The Galaxy S24 Ultra is expected to bring upgrades like a flat display and a whole host of AI, but it’s also getting rid of the 10x optical zoom lens. Despite this, a reliable leaker claims Zoom Photos will improve without it.
In a post on Twitter, Ice Universe says, “For taking photos at 10x zoom, the S24U is better than the S23U.” That’s a bold statement, but it’s based on seeing actual samples from the device before the software is finished.
If this is true, this is a significant advancement for Samsung. The company has been praised for its excellent zoom performance on the Galaxy S21 Ultra, S22 Ultra, and S23 Ultra over the past few years, as the optical zoom from the 3x and 10x telephoto lenses has been excellent. However, leaks have revealed that the Galaxy S24 Ultra will forgo that long optical reach, instead using a 5x telephoto lens along with 3x, standard, and ultrawide shooters.
How could the Galaxy S24 be better?
Most likely, the answer will be AI. Computational photography already plays a significant role in improving the photos from our smartphones. As AI becomes more advanced, the results are getting better. For example, Google has claimed significant improvements to Super Res Zoom on the Pixel series over the past few years.
We’ll have to wait and see how it all plays out, but if Samsung improves its zoom photos using AI, it could also point to improvements in other lenses. There’s a big focus on AI leading up to Samsung’s Unpacked event in a couple of weeks, and the company is teasing improved Zoom directly as a part of that.
The Galaxy S24 series will launch on January 17, and reservations are now open with a free $50 credit when you pre-order a device.