Samsung claims big wins in low-light photography for the Galaxy S24, but we’re not convinced
Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the past few months, you know that the Samsung Galaxy S24 series camera package makes heavy use of AI; What you might not know is how the smart processing can take care of the more challenging aspects of phone photography: low-light shots.
Samsung touted the benefits of its AI-focused ‘ProVisual Engine’ and highlighted how the Galaxy S24, Galaxy 24 Plus and Galaxy S24 Ultra can capture “the perfect mobile photo”.
The crux of this is not only that the neural processing unit behind the engine is trained on a library of over 400 million image datasets, but that the smart technology can combat the common challenges photographers face such as low-light conditions, fast-moving images . subjects and cluttered backgrounds or unwanted objects.
In our Samsung Galaxy S24 review, we found that the camera system and AI processing make it a worthy candidate for a spot on our best camera phones list, and that the AI tools work quite well. But it doesn’t always beat an iPhone 15, and the Google Pixel 8 handles low-light photos better. Speaking of which, let’s take a look at Samsung’s low-light claims.
Light from the night
Low-light conditions have always been a problem for photographers, and this is especially evident with smartphones, which use smaller sensors than the best DSLR cameras, and as a result can struggle to capture enough light for a detailed photo.
By doubling the physical size of the telephoto camera sensor in the Galaxy S24 Ultra from 12.52mm to about 24.47mm, Samsung said the sensor has 60% larger pixels that can capture more light, translating into more detailed zoomed images.
Add in an AI-enhanced image signal processor and a 30% slower shutter speed compared to the Galaxy S23, and Samsung claims users can capture clearer images with less noise, while extracting detail from dark shadows and bright highlights.
However, during our testing, Senior Phones Editor Philip Berne noted that low-light photography on the Galaxy S24 Ultra didn’t blow it away, while the Google Pixel 8 Pro delivered better results.
If you’re not happy with the low-light photos on your Galaxy S234 Ultra, or even the other Galaxy S24 models, the AI-powered Generative Edit can be used to smartly edit them to your heart’s content without having to take a photo have. Photoshop skills, keep in mind that you may end up with more of an artificial image than an enhanced image.
When it comes to shutter speed, the Galaxy S24 is certainly no slouch. But we didn’t notice it being faster in practice than rival Apple and Google phones. Continued testing and living with the Galaxy phones may highlight these quirks a bit more, but it does feel like Samsung is making a mountain out of a molehill here.
Despite our skepticism, the Galaxy S24 Ultra tops our list of best Android phones and best phones, just like a mighty smartphone with some very good siblings. And there’s room for updates to improve things, just take Samsung’s hype with a grain of salt and remember that phones like the iPhone 15 Pro Max, Pixel 8 Pro and OnePlus 12 are all worthy candidates for smartphone photography, albeit with their own peculiarities.