Samsung Galaxy S23 Telephoto Camera May Disappoint Shutterbugs

The telephoto camera on the Galaxy S23 will reportedly have the same 10MP sensor as the Galaxy S22 this year, as well as the same 3x optical zoom capability. It should be noted that Samsung only recently upgraded to this camera in 2022, but that in itself is a strike against it. While other companies have already embraced 5x or higher levels of optical zoom, Samsung seems to be dragging its feet in this area.

That’s not the only thing that may be staying the same, though. The Galaxy S23 Ultra is rumored to get one of Samsung’s 200MP sensors for its main camera, but the cheaper Galaxy S22 and Galaxy S22+ models may stick with the same 50MP sensor from the Galaxy S22. Again, Samsung might not be too quick to jump ship after introducing that camera this year, but it’s not like it hasn’t launched better sensors since then. Of course, it’s also possible that the company may have made this decision in order to encourage consumers to buy the high-end Galaxy S23 Ultra when it launches.

A bigger issue, however, is the Galaxy S23 ultra-wide camera, which is alleged to still use the same 12MP sensor we’ve seen since the Galaxy S20 5G model. Not only hasn’t it received any upgrades — at least according to the sources — but it has also reportedly been left by the wayside when it comes to the competition. A few rival photography-centric smartphones have embraced the strategy of using essentially the same sensors for their wide and ultra-wide cameras, reducing the gap in quality between the two.