Samsung may have just launched its powerful Galaxy S25 Ultra, but when it comes to camera performance, it’s already been outshined — and not just by a little.
According to independent camera benchmark DxOMark, Xiaomi’s latest flagship, the 15 Ultra, has pulled ahead of Samsung’s top-tier model with a noticeable lead in camera quality, shaking up the premium smartphone race.
This was written by Giga.
Zooming Past the Competition
In DxOMark’s latest test results, the Xiaomi 15 Ultra scored 153 points, securing 15th place on the global leaderboard. Samsung’s Galaxy S25 Ultra, in comparison, earned 146 points, placing it down in 28th — a gap that camera enthusiasts and premium phone buyers are sure to notice.
Experts at DxOMark praised Xiaomi’s strength in zoom and detail. Sharpness, clarity, and low-light performance gave the 15 Ultra a noticeable edge in still photography.
While Samsung does have the upper hand when it comes to video recording, the S25 Ultra’s overall image output didn’t impress quite as much — especially given its premium price tag.
Who’s Really on Top?
Despite Xiaomi's leap ahead of Samsung, Huawei and Google are still sitting comfortably at the top of the camera charts. The Huawei Pura 70 Ultra leads the pack with 163 points, followed closely by the Google Pixel 9 Pro XL with 158 points.
Apple’s iPhone 15 Pro Max takes a strong fourth with 157 points, holding its own thanks to consistent camera performance across the board.
Samsung has long held a reputation for pushing camera technology forward — but these latest results show the competition isn’t just catching up, they’re overtaking.
If Samsung wants to reclaim its status as a camera king in the premium smartphone market, the Galaxy S25 Ultra may need more than just a software update.
