Samsung’s much-anticipated Galaxy S24 series launch is just days away. However, last-minute leaks are still rolling in, and a new report reveals powerful behind-the-scenes Galaxy S24 Ultra upgrades that help explain Samsung’s expected camera hardware changes.
January 14 update below: article originally posted January 13.
According to an unverified but authentic-looking retail training document shared by X user Harshit Joshi, the forthcoming Samsung flagship camera will eclipse the current Galaxy S23 Ultra when taking zoom photos, despite an expected “downgrade” to the zoom lens specs.
In this year’s Galaxy S24 Ultra, Samsung is reportedly replacing the S23 Ultra’s 10x telephoto camera with a higher-resolution but lower-magnification 5x version. This has led to concerns over the newer model’s ability to capture long-range zoom shots without reducing quality.
However, in a section titled “Space Zoom,” the document promises “excellent zoom quality at all ranges” and “optical quality” zoom at 2x,3x,5x and, more importantly, 10x magnification. Samsung’s trademark long-range Space Zoom digital zoom feature also transfers to the Galaxy S24 Ultra at magnifications up to 100x.
This suggests the Galaxy S24 Ultra won’t suffer any image quality loss in the switch from 10x to 5x optical zoom. According to the report, this is achieved by using a much higher resolution sensor in the new 5x camera bolstered by improved image processing techniques.
Furthermore, the Galaxy S24 Ultra is expected to activate multi-frame processing at all zoom levels, not just at 20x and higher, as is the case with the S23 Ultra. This should result in reduced noise and improved detail across the entire zoom range, further boosted by new AI-powered “super-resolution” algorithms.
Despite these advances, Samsung will still have its work cut out in convincing potential buyers that this perceived downgrade from 10x telephoto to 5x will result in better photos. All will be revealed at the official Galaxy Unpacked event on Jan 17.
Update: January 14
Yet more details have emerged revealing Samsung’s highly-anticipated “Galaxy AI” features destined for the Galaxy S24 series.
Leaked promo images obtained by Android Headlines show a photo editing interface where a complex object is selected, resized, and repositioned within the image in just a few taps.
In this example, it’s a person riding a bike to the top of a ramp, backed by a blue sky with clouds. The user is able to move and rotate the biker, placing them higher in the sky, giving the appearance of a much higher jump off the end of the ramp. The rider is also enlarged to create the impression of being closer to the camera. The unnamed software automatically fills in any gaps left in the picture using generative AI to make a seamless background.
The user interface revealed in the leaked image appears to show the real-world implementation of the rather fanciful-looking Generative Edit functions shown in Samsung’s official teaser video released a few days ago.
It remains to be seen how well Samsung’s “Generative Edit” tools will perform against Google’s recently launched Magic Editor, but one crucial difference could come in pricing. According to the report, Samsung promises that Galaxy AI features will be “free of charge until at least 2025 on supported Galaxy devices,” suggesting that usage beyond that date may become subject to a paid subscription. Google doesn’t charge for Magic Editor, but locks some Google Photos features behind its Google One subscription.
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