The week does not go by without a Galaxy S24 leak, which makes sense, considering the flagship series is expected to be announced next month. As usual, the Galaxy S24 Ultra model will receive the most attention as it is rumored to feature major upgrades in the lineup, including a slightly revamped quad-camera configuration. A new rumor has dropped hints about the actual imaging setup.
South Korean publication The Elec reported that the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra will retain the periscope camera with 10x zoom. It was previously rumored to be downgraded to a regular telephoto module with 5x zoom, so keeping the 10x zoom will be a pleasant surprise.
The source speculated that the current 10 MP 3x zoom will be replaced by a 50 MP 5x zoom camera, which makes more sense considering the extended zoom has been a key feature in previous Ultra models. At the same time, this actually matches the telephoto capability on the iPhone 15 Pro Max (review).
To tie everything together, the Galaxy S24 Ultra’s imaging arsenal looks to be helmed by an updated 200 MP primary wide camera, a 10 MP periscope lens with 10x zoom, a 12 MP ultra-wide sensor, and a new 50 MP telephoto lens with 5x zoom. By opting for higher zoom levels, it is likely the camera phone will rely on the primary 200 MP sensor to supply 2x or 3x zoom levels, albeit digitally via cropping.
Additionally, the front-facing camera in the Galaxy S24 Ultra is shaping up to remain unchanged from the current generation, which is a 12 MP wide-angle lens that is capable of 4K video recording.
As for the non-Ultra models, the cameras on the Galaxy S24 and Galaxy S24 Plus are widely believed to remain the same. The 50 MP primary sensor is said to be paired with a 12 MP ultra-wide angle, alongside a 10 MP telephoto sensor with 3x zoom. Unfortunately, it is still unclear whether there are improvements with these sensors such as a larger pixel size or better sensitivity despite having the same resolution.
Based on credible sources, Samsung will announce the Galaxy S24 on January 17 at the Unpacked event that will be held in San Jose, California. Pre-orders of the new flagship devices should commence right after the event while actual sales will begin on January 26 through January 30.
What are your thoughts on the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra’s cameras? Do you find a 5x zoom camera more useful than a 3x? We look forward to hearing your answers.
