There are rumors flying around left, right, and center all speculating about what the latest Samsung Galaxy S23 series might look like, and what it will be capable of. The Ultra model has explicitly garnered the most interest among photographers and content creators, as it's usually the one with the best camera unit out of the trio.
This information has not been confirmed by Samsung, and should therefore be taken with a pinch of salt. But, the selfie camera on the S23 Ultra model is rumored to have a new image sensor, with advanced autofocus and depth perception, and predictions suggest this could lead to 4K selfie video recording.
We don't have long to wait until Samsung officially reveals the details of this new lineup, with a Galaxy Unpacked event planned for February 1, 2023. But if the rumors are true (Samsung Galaxy S23: all the rumors so far) then the S23 could knock the S22 off the top spot of our best Samsung phone and best camera phone guide.
Speculation and leaked information often come via a Chinese social media and news platform known as Weibo, and most of the time it can actually be pretty reliable. The biggest rumor so far about the S23 Ultra's front camera is that it will contain a new image sensor, swapping out the Samsung ISOCELL Slim GH13LU which was fitted into the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra, for what is being referred to as a component called the S5K3LU.
This seems like a pretty big drop from the usual 40-Megapixel resolution front cameras that have been used in flagship Samsung devices since the S20 series, although it could see improvements in low-light conditions as a result of ditching the pixel-binning method and using larger pixels this time around, especially if the front camera is on the wider side – as previous speculation and leaks have suggested.
Tech news website AndroidPolice first spotted this particular tidbit about the S23 Ultra's selfie camera, and Weibo user Ice Universe is prolific at leaking Samsung device deets, and has since been sharing not only image comparisons with the S23 Ultra vs the Google Pixel 7 Pro camera, but has also leaked genuine-looking unboxing videos, hands-on images, and available case shells.
Ice Universe also shared on Weibo that the device will have better thermal control and heat dissipation, and most importantly, the front camera will be capable of shooting 4K footage at 30 frames per second. They also added that it will have a better separation between the portrait and the background, suggesting that Samsung may have improved its depth of field capabilities by improving portrait mode.
The same user has also shared these findings to Twitter, with what appears to be a comparison chart between the S23 Ultra with the preceding S22 Ultra. The two grids show only a small upgrade to the sensor size, and suggest the device will also have a rear quad design similar to the S22 Ultra series.
S23 Ultra camera sensor changes:Front camera (40MP GH1→12MP 3LU),Ultra Wide Angle (12MP IMX563→12MP IMX564),Main camera (108MP HM3→200MP HP2)The 3x and 10x telephoto sensors have not changed (IMX754→IMX754)P 1 is S23 Ultra, P 2 is S22 UltraThanks @edwards_uh pic.twitter.com/QuefuFlB0fJanuary 23, 2023
Samsung may need to start clamping down a bit harder on their security and data protection, as these leaks surrounding the S23 series appear to be all over the internet, but that's also probably a good sign that consumers are excited, right? We definitely are! What do you think of these potential upgrades to the S23 Ultra camera? Let us know.
Tune into Galaxy Unpacked on Wednesday, February 01, 2023, for all of the details regarding Samsung products and the latest S23 series.
• You may also be interested in the best camera phones in 2023, as well as the best Samsung monitors, and not forgetting the best lenses for iPhone and Android camera phones.
