Even before the Galaxy S26 Ultra was formally announced, Samsung was teasing the impressive camera capabilities of its new phones — including a clip showing the zooming performance. I was genuinely just as impressed as everyone who watched the clip, but then again, Samsung has owned the zooming game for a long time now.
However, things changed in a dramatic way last fall when the Pixel 10 Pro XL showed off the AI-assisted enhancements of its new Pro Res Zoom feature. It activates when the zoom level exceeds 30x, which basically applies upscaling sorcery to draw more detail and definition from the shot — and the results I captured surprised me in both good and bad ways.
With the Galaxy S26 Ultra, Samsung is also tapping AI for help, specifically to stabilize the view at 100x zoom and enhance clarity. In my 200-photo shootout between the Galaxy S26 Ultra vs. iPhone 17 Pro Max, I showed how this results in Samsung’s phone producing sharper zoom photos.
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For this Galaxy S26 Ultra vs. Pixel 10 Pro XL 100x telephoto camera shootout, I’m going to show you the same images captured by both phones at 100x zoom to tell you which is the telephoto king.
100x telephoto shootout: What you need to know
(Image credit: Tom’s Guide / John Velasco)
When it comes to the hardware, my test focuses squarely on the results captured by both phones at 100x. This means I’m comparing the performance between the 50MP telephoto shooter of the Galaxy S26 Ultra and the 48MP telephoto sensor on the Pixel 10 Pro XL. They’re very similar to one another, including how they both offer 5x optical zoom.
Furthermore, I’m using just the Pro Res Zoom shots from the Pixel 10 Pro XL — and not the originals. While the Pixel provides two photos (the before and after), the Galaxy S26 Ultra only produces a single image that’s been processed by the phone. That way, you can judge for yourself how AI can transform an image.
I think it’s also worth mentioning how much AI injects details with Pro Res Zoom, which does straddle the line of what’s real or not — and sometimes crosses it with results that look completely made up. The best way to describe it is that the Pixel is analyzing the scene and reconstructing it with details, sharpening and more.
If you’re wondering what kind of range I’m covering in this shootout, then check out the 1x and 100x photos below from the Galaxy S26 Ultra to get an idea.
Image 1 of 2
1x zoom(Image credit: Tom’s Guide / John Velasco)
100x zoom(Image credit: Tom’s Guide / John Velasco)Photo 1: Perched bird
As expected, the Pixel 10 Pro XL easily wins this shot because of how Pro Res Zoom adds texture and detail to the sparrow perched on the fence via AI. It looks like an actual photo compared to the Galaxy S26 Ultra’s painterly look. I’m especially drawn to the individual feathers and spotting of the sparrow, along with the wood grain of the fence.
Winner: Pixel 10 Pro XL
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Photo 2: Flower close-up
Another perfect example of the Pixel 10 Pro XL working its magic is this close-up of a pink flower. Again, it’s a night-and-day difference: the Pixel 10 Pro XL produces clearly defined edges that separate each petal, whereas the Galaxy S26 Ultra’s shot is a textbook example of the pitfalls of extreme digital zoom.
Winner: Pixel 10 Pro XL
Photo 3: Wooden fence
The results are much the same with this telephoto shot of a fence. Google’s Pro Res Zoom cleans up the softness found in the Galaxy S26 Ultra’s snapshot, applying extra sharpening and definition to truly accentuate the wood grain textures.
Winner: Pixel 10 Pro XL
Photo 4: Budding tree
This is easily the most dramatic glow up of the bunch. Looking at the Galaxy S26 Ultra’s shot, it’s hard to tell what’s even being captured. While it’s clearly something on a branch, it’s impossible to identify without the Pixel 10 Pro XL’s version for context.
Pro Res Zoom transforms an unrecognizable smudge into a sharp, colorful image of a small bud sprouting from a tree. I’m also particularly impressed by how accurately the AI renders the natural colors here.
Winner: Pixel 10 Pro XL
Photo 5: Fine print
In a shocking upset, Pro Res Zoom fails to enhance the fine print on this warning label captured from across the room. While it absolutely cleans up the shot and makes it look more in focus, I’m surprised the AI doesn’t attempt to proofread what it produced. Instead, it botches many of the words — whereas the Galaxy S26 Ultra remains more accurate, despite the image appearing much softer.
Winner: Galaxy S26 Ultra
Photo 6: Brush head
For this next shot, I wanted to see how each phone handles a close-up to reveal finer textures. Not surprisingly, the Pixel 10 Pro XL better resolves the individual brush strands. In addition to having significantly more definition, I really like how Pro Res Zoom sharpens the image to improve its perceived sharpness.
Winner: Pixel 10 Pro XL
Photo 7: Storefront sign
For my final comparison, I captured a Sherwin-Williams store sign from a great distance. Even at 100x, both phones clearly identify the name of the storefront, but there are some notable differences.
I like how the Pixel 10 Pro XL adds significantly more definition to just about everything in the shot, including the light pole and the trees in the background. However, I’m baffled by how it fumbles the “No Turns” sign. I would think the AI would be smart enough to recognize the text based on context clues, but it fails to do so.
Meanwhile, the Galaxy S26 Ultra continues to look considerably softer at 100x zoom — but at least it gets the words right.
Winner: Pixel 10 Pro XL
Galaxy S26 Ultra vs. Pixel 10 Pro XL 100x telephoto shootout: Verdict
(Image credit: Tom’s Guide / John Velasco)
I hate to admit it, but the way AI improves the quality of 100x zoom photos is unbelievable. The Pixel 10 Pro XL undoubtedly benefits from Pro Res Zoom’s AI-enhancing abilities, cleaning up the shot to provide significantly more sharpness and definition. It’s not perfect, though, as I’ve shown how it occasionally struggles with text.
In the past, I’d refrain from shooting at 100x due to the inevitable loss in quality — but I don’t mind a little help from AI when it works this well. Despite being outdone in this 100x zoom shootout, you can’t write off the Galaxy S26 Ultra just yet.
If you take Pro Res Zoom out of the equation, an apples-to-apples comparison of the original shots might surprise you. In that scenario, it becomes a much closer race, so judge for yourself below.
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Galaxy S26 Ultra(Image credit: Tom’s Guide / John Velasco)
Pixel 10 Pro XL(Image credit: Tom’s Guide / John Velasco)
Galaxy S26 Ultra(Image credit: Tom’s Guide / John Velasco)
Pixel 10 Pro XL(Image credit: Tom’s Guide / John Velasco)
Galaxy S26 Ultra(Image credit: Tom’s Guide / John Velasco)
Pixel 10 Pro XL(Image credit: Tom’s Guide / John Velasco)
Galaxy S26 Ultra(Image credit: Tom’s Guide / John Velasco)
Pixel 10 Pro XL(Image credit: Tom’s Guide / John Velasco)
Galaxy S26 Ultra(Image credit: Tom’s Guide / John Velasco)
Pixel 10 Pro XL(Image credit: Tom’s Guide / John Velasco)
Galaxy S26 Ultra(Image credit: Tom’s Guide / John Velasco)
Pixel 10 Pro XL(Image credit: Tom’s Guide / John Velasco)
Galaxy S26 Ultra(Image credit: Tom’s Guide / John Velasco)
Pixel 10 Pro XL(Image credit: Tom’s Guide / John Velasco)
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