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Samsung will introduce a new telephoto zoom camera on the Galaxy S24 Ultra, which launches tomorrow. It is a 50MP unit with 5x optical zoom, a massively different solution than the Galaxy S23 Ultra’s 10MP unit with 10x optical zoom. Despite a drop in optical magnification, the new camera is rumored to produce better pictures. A reliable tipster may have just confirmed that.
Galaxy S24 Ultra to bring a massive zoom camera upgrade
Leaked official promo materials for the Galaxy S24 series have shown that Samsung touts the Ultra to feature a Qual Tele System with optical quality. While the phone has 3x and 5x optical zoom cameras, it also claims optical zoom quality at 2x and 10x magnification. The former is a crop from the 200MP main camera while the latter is from the 50MP 5x camera.
However, there are concerns about whether the Galaxy S24 Ultra can match the 10x zoom quality of the Galaxy S23 Ultra, which has a dedicated 10x zoom camera. A recent X post from noted tipster Ice Universe addresses these concerns. They claim the new model surpasses its predecessor in output quality when capturing photos at 10x magnification. It holds up well in low-light conditions too.
“The new 5x sensor of the Galaxy S24 Ultra is generally stronger than the three-year-old 10x sensor,” the tipster said. “When the light is weak, the photos taken by the S24U’s 10x are very smooth and clean, while the S23U’s 10x is full of noise.” If true, the telephoto camera change from Samsung will prove to be a major upgrade on the upcoming Ultra flagship.
Rumors say the new camera also allows you to record 8K videos at 5x zoom. Older models can record 8K videos only with their main camera. All of this comes without affecting the existing 100x hybrid zoom, which Samsung calls Space Zoom. The Galaxy S24 and Galaxy S24+ only feature a 3x zoom camera, though. So, you get optical zoom quality at 2x and 3x, while Space Zoom goes up to 30x magnification.
The new Samsung flagships will use AI to improve the camera performance
Samsung has built AI into the Galaxy S24’s system. You will find AI tools everywhere, including the cameras. Leaks suggest the new flagships will use AI to improve the camera performance and picture quality across various shooting conditions such as low-light environments. It won’t be long before we get to experience these upgrades hands-on. The Galaxy S24 trio will go official tomorrow, January 17.