A lot of qualities contribute to making a smartphone among the best available, but cameras often play a huge role. Samsung is clearly aware that cameras will be a key part of the upcoming Galaxy S23 release.
The Galaxy S23 Ultra in particular is tipped to get a big camera upgrade, but rumors also suggest that Samsung is planning changes to the other phones in the S23 lineup. You can certainly understand why — with Apple and Google dominating the best camera phones, Samsung likely feels it has to up its photo-shooting game if it wants to re-establish its flagship phones as the preferred choice for mobile photographers.
We’ll get our first official look at the Galaxy S23 lineup during its Galaxy Unpacked event on February 1, where Samsung confirmed all new phones are on the way. The company has started letting people reserve Galaxy S23 pre-order slots, where they can get up to $100 in credits by waiting to buy the upcoming phones.
Thanks to the constant stream of rumors, we have a pretty good idea of what kind of cameras the Galaxy S23 will pack ahead of its launch in February. And while there are still some questions to be filled about the photo-specific features coming to the new phones, we at least know enough to do an initial comparison between the Galaxy S23’s cameras and other camera phones on the market.
Here’s a closer look at what to expect from the cameras on all three rumored Galaxy S23 models.
Galaxy S23 Ultra rear cameras: What to expect
Let’s start with Samsung’s final phone, the Galaxy S23 Ultra, where we’ll likely see the most substantial improvements to the camera hardware. Already an impressive camera phone thanks to a pair of telephoto lenses, the previous Ultra models stood out thanks to their support for 10x optical and 100x space zoom. With photos finally confirmed to be shot with the Galaxy S22 Ultra last year, there’s no other phone that can match the telephoto capabilities of Samsung’s top phone.
Samsung seems to want to leave a similar mark with the main lens on the Galaxy S23 Ultra. Rumors suggest the phone has a 200MP main camera sensor, which is a serious upgrade from the 108MP shooter on the Galaxy S22 Ultra.
Specifically, the Galaxy S23 Ultra tends to use the new ISOCELL HP2 camera sensor for its main lens. The 1/1.3-inch sensor is slightly larger than the one on the Galaxy S22 Ultra, which usually translates to better image quality especially in low light thanks to the larger pixels. Equally important are technologies built into the ISOCELL HP2 sensor, such as a faster autofocus system, enhanced HDR performance, and Dual Vertical Transfer Gate for better color reproduction in brightly lit environments.
And it’s not just still photos – ISOCELL HP2 will also allow the Galaxy S23 Ultra to record 8K video at 30fps and 4K HDR video at 60fps.
While you’ll be able to shoot 200MP photos with this particular camera, you’ll also have the option to produce 50MP and 12.5MP shots with pixel binning. This will give you the option to balance detailed shots with brightness and color depending on the mode you’re shooting in.
We’re focusing a lot on the main camera on the Galaxy S23 Ultra because few changes are expected to be made to the other rear lenses in the upcoming Samsung phone. Like the Galaxy S22 Ultra before it, the S23 Ultra should feature a 12MP ultrawide camera and a pair of 10MP telephoto lenses — one capable of 3x optical zoom and the other supporting 10x zoom.
Comparison of competing Galaxy S23 Ultra rear cameras: Apple and Google have boosted the size of their main camera sensors in recent years, with the iPhone 14 Pro models adopting a 48-megapixel sensor, while Google has switched to a 50-megapixel wide camera for both the Pixel 6 and Pixel 7 versions. Megapixels are like the 108MP shooter on the Galaxy S22 Ultra, so you can imagine that the rumored jump to a 200MP sensor for the S23 Ultra should lead to some interesting photo comparisons. Of course, the iPhone and Pixel have always relied on their superior image processing features, so we’ll be interested to see how Samsung keeps up the pace.
| Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra (Rumored) | Apple iPhone 14 Pro / iPhone 14 Pro Max | Google Pixel 7 Pro | |
| main camera | 200 megapixels | 48MP (f/1.8) | 50MP (f/1.85) |
| Ultra Wide Camera | 12 megapixels | 12 MP (f/2.2) | 12 MP (f/2.2) |
| Telephoto camera | 10 megapixels with 3x optical zoom; 10 megapixels with 10x optical zoom | 12 MP (f/2.8) with 3x optical zoom | 48MP (f/3.5) with 5x optical zoom |
We’ve already established that the Galaxy S22 Ultra offers the superior zoom experience of the iPhone 14 Pro (with 3x zoom) and Pixel 7 Pro (5x zoom), so we don’t expect that to change with the Galaxy S23 Ultra offering the same telephoto lenses. On the ultra-wide camera front, the iPhone 14 Pro and Pixel 7 Pro both use 12MP sensors, though the iPhone 14 Pro has a slightly narrower field of view (120 degrees vs. 126 degrees, respectively).
Galaxy S23 and Galaxy S23 Plus rear cameras: What to expect
If it looks like we’re focusing on the Galaxy S23 Ultra’s camera improvements, that’s because that’s where the excitement numbers should be. In fact, the rumors so far have led to the standard Galaxy S23 and slightly larger Galaxy S23 Plus switching to the same rear cameras as their predecessors. There’s been some noise that the S22 Ultra’s 108MP main shooter could find its way to the S23 and S23 Plus, but with Galaxy S23 specs leaking that don’t show any major camera changes from last year, we’re going to brush those rumors away. out of reach.
If things don’t change, this means that both the Galaxy S23 and Galaxy S23 Plus will have a 50MP main camera with an f/1.8 lens. The other cameras on the back of these phones will be a 12MP ultrawide camera and a 10MP telephoto lens capable of 3x optical zoom.
On the video front, we expect all Galaxy S23 models to follow the S23 Ultra’s lead and capture 8K video at 30fps. You will be able to shoot 4K video at 60fps with these phones.
Comparison of the competing Galaxy S23 and S23 rear cameras: Even if nothing changes from the Galaxy S22’s cameras to the Galaxy S23’s rear cameras, Samsung’s entry-level flagship will have one advantage over the iPhone 14 and Pixel 7. It has a telephoto lens, which these two phones don’t. For a telephoto lens, you’ll have to go for the $999 iPhone 14 Pro or the $899 Pixel 7 Pro.
| Samsung Galaxy S23 (Rumored) | Apple iPhone 14 / iPhone 14 Plus | Google Pixel 7 | |
| main camera | 50 megapixels | 12MP (f/1.5) | 50MP (f/1.85) |
| Ultra Wide Camera | 12 megapixels | 12 MP (f/2.4) | 12 MP (f/2.2) |
| Telephoto camera | 10 megapixels with 3x optical zoom | no one | no one |
Otherwise, we expect the same camera differences between the S22 and iPhone 14 models, and the Pixel 7 to remain with the S23. The iPhone 14’s rear cameras include a pair of 12MP lenses that act as the main ultrawide cameras, while the Pixel 7 features a 50MP and 12MP main camera.
Galaxy S23 front camera: what to expect
Samsung typically uses different cameras for its Ultra phones compared to the rest of the Galaxy S range, but it looks like that may change with the Galaxy S23. This time, all three phones may feature the same 12MP shooter.
In the case of the Galaxy S23 and S23 Plus, that would be an upgrade over the 10MP sensor featured in their predecessors. The Galaxy S23 Ultra’s 12MP front camera will be low, at least in terms of megapixels, as the S22 Ultra included a 40MP selfie camera.
Samsung may compensate for the downward shift in megapixels by adding more control over the front camera. Galaxy S23 models may get a Pro mode for the front camera, with adoption of a feature currently limited to the rear cameras. There’s also talk of improved low-light photography for the selfie camera in the form of Dual Pixel technology that should boost image quality when the lights are low.
Galaxy S23 front camera vs. the competition: Adding more capabilities to the front camera can help Samsung differentiate itself from competing Galaxy S23 phones. The iPhone 14 uses a 12MP sensor, but Apple has added autofocus to the TrueDepth camera on its latest phones. The iPhone’s front camera also features a wider aperture than before to let in more light, so we’ll be excited to see how it compares to the improvements reported in the S23.
Likewise, the Pixel 7 family saw an upgraded sensor, from 8MP in the previous model to 10.8MP with the newer versions. The front camera on both Pixel 7 phones has a wider field of view than before, too.
Galaxy S23 photo features: What we heard
Hardware only tells part of the story of how camera phones perform. The program’s features also play a big role, whether it’s adjusting a background image, capturing more detail in low-light shots, or providing you with editing capabilities to tweak images to your liking.
Here, the Galaxy S23 rumors let us down, and understandably so. Unlike hardware, which must pass through parts providers and supply chains, software changes can remain secret until the moment a product is launched. We expect plenty of details about the new camera features to be a big part of the Galaxy Unpacked on February 1.
However, there has been some rumblings about potential additions to the Galaxy S lineup of images. Leaker Ice Universe has spoken of a Night Vision Camera on Galaxy S23 Ultra (Opens in a new tab) It will use the larger main camera sensor to capture more detail for low-light photos. Another leaker promotes the ‘super stability’ feature (Opens in a new tab) This is very similar to the Action mode that Apple introduced to the iPhone 14 (or Pixel 7’s).
Active stabilization) for smoother video capture.
Samsung certainly has a thing in the cooking, if you go by comments made by TM Roh, President of Samsung Mobility, at a preview of the Galaxy Unpacked event on February 1. “The next Galaxy phone is about camera, performance and sustainability,” said Roh. “That’s why our professional camera system just got smarter.”
Samsung will have to offer something if it hopes to match the improvements introduced in the iPhone 14 and Pixel 7 versions. In addition to the aforementioned motion mode for video, the iPhone 14 launched a new light engine that delivers better color and texture in photos. Pixel 7 added Photo Unblur to go with the already great Magic Eraser photo-editing tool.
Galaxy S23 cameras: Outlook
The Galaxy S23 phones face a big task in sourcing the best camera phones from Apple and Google. From the rumors we’ve heard ahead of the S23’s launch, it seems the new phones will be more than just know-how on board — especially if you opt for the Galaxy S23 Ultra and its beefed-up main camera.
But software features will ultimately determine how great the Galaxy S23’s cameras are. And for that we have to wait until Galaxy Unpacked.
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