/2.2)
  • Wide: 50 megapixels (f/1.8)
  • Ultra-wide: 12 megapixels (f/2.2)
  • 3x telephoto: 10 megapixels (f/2.4)
Samsung

To put the Galaxy S22+ to the test we captured portraits with several different subjects and lighting situations to see how the new cameras handled the details. Then we compared the same shots with ones taken with a Pixel 6 and iPhone 11.

Raymond Wong / Input

The contestants

Why the Pixel 6? Its camera is one of the best on Android. More importantly, why the iPhone 11 and not the iPhone 12 or iPhone 13? Most iPhone users are upgrading every 2+ years. It feels fair to see whether they should make the leap for a better camera (or not). We’ll have another portrait comparison between the S22 Ultra and the Pixel 6 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro — just flagships.

Samsung

Portrait selfie

First up, we have a portrait selfie mode comparison. These portrait selfies were taken in direct sunlight.

Ian Carlos Campbell / Input

Galaxy S22+

Ian Carlos Campbell / Input

Pixel 6

Ian Carlos Campbell / Input

iPhone 11

Ian Carlos Campbell / Input

The iPhone 11 absolutely trails both the Pixel 6 and Galaxy S22+ (as expected) but between the two newer flagships, the comparison is a bit closer. Let’s zoom in to peep the hair details, which Samsung claims is a major advantage with its AI Stereo Depth Map.

Samsung

Galaxy S22+

Pixel 6

iPhone 11

The Pixel 6 is darker and crunchier but seems to keep more of the detail from the face. But the Galaxy 22+ seems to handle hair better, even if it’s somewhat washed out.

The Galaxy S22+ is my winner.

Raymond Wong / Input

Pet portraits

Next up, let’s take a look at how the three phones handle pets like this cute dog.

Ian Carlos Campbell / Input

Galaxy S22+

Ian Carlos Campbell / Input

Pixel 6

Ian Carlos Campbell / Input

iPhone 11

Ian Carlos Campbell / Input

Again, the Galaxy S22+ seems to be the most capable at catching flyaway hairs. There’s just consistency with portraits shots. In comparison, the Pixel 6 and iPhone 11 are a bit more all over the place.

Samsung

Galaxy S22+

Pixel 6

iPhone 11

The difference between the Pixel 6 and the Galaxy S22+ is less pronounced when it came to dog portraits. But once again:

The Galaxy S22+ is my winner.

The iPhone really mashes up the edges.

Raymond Wong / Input

Shooting glass

Glass is one of those tricky materials that portrait modes in smartphones get fooled by all the time. Most phones blur some parts of the glass or all of it. Can the Galaxy S22+’s AI Stereo Depth Map make a difference?

Ian Carlos Campbell / Input

Galaxy S22+

Ian Carlos Campbell / Input

Pixel 6

Ian Carlos Campbell / Input

iPhone 11

Ian Carlos Campbell / Input

I can’t imagine too many scenarios where I’d be taking tricky photographs of glass, but both the Pixel 6 and Galaxy S22+ keep more of the edges and rim of the glass while having a more satisfying background blur.

Samsung

Galaxy S22+

Pixel 6

iPhone 11

Low-light portraits

Finally, we have some low-light portrait mode comparisons. Without direct light hitting our lovely model, let’s see how the Galaxy S22+, Pixel 6, and iPhone 11 handle the shots.

Ian Carlos Campbell / Input

Galaxy S22+

Pixel 6

iPhone 11

(The iPhone 11 wouldn’t even take the shot without a flash.)

The Pixel 6 gets the closest in terms of color and the iPhone 11 suffers under its aggressive flash.

The Galaxy S22+ is not as colorful, but it has the right amount of contrast and detail. I like Google’s choices, but Samsung’s phone produces a more useable photo.

Raymond Wong / Input

Samsung’s photo processing is an acquired taste, but in terms of portrait shots, the AI Stereo Depth Map feature Samsung is using definitely makes a difference in consistency and quality.

Samsung