I tested the iPhone 16 Pro Max vs. Galaxy S24 Ultra in a slow motion video showdown — here’s the winner

I can’t deny that the iPhone 16 Pro Max is hard to beat when it comes to still photography, which comes as no surprise as it takes the top spot in our best camera phones guide. But I’m more of a video shooter than anything else. That’s why I want to take a closer look at the iPhone's slow motion video capture capabilities.

For this year’s model, Apple gave both the iPhone 16 Pro and 16 Pro Max the ability to capture video natively at 4K 120 fps. This is unreal because I know very well the amount of data and processing power a dedicated camera requires to do this smoothly, let alone a camera phone that fits in my pocket. But beyond the shoot-now-and-worry-later premise of this new shooting mode, the iPhone 16 Pro Max also continues to offer a dedicated slow motion mode that can go up to 240 fps.

Of course, I want to see how it stacks up against the best Android phone around in the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra. That’s why I recorded the same set of video clips with both phones to see how they capture slow motion video at 120 and 240 frames per second. On top of all that, I want to see if Galaxy AI can give the S24 Ultra’s Instant Slow-Mo feature a boost to match the iPhone 16 Pro Max’s native 4K 120 fps capture.

iPhone 16 Pro Max vs. Galaxy S24 Ultra: 4K 60 fps

iPhone 16 Pro Max

Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra

Pretty much all flagship phones can shoot natively at 4K 60 fps, so this is the first area I want to look at — I can always default to shooting in this mode and slow down the footage by 50% later on. What I’m more concerned about is the quality of the video, rather than the slow motion. Without good quality footage, it won’t matter if it can be turned into a slow motion clip later.

I’m instantly affixed to the iPhone 16 Pro Max’s clip above, mainly for its warmer colors, better dynamic range performance, and detail. The Galaxy S24 Ultra crushes the highlights more so than the iPhone, resulting in some parts of the ice rink losing the skating marks that are visible with the iPhone’s clip. Furthermore, I prefer the brighter overall tone and vibrant colors of the iPhone 16 Pro Max.

Winner: iPh9one 16 Pro Max

iPhone 16 Pro Max vs. Galaxy S24 Ultra: 240 fps

iPhone 16 Pro Max

Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra

If you absolutely want to capture the slowest footage possible, you’ll have to select their 240 fps shooting modes on either phone. However, they’re not technically identical because the Galaxy S24 Ultra has the advantage of shooting in 1080p — as opposed to 720p with the iPhone 16 Pro Max.

As a result of this, the iPhone suffers from having softer details. I can see this in the stone work around the base of the water fountain in the clips above. However, I will say that the Galaxy S24 Ultra overexposes the brighter areas throughout the clip. In terms of slowing down the footage, both phones do an excellent job of capturing the water splashes from the fountain.

Winner: Samsung Galaxy S24

iPhone 16 Pro Max vs. Galaxy S24 Ultra: 120 fps

iPhone 16 Pro Max

Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra

At the same fountain in Bryant Park, I switched to the 120 fps slow motion capture mode on both phones. It’s a fair comparison this time because the iPhone 16 Pro Max and Galaxy S24 Ultra can record at 120 fps in 1080p. Those details that were indistinct at 720p with the iPhone 16 Pro Max are now visible at 1080p. I also prefer it over the Galaxy S24 Ultra’s slow motion capture because of its stronger contrast look.

When I take a closer look at the water splashes around the fountain, I like how I can make them out better with the iPhone 16 Pro Max because of its better contrast and sharpness. Knowing that the iPhone performs better here, I really hope Apple can bring up the resolution to 1080p with 240 fps slow motion capture.

Winner: iPhone 16 Pro Max

iPhone 16 Pro Max vs. Galaxy S24 Ultra: 4k 120 fps

iPhone 16 Pro Max

Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra

For my last test, I recorded the clips above with the iPhone 16 Pro Max natively shooting at 4K 120 fps. After taking the clip, I went into the Photos app to trim it and apply a slow motion effect with the bicyclist passing by to match the same sequence with the Galaxy S24 Ultra recording natively at 4K 60 fps. In order to match the iPhone’s slow motion clip, I applied the Instant Slow-Mo effect to the Galaxy S24 Ultra’s clip to add those extra frames.

Now, I’ve said it before in my Galaxy S24 Ultra review that this AI-assisted effect can pull off convincing slow motion video, but it can’t match the quality I see from the iPhone 16 Pro Max’s native capture at 4K 120 fps.

The biggest difference that I see is how the bicyclist has a slow motion blur effect to him as he’s moving through the scene, whereas the iPhone’s clip looks clean and crisp throughout the slow motion effect. Don’t get me wrong: the Galaxy S24 Ultra’s slow motion clip is still usable, but I’d rather have the excellent detail and sharpness I see from the iPhone.

Winner: iPhone 16 Pro Max

IPhone 16 Pro Max vs GalaxyS24 Ultra: Verdict

When it comes to getting the best quality with the greatest amount of detail, the iPhone 16 Pro Max’s 4K 120 fps mode is the way to go for slow motion video capture. While the other modes are nice to have on the iPhone 16 Pro Max, I wouldn’t lean on the 240 fps slow motion capture as much due to how much it softens the video. And even though the 1080p 120 fps is better, you’re better off going into 4K 120 fps for being able to edit the clip in post.

As for the Galaxy S24 Ultra? It’s an excellent slow motion shooter, but no amount of generative AI help can get its quality to match the iPhone’s native 4K 120 fps capture.

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