The Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra will likely be the best camera phone you can buy when it launches, likely on January 17. After all, the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra currently tops our list of the best camera phones, and logic dictates that the S24 Ultra will. probably an improvement.
However, we have more than just logic, because the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra has also been extensively leaked, and so we have a good idea of all the specifications of the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra, including the cameras.
Below we’ve detailed the most likely camera hardware and features, based on leaks and rumors. Keep in mind that until Samsung confirms the specs on January 17, there’s a chance this could be wrong.
Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra cameras: rumored specs at a glance
Before we delve deeper into the likely camera specs of the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra, here’s an overview of what we expect. These details largely come from a massive leak of Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra specs (which is largely in line with previous leaks).
| Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra (rumors) | |
|---|---|
| Main camera: | 200 MP widescreen (f/1.7, Super Quad Pixel autofocus, OIS, Super Clear Lens) |
| Ultrawide: | 12 MP (f/2.2, 120° field of view) |
| Telephoto: | 10 MP (f/2.4, 3x optical zoom, dual pixel autofocus, OIS) |
| Periscope: | 50 MP (f/3.4, 5x optical zoom, quad pixel autofocus, OIS) |
| Front camera: | 12 MP (f/2.2, dual pixel autofocus) |
| Video recording: | Up to 8K at up to 30 fps |
Which cameras will the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra likely have?
While initial leaks were conflicted about which cameras the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra would have, all recent camera leaks point in the same direction. So it’s this direction we’re going to focus on here (and in the chart above), as these are almost certainly the camera specs this phone will have – more or less, anyway.
We expect a quad-camera array on the rear, just like on the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra, but with some differences. Most sources point to a 200MP main camera, just like the S23 Ultra, and it will likely use the same sensor and lens as that phone.
It will reportedly be joined by a 12MP f/2.2 ultra-wide display, which will again likely be the same hardware as on the Galaxy S23 Ultra, complete with a 120-degree field of view.
For telephoto shots you’ll probably have two lenses, one of which is a 10MP f/2.4 with 3x optical zoom. This again sounds the same as what the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra has.
The main hardware difference with the Galaxy S23 Ultra is the final rear camera, which for the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra is said to be a 50MP f/3.4 periscope camera with 5x optical zoom. That’s instead of a 10 MP f/4.9 periscope with 10x optical zoom on the Galaxy S23 Ultra.
So you probably get more megapixels here but a shorter zoom distance on the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra. But despite reportedly topping out at 5x optical zoom, a leaked spec list suggests the Galaxy S24 Ultra will also be capable of a 10x optical quality crop.
In fact, according to leaker @UniverseelIjsthe 10x zoom on the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra is actually better than on the Galaxy S23 Ultra. So there’s probably not much to worry about. The S24 Ultra will also reportedly be capable of a ‘100x Space Zoom’, which is in line with the current model, and will presumably be digital – and therefore theoretically have a notable reduction in quality.
Other leaked camera hardware includes optical image stabilization for all these lenses except the ultra-wide, a 12MP front-facing camera (just like last year), and the ability to record videos in up to 8K quality at up to 30fps.
Aside from that 50MP periscope camera, this overall camera setup appears to be the same as the Galaxy S23 Ultra. But another likely difference is the strong presence of AI in the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra. Samsung has substantially teased AI as a key feature of the Galaxy S24 line, and leaks have given us an idea of what to expect.
Most notably, a major AI leak from the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra points to the phone allowing you to move people, pets and objects from one position to another in photos, as well as expand a photo beyond its boundaries and move a subject from one frame to another. This sounds very similar to the Google Pixel 8’s Magic Editor.
Another AI leak added that the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra could potentially use AI to improve the quality of recorded videos by reducing grain and improving stabilization, and you might even be able to erase unwanted objects from clips.