Apple vs. Samsung: AI Photo Editing Showdown

Apple's Clean Up tool, found in the iOS 27 beta on the iPhone 17 Pro, has received an upgrade aiming for better quality and more realistic infills. However, in direct comparison with Samsung's Galaxy AI Photo Assist on the S26 Ultra, it still falls short.

Early tests revealed that while Apple's tool can easily remove simpler objects like a Chevrolet Corvette, it struggles significantly with more complex edits. Removing Ray-Ban Meta glasses from a face resulted in a "terrifying" appearance, and attempting to remove distracting buildings around the Freedom Tower distorted the image instead of clearing it.

Samsung's Photo Assist generally provided more realistic results, effectively removing clutter and filling voids. However, it too had imperfections, such as making eyes appear smaller when removing glasses or creating an unnatural jacket pocket. In a busy scene with a coffee table, neither tool was perfect, but Samsung better handled nearby clutter while Apple removed a distant cat tree.

Despite Apple's improvements, Samsung's AI continues to offer a higher level of realism and accuracy in photo editing. While Apple's tool is capable of removing objects outside the main subject, its performance on intricate requests remains a challenge. Further updates to iOS 27 before its official launch this fall may bring further refinements to Apple's AI capabilities.