S24 Ultra after Feb 2024 update: I am considering returning it

[Slavvd]

Just got the February 2024 update on my S24 Ultra.

This update promised a lot of improvements in the cameras department. 

I have to admit updating it improved the camera quality a little (emphasis on little). 

However, I also happen to own an iPhone 15 (cheapest one), currently used as a work device. 

After comparing the two phone's cameras I can honestly say: There is no competition, iPhone wins hands down. 

I took the same pictures with the phones side by side and using default camera camera apps settings. Then compared them on the same device (iPhone) to avoid display bias. I can summarise it as:

- Colors are better after the update but still not quite to the iPhone level

- IPhone takes 24MP shots by default, resulting in much more detail than the default 12MP Galaxy shots

- Switching to the Expert Raw mode on galaxy and taking 24MP shots (otherwise default settings) results in severely oversharpened and overall way worse photos than the standard 12MP ones.

- Switching the iPhone to take 12MP shots makes makes them about even in the details department but not colors. 

- The IPhone is much better in preserving details when a photo has both very lit and very dim areas. (think a light bulb in a dim room that **bleep** one side of your face and casts a shadow on the other) 

I just can't stand the fact that a £650 device can just blow a £1300 device to pieces when it comes to camera. 

For this reason I am seriously considering returning my S24U and using the iPhone full time. What's the point of spending £1300 extra and having to live with 2 phones when I can't even take a decent picture with the S24U?

I love android but this phone is a disappointment. 

[BandOfBrothers]

I appreciate and understand your viewpoint @Slavvd 

It's obviously upto you how you proceed. 

[SamDamy24]

This is a subjective matter. 😅

[wurkata]

Here, have some objective comparisons https://eu.community.samsung.com/t5/galaxy-s24-series/s24-ultra-vs-s20-camera-comparison-horrible-bl...

[MrJCharming]

Just remember your comparing a phone which has recieved 1 update against a phone which has probably had 5.

[SamDamy24]

Personally my S24U fine perhaps evem better with the update.

[Slavvd]

I never said its not "fine". I'm saying it's not as fine as a phone that costs half the price but has an apple on the back.

[SamDamy24]

Thats why i said its subjective because i feel its better than the 15 pro and on par with 15pm models.

[Slavvd]

I am normally an android fan so if I had bias it would have been towards the Samsung.

But let's assume you are right and I'm biased or "it's subjective".

Consider the following scenario:
2 pictures taken with the phones side by side in front of a mirror and next to a window during the day. Both pictures taken after resetting the camera app settings and on 1x zoom.

The IPhone picture was exported via Google Drive and downloaded to the S24U. There I created a collage of the two pictures, cropped them to show the face only and covered the eyes so you cannot tell which phone the eyes are looking at.

Now here is a question:
One picture was taken with a £650 phone released in 2023, the other was taken with a £1300 phone released in 2024. Which is which?


Edit:
This was mentioned in another comment, so to clarify - both pictures are in focus. It was manually set by clicking over the face and taking a picture while the focus square is over the face.

[DrMips]

The picture on the left isn't in focus. I bought my girlfriend an iPhone 15 for Christmas. I'll compare my S24U later when she gets in.