The camera battle between Samsung and Apple has always been a fascinating study in technological philosophy: raw hardware power versus refined computational genius. Nowhere is this rivalry more fiercely contested than in low-light photography, or “Nightography,” where every photon matters.
In 2025, the challenge is intensified. The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 arrives as the most powerful camera ever put into a clamshell foldable, boasting a new, large $50\text{MP}$ sensor and the deep-learning prowess of Galaxy AI. Its opponent, the standard Apple iPhone 17, leverages its new $48\text{MP}$ main sensor, a wider $f/1.6$ aperture, and the exceptional image pipeline driven by the A19 Bionic chip and Photonic Engine (Source 1.1, 1.2, 5.2).
For the first time, a premium “lifestyle” foldable is truly challenging the best-in-class standard flagship in the most difficult photographic scenario. BestPrice dives into the specs, the software, and the real-world results to determine which device truly owns the night.
- 🔬 Hardware Showdown: Sensor Size and Aperture Low-light performance is fundamentally dictated by how much light the sensor can gather. This comes down to two main physical properties: the size of the sensor and the size of the lens aperture.
Specification Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 (Wide) Apple iPhone 17 (Wide) Advantage Resolution $50\text{MP}$ (Binned to $12.5\text{MP}$) $48\text{MP}$ (Binned to $12\text{MP} / 24\text{MP}$) Flip 7 (Slightly higher raw MP count) Sensor Size $1/1.57\text{-inch}$ $1/1.56\text{-inch}$ Tie (Virtually identical) Native Pixel Size $1.0\mu\text{m}$ $1.0\mu\text{m}$ Tie Aperture $f/1.8$ $f/1.6$ iPhone 17 (Wider, gathers more light) Stabilization Optical Image Stabilization (OIS) Sensor-Shift OIS iPhone 17 (More effective OIS) Chipset Exynos 2500 (or Snapdragon 8 Elite) Apple A19 Bionic iPhone 17 (Superior GPU/ISP) 1.1. The Sensor Stalemate The most striking observation is the near parity in sensor size. Samsung’s $50\text{MP}$ main sensor, at $1/1.57\text{-inch}$, is virtually the same size as the iPhone 17’s $48\text{MP}$ sensor at $1/1.56\text{-inch}$ (Source 1.1, 4.3). This means both devices start from the same physical baseline, having the capacity to capture roughly the same amount of light before the lens and software intervene. This marks a massive leap for the Flip series, which has often lagged behind its S-series siblings and Apple in raw sensor capability (Source 4.2).
1.2. The Aperture Advantage Where the iPhone 17 takes a clear physical lead is in its $f/1.6$ aperture (Source 1.1, 5.2). The Z Flip 7’s $f/1.8$ aperture is still excellent, but a $f/1.6$ lens allows approximately $30\%$ more light to hit the sensor than an $f/1.8$ lens (Source 1.1). In pitch-black conditions, this $30\%$ extra light is a crucial head-start, reducing the time needed for a Night Mode exposure and resulting in less noise and blur from hand shake.
1.3. Stabilization and Video The iPhone 17 utilizes Sensor-Shift OIS (Source 1.1), which stabilizes the sensor itself, typically offering slightly better anti-shake performance than the lens-based OIS found on the Z Flip 7. In long exposures—the core of Nightography—superior stabilization is paramount to maintaining sharpness. This stability, combined with the power of the A19 chip, also gives the iPhone a significant edge in low-light video recording, where its 4K $60\text{fps}$ video with Dolby Vision and superior stability remains a market leader (Source 1.4, 5.2).
- 🧠The Computational Battle: Nightography vs. Photonic Engine In the modern era, the silicon is the lens. The difference between a good night photo and a great one is the processing pipeline.
2.1. Samsung’s Galaxy AI and ProVisual Engine The Z Flip 7’s Nightography relies on the muscle of the Exynos 2500 (or equivalent Snapdragon) and Samsung’s newly refined ProVisual Engine (Source 4.1, 4.4).
Multi-Frame Fusion: Samsung excels at rapidly capturing multiple underexposed frames and fusing them to eliminate noise and boost dynamic range. The Exynos 2500’s faster ISP improves the speed of this process, reducing motion blur. AI Scene Recognition: Galaxy AI plays a more active role than ever. It intelligently recognizes low-light subjects (e.g., cityscapes, portraits, or food) and applies tailored, aggressive noise reduction and local contrast enhancements (Source 4.1). The Samsung Aesthetic: Samsung’s Nightography tends toward a brighter, more dramatic look. It lifts shadows aggressively, often resulting in more visible detail in the darkest areas, though sometimes at the cost of realism and an increase in overall noise levels and saturation (Source 4.1). 2.2. Apple’s Photonic Engine and Deep Fusion The iPhone 17’s low-light strength is anchored by the Photonic Engine and Deep Fusion, leveraging the immense power of the A19 Bionic’s Neural Engine (Source 5.1).
Pre-Capture Processing: Apple’s system begins processing frames before the shutter button is pressed. This allows it to select the best possible frames with zero shutter lag, resulting in cleaner images (Source 5.2). Deep Fusion: In medium to low light, Deep Fusion analyzes every single pixel across multiple exposures to synthesize a final image that prioritizes texture and natural grain over brute-force brightness (Source 5.1). The Apple Aesthetic: iPhone Night Mode photos maintain a more natural, color-accurate, and often darker aesthetic. They prioritize preserving the atmosphere of the scene (the “vibe”) with less aggressive shadow lifting, which often leads to cleaner colors and superior control over lens flare and highlights (Source 5.2). 3. 📸 The Form Factor Advantage: FlexCam and Versatility The Z Flip 7 has a unique, irreplaceable advantage in low-light photography that no bar phone can match: the FlexCam (Source 2.5).
Built-in Tripod: The ability to partially fold the Z Flip 7 and set it on any flat surface transforms it into a built-in tripod (Source 2.5). This is a monumental advantage for Nightography, allowing the phone to use a much longer exposure time (e.g., 5-10 seconds) without any handshake blur. Result: The Z Flip 7 can capture photos in near-darkness with exceptional detail and minimum noise using long exposures that would be impossible to hold steady on the iPhone 17 without a physical tripod. Best-Quality Selfies: Since the main camera sensors are superior to the internal selfie cameras on both phones, the Z Flip 7 can be folded to use its $50\text{MP}$ main sensor for high-quality, low-light selfies, viewing the live preview on the $4.1\text{-inch}$ cover screen (Source 4.1). This instantly trumps the iPhone 17’s new $18\text{MP}$ front camera in raw low-light image quality (Source 5.1). 4. 🥇 The Verdict: Winner By Scenario In a straight head-to-head, the results show a clear winner based on the user’s intent:
Scenario Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 Apple iPhone 17 Winner Handheld Snapshot (Instant) Faster capture, more aggressive brightness boost. More natural color and better noise control. iPhone 17 (Better balance of detail, color, and noise) Mounted/Tripod Shot (Long Exposure) Unlocks $50\text{MP}$ long exposures with incredible detail. Requires external accessory to match stability. Galaxy Z Flip 7 (FlexCam Form Factor Advantage) Low-Light Video Strong $4\text{K } 60\text{fps}$ with good stability. $4\text{K } 60\text{fps}$ Dolby Vision, superior stability, cleaner motion. iPhone 17 (Software and A19 ISP/OIS) Selfies/Vlogging in Low Light Uses superior $50\text{MP}$ main sensor with cover screen preview. Relies on internal $18\text{MP}$ sensor. Galaxy Z Flip 7 (FlexCam Versatility) Conclusion:
The iPhone 17 maintains its crown as the best-in-class, no-fuss handheld shooter in low light. Its wider $f/1.6$ aperture, superior OIS, and the masterful Photonic Engine deliver the cleanest, most color-accurate, and most consistent Night Mode images for the average user taking a quick snap (Source 3.1).
However, the Galaxy Z Flip 7 offers a disruptive form-factor advantage. If the user is willing to take advantage of the FlexCam feature—folding the phone and setting it down—the Z Flip 7 can achieve long exposure results that match or surpass the iPhone 17 due to its perfect stability. Moreover, its ability to turn its main camera into a high-end selfie/vlogging cam in low light is an undeniable victory for content creators (Source 2.5).
The Z Flip 7 has officially closed the camera gap. While the iPhone 17 remains the safer bet for a perfect handheld shot, the Z Flip 7 gives its user the creative tools to capture the absolute best low-light photos in its class.
