The Galaxy S24 Ultra might still snap impressive zoomed-in shots despite a rumored downgrade

Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra live image in hand
(Image credit: David Martin / X)

What you need to know

  • Rumors swirl around the S24 Ultra's camera setup, suggesting a powerful quartet including a 200MP primary lens, 12MP ultrawide lens, 10MP telephoto (3x optical zoom), and a 50MP periscope telephoto (5x optical zoom).
  • The optical reach of its periscope lens is a downgrade from the Galaxy S23 Ultra, if the rumors are accurate.
  • A tipster now claims that the 5x optical lens will be able to produce better zoomed-in shots compared to the Galaxy S23 Ultra even without a 10x optical lens.

A reputable tipster has spilled the beans on the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra's camera prowess, claiming that a bunch of camera samples surpass those of the S23 Ultra.

Ice Universe claimed on X (formerly Twitter) that the Galaxy S24 Ultra snaps better photos than its predecessor at 10x zoom. What's interesting is that this judgment is based on actual photo samples that were viewed before the camera software was even finalized.

Rumor has it that the S24 Ultra is loading up on four rear cameras: a massive 200MP main sensor, a 12MP ultrawide shooter, a 10MP telephoto boasting 3x optical zoom, and a 50MP periscope telephoto with a 5x optical lens. Among all the buzz about Samsung's next-gen top-tier flagship, one rumor causing a stir is the potential switch from a 10x optical zoom to a 5x optical lens, leaving some fans a bit worried.

That said, it looks like those camera samples Ice Universe checked out were snapped with a 50MP periscope unit. This improvement may be all thanks to some AI tricks.

AI is most likely throwing a few tricks into the mix as part of Samsung's camera game, and it's all baked into its software as indicated by its official teaser for the Samsung Galaxy S24 series. For instance, the South Korean tech giant has a scene optimizer that tries to figure out what you're shooting and picks the right mode and settings. With AI, Samsung is basically spicing things up with some machine learning magic, boosting scene optimization significantly.

Sensors are the brains of the camera, and surprisingly, many of our favorite camera phones don't always have the best sensors in the world. The Galaxy S24 Ultra's camera upgrades are mainly about tweaking how it processes images.

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Jay Bonggolto
News Writer & Reviewer

Jay Bonggolto always keeps a nose for news. He has been writing about consumer tech and apps for as long as he can remember, and he has used a variety of Android phones since falling in love with Jelly Bean. Send him a direct message via Twitter or LinkedIn.

  • PookiePrancer
    There's more to camera sensors and lenses than pixel count and zoom power, so calling something a "downgrade" without the full picture is naive. My full-frame mirrorless with only 24mp will wipe the floor with any smartphone camera.
    Reply
  • Deke218
    The phone camera game is old. If you want a phone that takes decent photos, get a Sony.
    Reply