Huawei P60 Pro and Galaxy S23 Ultra
There is no question that the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra is one of the best smartphones that recently launched that excels in mobile photography. In fact, it was so good, I was convinced to buy one for myself. From dynamic range to its ability to take impressive telephoto shots, the Galaxy S23 Ultra definitely deserves respect and adoration.
Fast forward to today, the Huawei P60 Pro comes to the scene and it seems that it has every right to reclaim its position as the “king” in terms of mobile photography. However, does it truly have what it takes to outperform the Galaxy S23 Ultra?
In this article, we put the Huawei P60 Pro and Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra to the test, and show you the output. While this is not our definitive review of the devices’ cameras, we hope that this will help you define and hopefully appreciate the devices’ raw and computational photography features, similar to what we did in this article. As usual, we understand that beauty is relative, and we’ll leave the final verdict to you. What we can initially offer are portions of our observations and impressions that can hopefully shed some light on your decision on which one is better overall.
Note: while we review products, we are not trained imaging and photography professionals. We, however, can appreciate a smartphone and its camera technologies bring every shot closer to how it originally looked.
Camera Specs: Huawei P60 Pro and Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra
| Huawei P60 Pro | Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra | |
| Front Camera | 48 MP, f/1.4-f/4.0, 25mm (wide), PDAF, Laser AF, OIS | 200 MP, f/1.7, 24mm (wide), 1/1.3″, 0.6µm, multi-directional PDAF, Laser AF, OIS |
| 48 MP, f/2.1, 90mm (telephoto), PDAF, OIS, 3.5x optical zoom | 10 MP, f/4.9, 230mm (periscope telephoto), 1/3.52″, 1.12µm, Dual Pixel PDAF, OIS, 10x optical zoom | |
| 113 MP, f/2.2, 13mm (ultrawide) | 10 MP, f/2.4, 70mm (telephoto), 1/3.52″, 1.12µm, Dual Pixel PDAF, OIS, 3x optical zoom | |
| 12 MP, f/2.2, 13mm, 120˚ (ultrawide), 1/2.55″, 1.4µm, Dual Pixel PDAF, Super Steady video | ||
| Rear Camera | 13 MP, f/2.4, (ultrawide) | 12 MP, f/2.2, 26mm (wide), Dual Pixel PDAF |
Photo Shootout
White Balance
White balance is an important aspect to consider in how good a camera smartphone is. I want a photo that I can instantly post on social media without adjusting color temperature and tint. Check the photos below and see which has a better presentation of white balance.
Dynamic Range
Camera smartphones need to be able to identify, process, and present the brightest and dimmest part of the scene. Right exposure and not diluting the quality of the photo subject are keys to achieving good output in this category.
Tone and Presence
The camera phone’s sensor and proper AI enhancement are vital points in achieving good photos. It needs to be able to show acceptable levels of exposure, contrast, highlights, and shadows. It also needs to present desirable levels of black and white, and produce an output that requires little to zero post-processing.
Look at levels of texture, clarity, vibrance, and saturation. Computation photography on smartphones sometimes miss the correct mix of these settings that’s why – for instance – some photos appear too saturated or texture-less.
Our initial impression
Both are amazing smartphones for mobile photography. While it is early to tell, the Huawei P60 Pro definitely has everything it takes to outperform the Galaxy S23 Ultra in some aspects. Do note that the Galaxy S23 Ultra has a 200MP main sensor, and if you’re looking for photos with better details, tone, and dynamic range, you can expect a lot from Samsung’s flagship. The Huawei P60 Pro, on the other hand, is definitely a strong contender despite having a main sensor with the lower megapixel count. In the end, it’s not just about the megapixel count, but how its imaging technologies are squeezed and maximized, to which the Huawei P60 Pro excelled.
The Huawei P60 Pro performed better in presenting image details even at low light scenarios. Its dynamic range can still be improved as I’ve seen that it sometimes falls short compared to the photos I took using the Galaxy S23 Ultra. In terms of portrait photography, both smartphones performed great, but Huawei P60 Pro gives a more natural look and color of human subjects, especially when using the rear (main) camera.
Catch our full review of the Huawei P60 Pro on our website very soon! Meanwhile, check out our previous content about Huawei’s latest smartphone.
Giancarlo Viterbo is a Filipino Technology Journalist, blogger and Editor of gadgetpilipinas.net, He is also a Geek, Dad and a Husband. He knows a lot about washing the dishes, doing some errands and following instructions from his boss on his day job. Follow him on twitter: @gianviterbo and @gadgetpilipinas.
