Samsung Galaxy S30 could crush iPhone 12 with 150MP camera

The Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra (Image credit: Future)

The Samsung Galaxy S30 could have a 150MP camera, which would make the just-released Galaxy S20 Ultra's 108MP camera seem timid by comparison. 

A story from Korean site Clien (via SamMobile) and spotted by Twitter user Sleepy Kuma claims that Samsung is working on a huge 150MP camera sensor, measuring 1 inch across. The company was meant to be working on an even larger 200MP camera, but this apparently wasn't going to be ready fast enough for the next generation of phones.

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This new camera is also a nonacell sensor like the 108MP camera found in the Galaxy S20 Ultra. This means that it can combine nine pixels together into a single pixel if needed, which is helpful when you're prioritizing picture brightness over fine detail during night photography.

The report mentions that Xiaomi, Oppo and Vivo are looking to use these cameras too. Since Oppo and Vivo are both part of parent company BBK Electronics, there's a chance that OnePlus, the most prominent member of the group in the US and UK, will also be interested in making use of the sensor.

As one might expect from such a large and likely expensive sensor, the Clien report says this camera will only be for top of the line "flagship pro" models.

Xiaomi apparently intends to have the sensor installed on a production phone by the end of the year, with Oppo and Vivo aiming to have their first model ready for the first quarter of 2021, combined with a Snapdragon 875 flagship CPU. 

Hopefully this means that Samsung will have this sensor on the Galaxy S30 (or whatever it decides to call the Galaxy S20's successor), even if that does mean that phablet fans will miss this mighty camera on the Galaxy Note 20 later this year.

Richard Priday
Assistant Phones Editor

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.