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I Tested 3 Top Camera Phones in Dazzling Las Vegas. I’m Glad I Didn’t Bet on the Results

This camera test didn’t stay in Vegas: I pitted the iPhone 17 Pro, Samsung S25 Ultra and Pixel 10 Pro XL during the Formula 1 Grand Prix.

Las Vegas and Formula 1 are a perfect pairing for photography: bright colors, late-night lights and high intensity. So when I came here to cover the Formula 1 Las Vegas Grand Prix, which ran Nov. 20-22, I couldn’t resist bringing three top camera phones to see how they perform against one another. Between the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra, the Google Pixel 10 Pro XL, and the Apple iPhone 17 Pro, which would occupy spots P1, P2 and P3 at the event?

My plan quickly skidded on wet tarmac (matching the unexpectedly rainy weather in Vegas), because I discovered late that I wouldn’t be allowed to take photos or videos in race areas. The Formula 1 organization, which owns and operates the Las Vegas Grand Prix, completed the press accreditation process well in advance of this opportunity; I was invited by T-Mobile, a co-sponsor of the event, a few weeks prior to the race.

Read more: Best Camera Phone in 2025

Although I couldn’t capture any photos of the main event, there was still plenty to see in Las Vegas, which gets transformed each year for the Grand Prix. The Strip (South Las Vegas Blvd., where most of the big hotels are) and surrounding public streets are converted into the race track. That disrupts car traffic and walking routes, adding stress to everyone.

Here’s a slice of the F1 Las Vegas Grand Prix weekend, shot on three cameras. Keep in mind that photo quality is subjective, and in many cases, the differences between them might be hard to spot. All photos were captured using default settings using each phone’s camera app. For the iPhone 17 Pro images, the Standard photographic style was used to keep the processing as basic as possible. The photos were exported to JPEG format with no HDR (high-dynamic range) applied, no edits and resized using Apple’s Photomator app.

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Although I couldn’t publish any photos from the race or around the track, there were still opportunities to get up close to F1 cars. Several hotels had cars set up in their lobbies. This racer from the Haas team was in The Cosmopolitan Resort. It’s awash in red, on the car itself, but also that carpet, which can sometimes be a challenge for small camera sensors. Plus, despite some spot lighting, you have to remember that this is in a generally dark, indoor environment.

Although all three photos look good, the iPhone 17 Pro seems to be warmer and more saturated — a tad too much. The S25 Ultra and Pixel 10 Pro XL shots have better white balance; for this comparison, I like the Pixel’s photo.

Here’s another car, from the Mercedes team. Photographically, this has a lot of challenges for a phone camera. There’s light coming through the windows, a platform that’s lit from below and lots of reflected details in the middle section of the car.

None of the cameras blew out the windows to white, which can be common when you’ve got a large light source in the background (it helped that the weather was cloudy and gray). The S25 Ultra and Pixel 10 Pro XL resolve more details in the buildings outside, but at the expense of toning down the brightness in the foreground; the white platform looks muted and green in both. The iPhone photo looks best to my eyes.

Near the Mercedes car was this helmet in glass, with racing simulators that people stood in long lines to play. All three phones have captured the variety of colors, reflections and textures well. I prefer the Galaxy S25 Ultra shot for its color, like the slot machines in the back, but it focused on the driver in the back instead of the helmet, so the foreground is a little out of focus. For that reason, I think the iPhone 17 Pro has made a successful overtake.

You’ve got to love Las Vegas for its willingness to smash together any look or influence it wants. This is the F1 Arcade, an F1-themed «ultimate bar experience» adjacent to Caesar’s Palace (hence the columnar design). The statues are clearly cast from the same mold, but I’m not sure the F1 logo and «Arcade» evoke original Greek typography.

Once again, the iPhone takes a different approach to its coloring, coming across as warmer and a little greener than the other two phones. Still, there’s plenty of fine detail, and each camera has retained the hint of blue in the sky. This is also where the zoom ranges are noticeable: The iPhone’s 4x zoom is wider than the 5x zoom on the Pixel or Galaxy.

Zoom aside, I like the Pixel 10 Pro XL image best (despite not being very level — I was distracted by a security guard looking at me funny for apparently standing in a place just off the main walkway). The «Arcade» letters are oddly crisp and bright on the Galaxy S25 Ultra image.

T-Mobile held a flashy keynote for its new 15 Minutes or Better feature for switching from other carriers, and after the keynote, the crowd was ushered into another room where musician T-Pain performed a live set. A concert like this is one of the more difficult tasks for phone cameras, since it’s in a dark environment, lit with multiple colored lights (so much magenta) and the star is moving at all times. It’s also when everyone’s phones come out to take pictures and record video.

The photos from this trio of cameras don’t stack up to traditional cameras with larger lenses, but they still hold their own. Nailing focus on T-Pain isn’t easy, so there’s a fair amount of motion blur — which isn’t a bad thing when capturing an energetic performance. Plus, since I wasn’t at the front, I was shooting with the 4x (iPhone) and 5x (Galaxy and Pixel) zooms to focus on him, and not Paris Hilton dancing at the front. On each phone, the main cameras have the best light-gathering abilities, so I was making a choice of composition over image quality by picking the telephoto options. I think the Pixel 10 Pro XL made the best shot of this test.

The Ski Lodge is a semi-secret bar in The Cosmopolitan that’s absolutely worth waiting in a line next to a blank white wall and a single nondescript door. Inside, the bar was decorated for Heavy Metal Holiday, with detail everywhere you look. Is this a cruel test of a cellphone camera? Absolutely.

Of the three photos, I give the iPhone 17 Pro a slight edge. It’s keeping up with its characteristic warmer tones, but they work here. It’s also done a better job of rendering the lights above that are wrapped in the tree boughs (they’re actually skulls, keeping with the heavy metal theme). The Pixel 10 Pro XL is a little soft, perhaps because its night mode uses a 1/7-second exposure versus 1/15 seconds for the other two phones.

Las Vegas is always associated with its elaborate neon signs, and the Flamingo is one of the classics. The fact that it was reflected on a polished surface at left was just extra candy for this photographer.

Of these three images testing the 2x zoom, the Galaxy S25 Ultra stands out to me for its color and clarity in the reflection. The Pixel 10 Pro XL is also good, but its 2x zoom is too tight for this composition; normally I would back up and reframe, but I was trying to take all shots from the same vantage point, and stepping back would put me into busy pedestrian traffic. The iPhone 17 Pro is underserved partially because it caught a moment when not as many of the bright white lights were illuminated on the flashing sign.

It rained in Las Vegas, a city in the desert that doesn’t get a lot of precipitation. Although the wet surfaces made things difficult for the F1 drivers, it was great for capturing reflected light. I’m happy with all three of these; the Galaxy S25 Ultra did a better job of catching detail in the sign to the left of the garden entrance, but I should have framed it to include more of the lions like the other shots. Also notable is the coloring on the structure — in Vegas, there’s so much light coming from screens all around that the lighting changes color frequently. So in this case, that isn’t from the cameras misinterpreting the scene.

For the Las Vegas Grand Prix, the Strip is turned into the racetrack, which needs maintenance every night after practice sessions and the qualifying race. Here’s a look at the infrastructure outside the Paris Las Vegas Hotel and Casino, including the lighting, scaffolding and the crash barriers.

Of these, the iPhone stands out for its warmth and detail. It was captured using the main camera, so it didn’t need to switch to Night Mode for this shot. The Galaxy S25 Ultra is more cool, and if I wasn’t pitting it against the others I’d say it was also a good shot. The Pixel 10 Pro XL image has somehow rendered the color in the Eiffel Tower more blue than purple, though I can’t recall if the tower was changing color or not; sometimes it’s colored red, white and blue like the French flag.

These are not stellar pictures, let’s be perfectly clear. But I wanted to share the lengths the organizers go to make sure not just anyone can watch the race in Las Vegas. Temporary barriers are set up on the walkways over the Strip to ensure that you can’t see the track below. All images were shot with the ultra-wide camera on each phone. I like the Galaxy S25 Ultra the best here for its color, compared to the too-warm hues of the other two. Again, in isolation, they’re all fine, but side-by-side, the Galaxy phone takes the win.

Speaking of the ultra-wide cameras, here’s a shot you won’t get in Paris, France: the Arc de Triomphe and Eiffel Tower right next to each other. (True story: A guy I once knew had no interest in going to the original Eiffel Tower when he was in Paris because he’d already seen it in Vegas.)

I was standing at the base of the arch, so the ultra-wide angle distortion is pronounced here, but it makes for a dramatic image. In terms of image quality, I’m partial to the iPhone 17 Pro because it caught a little glare from the sun at left, which gives it some character. The framing of the other two is better, and yet again they’re perfectly fine, if a little flat to compensate for the bright clouds at the top left, in the case of the Pixel 10 Pro XL version.

At the New York-New York Hotel and Casino, a scale replica of the Statue of Liberty overlooks one corner, providing a great opportunity to see how telephoto cameras perform. (Fun fact: When the US Postal Service designed a postage stamp of the Statue of Liberty, they accidentally did so from a stock photo of the Las Vegas version.)

Taken late at night, this subject shows the most color variation among the three cameras. The Galaxy S25 Ultra did the best with the statue’s green color, reducing the exposure slightly. The Pixel 10 Pro XL boosted the green, making a version that still looks OK. But the iPhone 17 Pro has misinterpreted the green as a color to be corrected, and bled the image of most of it. Samsung gets the win this time.

This view from the Venetian Resort is underexposed in all three cameras, each of which appears to be compensating for the bright areas of the sky. In terms of color, the Pixel 10 Pro XL looks best to my eye, keeping plenty of texture in the clouds while also making the gold windows of the former Mirage hotel pop. In the middle ground is construction on the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino Las Vegas, which will look like the base of an electric guitar.

Finally, we come to a selfie at midnight taken in front of New York New York, after your humble correspondent had walked the entire Strip to take photos. Each destination in Las Vegas looks closer than it is, and when you’re on foot it turns out to be even farther than that. However, it still capped a day of F1 racing, meeting new people and exploring this city oddity firsthand.

The iPhone 17 Pro selfie looks natural but softer than I would expect from Apple’s newly designed front-facing camera. The Galaxy S25 camera is similarly drab, with the detail in my beard appearing smudgy. But the Pixel 10 Pro XL, while oversharpening slightly, holds onto that detail and also has the best nighttime exposure.

Which phone camera captured Vegas the best?

So how do we rank these three cameras on a podium? Adding up my preferences above, the Pixel 10 Pro XL and iPhone 17 Pro each nabbed five wins, with the Galaxy S25 Ultra trailing just behind at four. As I said at the beginning, in most cases they each do an excellent job taking photos, so you won’t go wrong with any of them. 

And if you wanted to keep the F1 theme going, thanks to the IP68 rating for dust and water resistance on each one, you can spray them all with victory champagne and not worry about destroying your finely tuned machine.

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Technologies

Artemis II Astronauts Are Using iPhones to Capture Stunning Space Images

After smartphones were cleared by NASA for space missions, the crew members of the Integrity spacecraft are beaming back lots of iPhone photos.

The four astronauts aboard the Integrity spacecraft now headed home from their historic arc around the moon really are like the rest of us: Sometimes they reach for their smartphones to snap photos.

For the Artemis II mission, iPhone 17 Pro Max phones have been used to capture photos inside the capsule of the astronauts pondering the views of Earth and working on mission objectives. (Technically, NASA refers to them as PCDs – personal computing devices.)

Smartphones were cleared for use in space for the first time in February. In a post on X, NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman wrote, «We are giving our crews the tools to capture special moments for their families and share inspiring images and video with the world.»

Early in the mission, Commander Reid Wiseman snapped a pair of photos looking out the window with Earth behind him. Mission specialist Christina Koch and her dynamic curls in zero-gravity also captured a pensive view looking out over the planet. All three were made using the front camera — because wouldn’t you want to grab a selfie if you were in space?

The iPhone 17 Pro’s rear cameras are pulling their own weight during the mission, too. During the live broadcast as the crew approached the moon, Wiseman took a photo of the moon’s surface using the iPhone’s telephoto camera at 8x zoom. He turned the screen toward one of the video cameras mounted inside the spacecraft, creating an image of the moon’s surface alone against the darkness of the unlit cabin, with the iPhone’s signature rounded edges and Dynamic Island cutout at the top.

The main photo workhorses on this trip are a Nikon D5 DSLR and a Nikon Z9. The D5 is a model that has been used on several space excursions, and the Z9 is onboard as an experimental camera.

For NASA missions, every piece of equipment must be tested and certified, which is why the previously-approved D5 has a secure spot. Cameras must be resistent to space environmental factors like radiation, and safe if they’re floating around the capsule. However, the iPhones in space now are off-the-shelf models, according to a report by Jackie Watties of CNN.

The moon flyby was especially photo-intensive, with astronauts switching places several times so that two were always at windows with cameras and relating what they could see with their eyes. This photo of mission specialist and Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen taking images using one of the Nikon cameras shows how some windows have camera shrouds attached. The shroud ensures that light from the interior isn’t reflected in the glass.

In a particularly relatable photo, Hansen is also using the front-facing camera of a white iPhone 17 Pro — as a portable mirror while he shaves. As the (modified) saying goes, the best selfie screen is the one you have with you.

The iPhone 17 Pro isn’t the first Apple product to go into space. Crew members have taken iPods, iPads and AirPods on missions since the Space Shuttle era. The Mac Portable even went up on a shuttle (and revealed that its trackball in zero-G isn’t the best option).

An Apple representative didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.

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Hades 2, the Award-Winning Sequel, Joins Xbox Game Pass in April

Game Pass Premium subscribers are getting a handful of games, including the remastered Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion.

Hades 2 was selected as one of CNET’s best games of 2025, but don’t take our word for it. The game won Best Action Game at the 2025 Game of the Year awards, Best Game on Steam Deck at the Steam Awards and a bevy of other accolades after its release. If you haven’t had the chance to play this stellar sequel yet, you can on Xbox Game Pass starting on April 14.

Xbox Game Pass, a CNET Editors’ Choice award pick, offers a wide selection of games you can play on your Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Xbox One and PC or mobile device for as little as $10 a month. And with a subscription to the higher-tiered Game Pass Ultimate ($30 a month), you can access hundreds of games, including Day One releases, each month. 

Here are the games Microsoft plans to bring to Game Pass in April. You can also check out other games the company added to the service in March, including Cyberpunk 2077.

DayZ

Coming to PC on April 8, joining Game Pass Ultimate, Game Pass Premium, Game Pass Essential and PC Game Pass.

This online multiplayer survival game is coming to PC. An unknown virus has turned the population of the post-Soviet country of Chernarus into zombies, and you’re one of the last few survivors. You’ll have to scavenge for supplies among the ruins while fighting off zombies and other survivors alike. But how far will you go to save yourself?

Endless Legend 2 (Game preview)

New to Game Pass Premium on April 8. Previously on Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass.

Lead your faction to build a great empire that can crush your enemies in this fantasy strategy game. You can play as warriors descended from the stars, cursed knights or hive-minded beasts, but each faction has its strengths, weaknesses and unique philosophies that can influence the rest of the game. And fending off enemies is just one challenge in this game. You’ll have to adapt to the changing environment as well. Will you expand as the tides reveal new treasures, or focus on improving your defenses?

FBC: Firebreak

New to Game Pass Premium on April 8. Previously on Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass.

The Federal Bureau of Control is under attack from otherworldly forces, and it’s up to you and your versatile unit to restore order. You’ll fight chaotic entities, leeches and a monster made of sticky notes using guns, grenades and other supernatural weapons. You can play this first-person shooter game on your own or take on the chaos of the FBC with friends in three-player co-op. 

Planet Coaster 2

Coming to Game Pass Ultimate, Game Pass Premium and PC Game Pass on April 9.

This might not be the classic RollerCoaster Tycoon, but it’s close enough. You’ll build your own roller coasters and water slides, manage your amusement park and create unforgettable experiences for your guests. It’s unclear if you can launch your coasters off the rails into waiting crowds. Will report back later.

Tiny Bookshop

Coming to Game Pass Ultimate, Game Pass Premium and PC Game Pass on April 10.

I have long dreamed of opening my own bookshop, and until I come into a lot of money, this game will have to do. You can stock your bookshop with different genres and items for sale, set up shop in scenic locations — like near a lighthouse — and get to know the locals in this cozy management game.

Football Manager 26 (PC and console)

New to Game Pass Premium on April 13. Previously on Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass.

Get ready for a more immersive matchday experience in the latest installment of the Football Manager franchise. You can build a star-studded squad with new transfer tools, and this entry features official Premier League licenses and women’s football for the first time in the series’ history.

Hades 2

Coming to Game Pass Ultimate, Game Pass Premium and PC Game Pass on April 14.

Following the events of the original game, the Titan of Time Chronos has returned and laid waste to the Underworld and Earth. As the immortal princess Melinoe, you’re tasked with stopping the titan and restoring the mythic world. Each time you venture out, you’ll learn more about the world around you and discover the true cause of all the destruction and pain.

Replaced

Coming to Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass on Day One on April 14.

Can AI ever be human? I’m not talking about ChatGPT or Gemini, but REACH, an AI trapped in a human’s body, in this narrative platformer game. You’ll explore an alternate 1980s America that’s scarred from nuclear catastrophe as you try to uncover the secrets of the Phoenix Corps, the same group that created you. It’s a cyberpunk Frankenstein with plenty of exploration and fluid action sequences.

The Thaumaturge

Coming to Game Pass Ultimate, Game Pass Premium and PC Game Pass on April 14.

By definition, a thaumaturge is a miracle worker or magician, and in this roleplaying game, you’re a master of mystical arts that allow you to peer into the hearts and minds of others. After the death of your father, you returned to an alternate 1900s Warsaw to investigate his death, fight supernatural forces and uncover the truth. 

The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered

New to Game Pass Premium on April 16. Previously on Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass.

A fanatical cult is trying to open gates to the demonic realm of Oblivion, and it’s up to you to stop them and seal the gates forever in the remastered version of this open-world RPG. You can rediscover the world of Cyrodiil (or experience it for the first time in updated glory), encounter unique characters and save the land. 

EA Sports NHL 26

Coming to Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass on April 16.

As the NHL regular season winds down, the playoffs and the fight for the Stanley Cup are heating up. And with the latest installment in this EA Sports franchise, you can ensure your favorite team brings home the cup. This entry in the series introduces new gameplay mechanics, such as Ice Q 2.0 and a goalie crease control system, to add additional challenges. So if you want to see the Florida Panthers win the cup back-to-back, or you want to make absolutely sure that never happens, this game is for you.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare

Coming to Game Pass Ultimate, Game Pass Premium and PC Game Pass on April 17.

Modern Warfare redefined the Call of Duty series when it was released almost 20 years ago, and the rebooted version of the classic game drops you right back to where it started. You’ll control CIA and SAS special forces as they attempt to stop rebels from the fictional Republic of Urzikstan. And if the campaign’s not enough, you can hone your skills in the immersive, fast-paced multiplayer.

Little Rocket Lab

New to Game Pass Premium on April 21. Previously on Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass.

Your family’s dream project has been to build a rocket, and you’re going to fulfill their dream in this cozy, machine-building RPG. But first, you have to build clever contraptions, convert local resources and become the heart of your community before you can complete your ultimate rocket-building task.

Sopa: Tale of the Stolen Potato

New to Game Pass Premium on April 21. Previously on Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass.

Miho goes to the pantry to grab a potato for his grandmother’s soup when he lands in a fantastical land. Now he has to find his way back home by following in the footsteps of a mysterious traveler from long ago. You’ll meet quirky characters, gather exotic ingredients and take in vibrant environments in this world of magical realism inspired by Latin America.

Vampire Crawlers

Coming to Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass on Day One on April 21.

From the creators of the indie darling Vampire Survivors comes this turn-based, deck-building, roguelite game. You’ll explore dungeons that might look familiar to Vampire Survivors veterans, fight monsters and build chaotic, broken decks along the way. So be tactical in your choices or blast away every chance you get!

Kiln

Coming to Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass on Day One on April 23.

Kiln is about creating beautiful pottery filled with artistry and wonder… and smashing it all to pieces in the arena. This online, multiplayer party brawler pits you against others to see which pottery design can withstand the heat and which can dish out a beating.

Two games come to Game Pass Essential subscribers on April 8

Game Pass Essential costs $10 a month and offers access to a relatively small library of games compared to Game Pass Premium and Ultimate. While Microsoft doesn’t regularly add many games to Essential’s library, it’s adding these two on April 8.

Games leaving the service on April 15

While Microsoft is adding the above games to Game Pass, it is also removing five games from the service on April 15, including GTA 5. That means you still have a little time left to complete your main campaign and any sidequests before you’ll have to buy these games separately.

For more on Xbox, discover other games available on Game Pass now, read our hands-on review of the gaming service and learn which Game Pass plan is right for you.

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Nintendo Is Offering the Switch 2 for $20 Less When You Buy Super Mario Galaxy 1 and 2

This out-of-this-world deal goes live on April 12 and continues until May 9, giving you plenty of time to secure your bundle.

The Super Mario Galaxy Movie has been out for just over a week, and it has already become a must-see film for fans of the Mario Bros. video games. Nintendo also announced an upcoming deal that makes it easier to take the Super Mario Galaxy home.

Starting on April 12, Mario Bros. fans can get the Nintendo Switch 2 for $20 off with the purchase of a digital or physical Super Mario Galaxy 1 and 2 bundle. Once live, this deal lasts until May 9 and brings the Nintendo Switch 2 to $430, down from its usual price of $450.

The deal will be available at select retailers, including Walmart, Amazon, GameStop, Target and Best Buy. Not only does this deal coincide with the film’s release, but it’s also a small way to celebrate the 40th anniversary of Super Mario Bros.

Additionally, Best Buy is currently giving away a free collectible 40th anniversary game case with select Mario game purchases if you’d rather not wait until April 12.

Super Mario Galaxy has been around since 2007, and Super Mario Galaxy 2 has been available since 2010 on Wii. These games are still crowd-pleasers, and this offer makes it possible to enjoy both games on the Nintendo Switch 2 for less.

To better enjoy this deal once it’s available, check out our article on everything you need to know about Nintendo Switch 2 games.

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Deals are selected by the CNET Group commerce team, and may be unrelated to this article.

Why this deal matters

The Nintendo Switch 2 has been praised by fans and gaming experts. Like its handheld gaming counterpart, Super Mario Galaxy 1 and 2 have also remained popular since their releases. If you’ve been looking to buy these games along with the handheld gaming console, then this is one deal to plan for. Keep in mind that it’ll run from April 12 until May 9, so be ready to secure the savings.

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