Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra vs. Google Pixel 4: A camera comparison

The Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra isn't for everyone. A fantastically expensive device, it's easier for us to recommend the S20 and S20 Plus phones. But for those willing to splash $1,399, the S20 Ultra has one hell of a camera setup, at least on paper. A 108-megapixel main shooter, a 48-megapixel telephoto lens, a 12-megapixel ultrawide angle camera and a time-of-flight sensor for depth perception.

Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra vs. Google Pixel 4: A camera comparison Picture 1

Yep, that's a whole lot of megapixels. 

But as extravagant as this quad-camera family is, Google has continuously proven that more cameras and megapixels don't automatically mean better photos. The Pixel 4 was the tech giant's first phone to rock dual cameras -- a 12.2-megapixel and 16-megapixel telephoto combo -- yet Pixel devices have been photography standouts each year. 

There's no question: Samsung's S20 Ultra has a more feature rich camera. It's got an 108-megapixel mode and at this point the Pixel's lack of an ultrawide-angle camera is scandalous. But what about standard photography, zoom, low-light shots and portraits?

The Pixel 4, which starts at $799, does an admirable job at keeping up with a newer phone that's nearly twice the price. And despite its considerable price, the S20 Ultra suffers from autofocus issues that Samsung is trying to patch with software updates. (I haven't got that update, but CNET's Lexy Savvides did -- and notes that it may have only exacerbated the autofocus issues). 

But despite all that, the S20 Ultra wins this race. While the Pixel is more consistent, ultimately it's the S20 Ultra that takes better photos. 

Portraits

Let's start with bokeh-style portrait shots. Which phone will shoot you a better Facebook profile picture? Broadly speaking, this is a tie. Which you prefer will come down to personal preference. The S20 Ultra implements light beautification, even with the "skin smoothness" function turned off. As a result, "live focus" portraits it takes end up looking lightly brushed. The Pixel 4's retain more detail, but can sometimes look harsh in comparison.

Take this shot of Ian, one of CNET's video wizards. As you'll see, both phones performed superbly. The differences take a closer look to spot, but they're there. The S20 Ultra's softening affect makes Ian's stubble look less prickly and his skin smoother. But there's also a loss of detail, as you can see clearly in his hair to the left of his fringe. 

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You can see a similar effect in these photos of my housemate. Esther herself preferred the shot taken on the S20 Ultra and the Pixel almost looks unusually detailed in comparison -- like it's been put through Instagram with the "structure" slider cranked up. You'll see that the line between foreground and background is a little jarring in the Pixel shot by her hair, too. But the Pixel also has a more accurate white balance, with the S20 Ultra photo having an artificially cool hue. 

Still, I'd give the portrait advantage to the Pixel. Though you may prefer the portraits taken by the S20 Ultra above, the phone struggles more in non-ideal lighting conditions. True, the Pixel portrait of Hugh here does compensate for lower light with some extra contrast and shadows. But it does a better job than the S20 Ultra's live focus shot, which looks flatter and more washed out. 

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This difference is compounded in low-light conditions. In these shots of Rachael, the S20 Ultra's portrait has much more visible noise and grain than does the Pixel 4's.

This trend extends to the front camera. In the first photo below with decent light, where I was standing in my kitchen facing a window, the two selfies look fairly similar. The Pixel's shot is sharper, but the colors in the S20 Ultra are better. But take a look at the selfie below that and you'll see the S20 Ultra's is way overexposed. This was a reliable problem when taking selfies in imperfect light conditions. 

Bread and butter

In previous camera comparisons I've taken Huawei flagships -- the P30 Pro and Mate 30 Pro -- and compared them to the iPhone 11 Pro. The constant theme there was that Huawei phones shot more striking, but at the expense of detail. The Samsung S20 Ultra has a remarkable ability to avoid this trap: Its photos are typically more rich and lively than the Pixel's, but rarely to the detriment of detail.

You'll see above that the photo quality is similar, but that upon examination, images captured by the S20 Ultra reliably pop more. Pixel 4 photos can look comparably undersaturated. But there are still some occasions where Google's phone gets an edge.

Due to autofocus issues with the S20 Ultra -- which Samsung is on track to patch -- the Pixel tends to shoot more consistent photos. I often needed wrangle the S20 Ultra to get the focus just right, but the Pixel's consistency also bleeds into features such as white balance. You'll see in the below shot of jars that the S20 Ultra has an off-putting warmth to it. Below that, you'll see a close-up of a flower where the Pixel 4, while less dynamic, has shot more detail. 

It's another close one, but the S20 Ultra is slightly ahead of the Pixel for standard photography. 

Night King

The area where the two phones are closest is when night falls. Both phones feature excellent low-light photography, bolstered by the S20 Ultra's Night mode and the Pixel's Night Sight setting. 

Each phone scores some advantages. It's something of a reverse from standard photography, as here it's the Pixel that takes more arresting shots, but the S20 Ultra that often retains more detail. Overall it's too close to definitively call either device stronger than the other here.