Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra could get this new selfie camera — but with one big downgrade
Samsung Galaxy S23's new selfie camera could offer some major upgrades
The Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra could feature a new selfie camera with one notable downgrade according to leaker Ahmed Qwaider, with what he claims to be an exclusive leak for the incoming Galaxy S23 flagship phone series.
He says the whole Galaxy S23 series will be armed with 12MP front cameras. We've heard before that Samsung would be adding a new selfie camera to all models, but our attention is focused on the Ultra model since the refreshed sensor would mean a resolution downgrade from the 40MP front sensor in the Galaxy S22 Ultra.
⭕️Exclusively12MP front cameraThe"Pro"mode is now on front cameraNightography in front cameraPhoto&video quality will be improved due to"Dual Pixel"technologyThis gives you the best picture in the lowest possible lightcamera has become lower number but the quality is higher pic.twitter.com/t86yZB4CxGJanuary 6, 2023
On the other hand, that would be a small upgrade for the Galaxy S23 and Galaxy S23 Plus, whose Galaxy S22 and Galaxy S22 Plus predecessors have 10MP selfie snappers.
Fortunately, Qwaider's claims add extra detail that could mean you won't miss those extra megapixels on the Galaxy S23 Ultra. Samsung will apparently introduce a Pro mode for selfies with the new front camera, something which is currently only available on the rear cameras of the best Samsung phones. This camera mode lets you have more control over the camera, such as its exposure, shutter speed and white balance, than the standard photo mode.
Also, Nightography, Samsung's name for its low-light photo mode, will apparently be made available on the front camera, along with Dual Pixel, a sensor technology used on Samsung's main cameras going back several years. All of this should add up to much higher quality photos and video, Qwaider says.
As Qwaider sums up, "camera has become lower number but the quality is higher." While having higher-resolution sensors is generally a good thing, it doesn't completely govern image quality. After all, Samsung's been using 108MP cameras on its phones for years, making devices like the Galaxy S22 Ultra capable of far more detailed photos than rival phones like the 48MP iPhone 14 Pro or 50MP Google Pixel 7 series. Yet both of them beat Samsung on the best camera phones guide.
Samsung's also rumored to be adding a 200MP main camera to the Galaxy S23 Ultra, plus updating the silicon to a Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset for all models worldwide. Beyond these and a small battery increase for the regular and Plus models, the rumors suggest only a handful of improvements over the Galaxy S22.
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If you're looking to see these rumors confirmed or denied, we'll likely be finding out the Galaxy S23's details in February, potentially on February 1, at a Samsung Galaxy Unpacked event. Until then though, we'll have all the rumors you need to know on our Galaxy S23 and Galaxy S23 Ultra hubs.
Richard is based in London, covering news, reviews and how-tos for phones, tablets, gaming, and whatever else people need advice on. Following on from his MA in Magazine Journalism at the University of Sheffield, he's also written for WIRED U.K., The Register and Creative Bloq. When not at work, he's likely thinking about how to brew the perfect cup of specialty coffee.