Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra: A big camera improvement over the S22 Ultra

The Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra is shaping up to be a stellar camera phone if the rumors about the device’s camera hardware are accurate. Now, Ice universe suggests that the phone will have much better nighttime camera capabilities than its predecessor.

The Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra will feature a 200 MP camera. Contrary to prior takes, it appears the Galaxy S22 Ultra’s successor could still deliver excellent camera performance from that sensor, in spite of its reported technical inferiority to sensors like the Sony IMX989 expected to dominate the flagship space next year.

Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra’s first leaked camera sample shows excellent improvement over S22 Ultra

The S23 Ultra will be Samsung’s first 200MP phone, using a sensor developed by Samsung itself. However, it won’t be one of the 200MP ISOCELL sensors we’ve already seen (HP1 and HP3), but a new design (1 / 1.3 ”, 0.6µm, says the leakster). Also, it will apparently support a 50MP mode (instead of just 12.5MP and 200MP as originally claimed), but that mode is still in development.

Moving on from the main camera, the Galaxy S23 Ultra is expected to keep the older telephoto lenses from the Ultra 2022. However, better image processing will provide better image quality, according to the leakster.

According to Ice Universe, the Galaxy S23 Ultra’s 200 MP camera will deliver “unparalleled analytical power”. Most would consider that an interesting take on the next-gen flagship’s photographic chops, seeing as the source had been overwhelmingly negative about that sensor’s capabilities over the past few months. The Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra’s 200 MP camera is expected to be the ISOCELL HP2, which seems to share most of its technical specifications with the ISOCELL HP1 used on phones like the Moto Edge 30 Ultra and Xiaomi 12T Pro.

The main 200 MP camera won’t be the sole beneficiary of that either. Supposedly, while the 3x and 10x telephoto hardware will remain the same as on the S22 Ultra, the S23 Ultra still manages to deliver tangible zoom performance improvements. Lastly, the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra is expected to be able to shoot in three resolutions with its main camera: the default 12.5 MP, full-scale 200 MP, and 50 MP. Reportedly, the 50 MP mode is currently disabled, as it’s still in development.

If Samsung’s serious about taking on the iPhone 14 Pro and other flagship smartphones, it needs to wring out every drop of performance and efficiency from the Galaxy S23 Ultra, while also making sure it justifies the Ultra-premium. Stay tuned for more Galaxy S23 rumors and leaks as we get closer to launch.