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| (Image credit: Future) |
One of the primary selling points of Samsung's Galaxy Ultra phones is its camera, with the S24 Ultra including features like a 200MP primary lens, a 5x telephoto zoom, and a 50MP sensor. We may also now know what to expect from the next Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra, due to a fresh leak.
Ice Universe, a prolific leaker of Samsung secrets on Weibo, has stated that the Galaxy S25 Ultra would have significant improvements to both its secondary 3x telephoto and ultrawide lenses. The phone is supposed to increase the resolution to 50MP on both lenses, which is a significant improvement over the Galaxy S24 Ultra's 12MP and 10MP cameras.
The primary and major 5x telephoto lenses, however, don't seem to be changing. Which makes sense given that the main lens's 200MP resolution already outclasses most of Samsung's primary competitors and the 5x telephoto lens was previously upgraded to 50MP on the S24 Ultra.
Rumor had claimed that Samsung will replace the 3x telephoto lens with a digital crop-and-zoom system. Ice Universe, however, denied the report earlier and stated that the S25 Ultra will keep its fourth camera lens. Thankfully, it appears like Samsung could be bringing a much-needed update to the lens.
While resolution isn't the only factor that affects camera performance, the Galaxy S25 Ultra can gain a lot by switching to a better sensor. Improved digital and hybrid zoom, better low light performance, high quality video recording, and maybe even support for macro photography with the 3x telephoto lens.
Also, if Samsung doesn't increase the resolution, it can lag behind its competitors. While the Pixel 8 Pro currently has 48MP resolution on its telephoto and ultrawide lenses, there are rumors that the iPhone 16 Pro Max will also have a 48MP ultrawide lens. Samsung must, at the absolute least, equal its most formidable competitors, even if it's just a simple math game.
It's unknown at this time whether the rumors of a variable telephoto lens materialize this year. Even while we'd love to see a lens that can optically magnify anything from 4x to 7x, we've previously been disappointed by similar speculations.