A new experiment from Marques Brownlee (MKBHD) offers a rare, side-by-side look at how Samsung’s smartphone selfies from the original Galaxy S1 to the latest Galaxy S26 have evolved over more than 15 years.

The YouTuber recreated the same self-portrait across every major Galaxy S generation, starting from the original Galaxy S1 and moving all the way to the Galaxy S26.

The intent was simple: hold framing constant and expose the shifts in HDR handling, color tuning, and computational photography.

Early Galaxy S models lean heavily on basic sensor output, with limited dynamic range and inconsistent exposure control. The transition phase begins around the mid-2010s.

Devices like the S6 and S7 introduce more reliable HDR stacking, though results often skew toward artificial contrast. By the time Samsung enters the S10 and S20 era, the company is clearly pushing computational photography harder.

Recent models show a different philosophy. The S23 and S24 outputs appear more controlled. Skin tones are steadier and highlights retain detail without aggressive flattening.

One result breaks the progression; the Galaxy S20 stands out for the wrong reasons. The 2020’s flagship struggles with both dynamic range and clarity. Bright areas wash out, while facial details lack definition.

The S23 and S24 represent a stable baseline, where HDR, detail retention, and tonal accuracy are largely in sync. The improvements on the recent models, including the Galaxy S25 and S26, are now incremental, not dramatic.

It's Samsung's turn: I took the same photo with every gen Samsung Galaxy S from 26 to 1. Holy HDR pic.twitter.com/AoLsKBwEFf

— Marques Brownlee (@MKBHD) April 7, 2026

The post MKBHD shoots Galaxy S1 to S26 selfies, one model fails badly appeared first on Sammy Fans.