If These Galaxy S22 Ultra Camera Specs Are Accurate, We Aren't Impressed
Camera specs for the Galaxy S22 Ultra just leaked online, and if what we're seeing is accurate, next year's Samsung flagship will be a very familiar smartphone. Despite an ongoing chip shortage and rampant labor issues, Samsung's had an impressive showing in 2021. It launched the Galaxy S21 series, a bundle of budget handsets, the Galaxy Watch 4, two folding phones, and more. No matter what kind of gadget someone's shopping for, chances are Samsung has something in its 2021 portfolio to meet their needs.
Despite having such a busy year, that hasn't stopped folks from looking ahead to what 2022 will have to offer. Right now, the most anticipated Samsung device coming down the pipeline is the Galaxy S22 Ultra. Rumors for the phone started with a bang in late September when full device renders leaked. The S22 Ultra is expected to be a big hardware departure from the S21 Ultra, opting for a unique camera housing and a boxy form factor. Now, a new leak has completely revealed all of the technical details of next year's camera system.
According to reliable Samsung leaker Ice Universe, the heart of the Galaxy S22 Ultra's quad-camera array is an "improved" 108MP sensor. The camera touts a 1/1.33" sensor size, f/1.8 aperture, and 0.8μm pixels — all the same specs for the S21 Ultra's 108MP camera. Previous rumors have hinted at better auto-focusing, but it's unclear what other upgrades are in store outside of that.
Also identical is the 12MP ultra-wide camera. It's reported to have a 1/2.55" sensor, f/2.2 aperture, and 1.4μm pixels. Like the 108MP camera, all of these specs are exactly the same on the S21 Ultra. Things are slightly different with the telephoto cameras, though not for the better. The S22 Ultra will reportedly have the same 10x and 3x telephoto cameras, both set at 10MP resolutions. They're rated to have f/4.9 and f/2.4 apertures, respectively, just like they do on the S21 Ultra. Unfortunately, where last year's telephoto cameras had 1/3.24" sensors, next year's are slightly smaller at 1/3.52". That also results in smaller 1.12μm pixels, compared to the 1.22μm pixels on the current Ultra.
Assuming this information is correct, it's safe to say next year's Galaxy flagship will be a minor camera improvement over its predecessor. On the one hand, that's not necessarily a bad thing. The Galaxy S21 Ultra still takes excellent photos nearly a year after its release. If the S22 Ultra is a better version of that same system — even slightly — that should make it a really compelling package.
At the same time, this will be happening just months after Apple and Google introduced radical new camera systems for their own smartphones. An improved S21 Ultra camera experience sounds good, but will it be enough to compete against the iPhone 13 Pro and Pixel 6 Pro? Only time will tell. With the S22 Ultra expected to hit the scene in January or February next year, there's not too much longer to wait before we know for sure.
Source: Ice Universe