An iPhone has now captured photos no Android phone has ever taken

For years, smartphone camera rivalries have been about specs, processing power, and the unique photography features devices have to offer. But now, NASA has handed Apple a win that no Android phone can match.

Astronauts on the Artemis II mission have captured stunning images of Earth using the iPhone 17 Pro Max, marking the first time a smartphone has pictured our planet from deep space.

Each Orion crew member is carrying an iPhone 17 Pro Max for personal use after the device was cleared for extended operation in orbit earlier this year. Newly shared images show Commander Reid Wiseman and Mission Specialist Christina Koch looking back at Earth through the spacecraft’s window.

Metadata from Flickr reveals the photos were taken on April 2 using the iPhone 17 Pro Max’s front camera. It also reveals that the images have been processed in Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Classic, likely to adjust exposure, contrast, and cropping.

No Android phone has ever done this. While Android devices have flown in space before, none have been used on a crewed deep-space mission to shoot images of Earth like this.

Back in 2024, Samsung sent the Galaxy S24 into space, but that was a high-altitude balloon stunt that reached the edge of the atmosphere. In contrast, the iPhone 17 Pro Max is flying aboard NASA’s Artemis II mission, being used by astronauts themselves, and capturing Earth from deep space.

Meanwhile, the mission is also using pro-grade camera gear, including the Nikon D5, Nikon Z 9, and GoPro HERO4 Black.

Artemis II is NASA’s first crewed Moon mission since 1972 and is expected to set a record for the farthest distance humans have traveled from Earth before returning on April 10.

This means an iPhone will also be the first smartphone to travel the farthest distance any smartphone has ever traveled from Earth. Android phones certainly have a lot of catching up to do when it comes to space travel.