Hi Members,
Contrast and Exposure
S23 Ultra: I feel slightly flatter contrast.
S25 Ultra: This look better contrast but shadows start getting a bit strong.
S26 Ultra: I found S26 Ultra is best balance. The black tiles stay dark while the heart still keeps detail.
Noise and Processing
S23 Ultra: Slight smoothing from processing.
S25 Ultra: Some sharpening artifacts.
S26 Ultra: Cleaner detail with less artificial sharpening.
Overall:
I think S26 Ultra has the best detail and color balance.
S25 Ultra has good sharpness but I feel slightly overprocessed. And, S23 Ultra still good but a bit too bright to me. But it has a huge contrast look.
The improvement from S23 -> S25 is noticeable, but S25 -> S26 looks more subtle, mostly in detail processing rather than a dramatic jump.
In this shot, looks like S25 keeps the crispest micro detail.
Glass reflections (snow globe)
Look at the clear globe reflections.
S23 Ultra: Slight haze.
S25 Ultra: Clean reflections and better clarity.
S26 Ultra: Slightly brighter but a bit washed.
I think the S25 preserves contrast inside the globe better.
Color balance
Look at the red mug.
S23 Ultra: Slightly bright. Slightly pinkish as well.
S25 Ultra: Most natural red tone.
S26 Ultra: Slightly pinkish and warmer.
I can see that S26 seems to brighten colors a bit more.
Why S26 doesn’t win here?
The Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra camera actually has a wider f/1.4 aperture, letting significantly more light into the sensor than the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra f/1.7.
That usually improves low light and brightness, but in bright indoor scenes like this it can cause slightly softer depth more aggressive HDR lighter contrast
So the S26 image looks brighter but slightly less crisp.
Conclusion from your the tests
Heart close-up: S26 Ultra is winner
Mug scene: S25 Ultra is winner
I don't know if my comparisons are right or not, it is just my PoV. Maybe you guys have your different PoV. S26 Ultra is technically better. S25 Ultra also good. But not a huge different. S26 Ultra has advantage in low light environment. What you guys think? Do you guys like S23 Ultra bright colour? Or more natural look from S25 Ultra and S26 Ultra?
Today, I took some photos using S26 Ultra.
This is close up shot
This photo zoomed 30x
This photo is using 1x
I feel the photo looks brighter than my previous S25 Ultra. So, I took my S25 Ultra and S23 Ultra for comparison with S26 Ultra.
Looking at the three photos from the S23 Ultra, S25 Ultra, and S26 Ultra, I feel the S26 Ultra photo looks the best overall.
Sharpness and Detail
S23 Ultra: Looks slightly softer. The texture on the red heart looks a bit smoothed.
S25 Ultra: Sharper than S23 Ultra; you can see more texture and small fibers.
S26 Ultra: The tiny grain and texture on the heart are clearer and the wood stick edges look more defined. I think S26 Ultra is sharpest.
Color Accuracy
S23 Ultra: Red is brighter.
S25 Ultra: The red is vibrant.
S26 Ultra: The red is vibrant.
Sharpness and Detail
S23 Ultra: Looks slightly softer. The texture on the red heart looks a bit smoothed.
S25 Ultra: Sharper than S23 Ultra; you can see more texture and small fibers.
S26 Ultra: The tiny grain and texture on the heart are clearer and the wood stick edges look more defined. I think S26 Ultra is sharpest.
Color Accuracy
S23 Ultra: Red is brighter.
S25 Ultra: The red is vibrant.
S26 Ultra: The red is vibrant.
Contrast and Exposure
S23 Ultra: I feel slightly flatter contrast.
S25 Ultra: This look better contrast but shadows start getting a bit strong.
S26 Ultra: I found S26 Ultra is best balance. The black tiles stay dark while the heart still keeps detail.
Noise and Processing
S23 Ultra: Slight smoothing from processing.
S25 Ultra: Some sharpening artifacts.
S26 Ultra: Cleaner detail with less artificial sharpening.
Overall:
I think S26 Ultra has the best detail and color balance.
S25 Ultra has good sharpness but I feel slightly overprocessed. And, S23 Ultra still good but a bit too bright to me. But it has a huge contrast look.
The improvement from S23 -> S25 is noticeable, but S25 -> S26 looks more subtle, mostly in detail processing rather than a dramatic jump.
Let's see next comparison
Sharpness of small text
Look at the “Area Limited Edition” tag.
S23 Ultra: Slight blur on the letters.
S25 Ultra: Sharpest text edges.
S26 Ultra: Slightly softer than S25.
Look at the “Area Limited Edition” tag.
S23 Ultra: Slight blur on the letters.
S25 Ultra: Sharpest text edges.
S26 Ultra: Slightly softer than S25.
In this shot, looks like S25 keeps the crispest micro detail.
Glass reflections (snow globe)
Look at the clear globe reflections.
S23 Ultra: Slight haze.
S25 Ultra: Clean reflections and better clarity.
S26 Ultra: Slightly brighter but a bit washed.
I think the S25 preserves contrast inside the globe better.
Color balance
Look at the red mug.
S23 Ultra: Slightly bright. Slightly pinkish as well.
S25 Ultra: Most natural red tone.
S26 Ultra: Slightly pinkish and warmer.
I can see that S26 seems to brighten colors a bit more.
Why S26 doesn’t win here?
The Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra camera actually has a wider f/1.4 aperture, letting significantly more light into the sensor than the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra f/1.7.
That usually improves low light and brightness, but in bright indoor scenes like this it can cause slightly softer depth more aggressive HDR lighter contrast
So the S26 image looks brighter but slightly less crisp.
Conclusion from your the tests
Heart close-up: S26 Ultra is winner
Mug scene: S25 Ultra is winner
Bright colour: S23 Ultra is winner
I don't know if my comparisons are right or not, it is just my PoV. Maybe you guys have your different PoV. S26 Ultra is technically better. S25 Ultra also good. But not a huge different. S26 Ultra has advantage in low light environment. What you guys think? Do you guys like S23 Ultra bright colour? Or more natural look from S25 Ultra and S26 Ultra?
Haisley
Moderator
2026/03/10 11:38 AM
in
Hi Tallman,
Thank you for sharing such a detailed and thoughtful comparison between the Galaxy S23 Ultra, S25 Ultra, and the new S26 Ultra. Your observations provide valuable insight into how each device performs in real-world conditions, and it’s clear you’ve put effort into testing different aspects of the camera.
We understand that each generation brings improvements, but also subtle changes in processing and hardware design, such as the wider aperture on the S26 Ultra. Your feedback helps us better understand how these changes are experienced by users, and we will share your comments with the appropriate team.
Thank you again for contributing to the community with such a comprehensive comparison.
T3CHGY007
★
2026/03/10 02:04 PM
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Community Manager
2026/03/11 07:28 PM
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2026/03/24 01:15 AM
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