If you're not very familiar with the inner workings of the mobile tech industry, you might be surprised to see a smartphone (or rather three) unlikely to be unveiled for another seven or eight months already making headline after headline.
But if you've been following a traditional news cycle preceding a Samsung flagship release before, it might almost feel like we know too little about the Galaxy S23 family compared to the S22 series this time last year, for instance.
Interestingly, while there was indeed very little we could confidently predict on the imaging front just last week, several recent rumors may have answered a number of key camera-related questions. If all these latest whispers are to be believed, the S23 and S23+ will each come with an upgraded selfie shooter compared to their forerunners, which is obviously not set to reside under the AMOLED screen of any of the three ultra-high-end family members.
Perhaps more importantly, a fresh GalaxyClub report (translated here) claims to reveal an... interesting tidbit about the rear-facing snappers of the two aforementioned non-Ultra Galaxy S23 devices. Unfortunately, this tidbit is not also very exciting.
Same old zoom action?
Yes, ladies and gents, the "regular" Galaxy S23 and the S23 Plus are expected (at least for the time being) to stick to a veeeery familiar-sounding 10MP telephoto sensor equipped with advanced 3X optical zoom technology.
Naturally, it's far too early to know the sensor's make and model, but we would definitely not be shocked if Samsung ended up employing the exact 10-megapixel camera as on the S22 and S22+ again. If that doesn't prove to be the case, certain evolutionary improvements are possible (not to mention software optimizations and so on), but either way, there are almost surely no major upgrades in the pipeline... in this department at least.
This is the Galaxy S22 in (3x optical zoom) action.
That doesn't have to be as tragic as it sounds, of course, especially after the Galaxy S22 and S22+ arguably and dramatically improved the 64MP telephoto shooter on the back of the S21 and S21+ that was only capable of producing 1.1x optical zoom and 3x "hybrid" zoom.
Sadly, the S23, S23+, and the S23 Ultra are all tipped to retain the primary rear-facing camera of their direct predecessors, leaving the ultra-wide-angle lens as the lone key component of the family's entire imaging system with a (small) chance of getting a truly notable upgrade.
In theory, the S23 Ultra's mysterious telephoto lens(es) could also gain major new technologies and make significant megapixel jumps, but in reality, it seems unlikely that we'll get more than 10 + 10MP and up to 10x optical zoom.
So what big Galaxy S23 changes can you expect?
As much as we'd like to put a smile on your face and help you start the week all giddy with excitement, we don't have a whole lot to report on the groundbreaking upgrade front... yet. Then again, with a fancy codename like "Project Diamond" revealed all the way back in March, the S23 trio simply cannot be just an iterative release with a new processor under the hood (no Exynos) and barely noticeable improvements in the camera or display departments.
Because it's too early for S23 images, here's the Galaxy S22 again.
Maybe this is a "diamond" that will finally shine brightest in terms of battery life and/or charging speeds. And perhaps with the Galaxy S22 FE reportedly out of the picture, the pricing structure will be adjusted down, with, say, a "vanilla" S23 starting at $700, which we're sure many hardcore Samsung fans would appreciate more than a meaningless megapixel bump.
Create a free account and join our vibrant community
Register to enjoy the full PhoneArena experience. Here’s what you get with your PhoneArena account:
Adrian, a mobile technology enthusiast since the Nokia 3310 era, has been a dynamic presence in the tech journalism field, contributing to Android Authority, Digital Trends, and Pocketnow before joining PhoneArena in 2018. His expertise spans across various platforms, with a particular fondness for the diversity of the Android ecosystem. Despite the challenges of balancing full-time parenthood with his work, Adrian's passion for tech trends, running, and movies keeps him energized. His commitment to mid-range smartphones has led to an eclectic collection of devices, saved from personal bankruptcy by his preference for 'adequate' over 'overpriced'.
A discussion is a place, where people can voice their opinion, no matter if it
is positive, neutral or negative. However, when posting, one must stay true to the topic, and not just share some
random thoughts, which are not directly related to the matter.
Things that are NOT allowed:
Off-topic talk - you must stick to the subject of discussion
Offensive, hate speech - if you want to say something, say it politely
Spam/Advertisements - these posts are deleted
Multiple accounts - one person can have only one account
Impersonations and offensive nicknames - these accounts get banned
Moderation is done by humans. We try to be as objective as possible and moderate with zero bias. If you think a
post should be moderated - please, report it.
Have a question about the rules or why you have been moderated/limited/banned? Please,
contact us.
FCC OKs Cingular\'s purchase of AT&T Wireless
Things that are NOT allowed: