Latest news with #GalaxyS23Ultra
Phone Arena
2 days ago
- Phone Arena
iPhone 17 Pro may flaunt a feature that once made Samsung Galaxy phones stand out
The Galaxy S23 Ultra was Samsung's last flagship phone to feature a 10x telephoto camera. It has been replaced with a 5x sensor, and many are still not over long-range lenses which let them take incredible photos at a distance. While the Galaxy S26 Ultra is unlikely to fill that void, the Apple iPhone 17 Pro might step up to the plate, according to a new anonymous source has tipped MacRumors off about several iPhone 17 Pro specs. The leaker seems to know about an ad being shot for the iPhone 17 Pro by the Slovenian company Division Film. While Division Film's does indeed list Apple as one of its clients, MacRumors didn't independently verify the claim. The leaker claims that the iPhone 17 Pro will flaunt a new telephoto lens with up to 8x optical zoom, up from 5x on the iPhone 16 Pro. The lens will apparently have a moving element, which will allow for continuous optical zoom at various focal lengths. The iPhone 17 Pro may copy Sony Xperia's continuous optical zoom feature. | Image Credit - Sony Xperia" The tipster also says that the iPhone 17 Pro will come with an all-new pro camera app for both images and videos. It will rival the likes of Halide, Kino, and Filmic Pro, all of which offer a professional experience. There's also a chance that Apple will overhaul its Final Cut Camera app instead of building a new app. It's not known whether the new (or updated) app is going to be exclusive to the Pro models. Lastly, they also assert that the iPhone 17 Pro will have another Camera Control button on the top edge to make it easier for users to access the camera. The leaker also corroborated some earlier rumors, such as a new copper-ish shade for the iPhone 17 Pro and a repositioned Apple logo. The iPhone 17 Pro is rumored to have a horizontal camera bar, and a 48MP sensor is expected to replace the 12MP telephoto camera, making for a triple 48MP camera array. Earlier rumors have also pointed to video shooting upgrades such as the ability to use both the front and back cameras at the same time for recording clips. Thus, it does seem plausible that Apple will double-down on the camera-centric changes by introducing a higher-zoom range. This could also help it win over the Samsung users who don't find a 5x telephoto camera good enough for far-away subjects. And since it will be a moving lens, users probably won't miss out on a lower zoom level since the device should be able to optically achieve two levels of zoom. This is a trick that Sony's top smartphones also employ. Not only will Apple be going after the users of standalone cameras with this move, but it will also be courting Samsung and Sony users by launching the feature.
Android Authority
4 days ago
- Android Authority
Samsung could finally tackle shutter lag with this Galaxy S26 Ultra upgrade
Ryan Haines / Android Authority TL;DR A long-time leaker has claimed that the Galaxy S26 Ultra will retain the same 200MP main camera as its predecessors. This main camera sensor will apparently be accompanied by a wider aperture. This latest leak comes after a wild rumor that the S26 Ultra would offer a larger 200MP sensor. The Galaxy S25 Ultra has been on the market for just over six months, but we've already encountered a ton of Galaxy S26 Ultra leaks. We previously heard that the new phone could get a larger 200MP camera, but a prolific tipster has made some very different claims. Twitter user and Samsung expert Ice Universe says the Galaxy S26 Ultra packs an Isocell HP2 200MP main camera, which has been used since the Galaxy S23 Ultra. This contradicts an extraordinary claim by a Chinese leaker that the S26 Ultra will pack a larger, Sony-made 200MP sensor (1/1.1-inch). However, Ice also asserts that the S26 Ultra will have a large aperture which will 'greatly increase the light input, improve the dim light quality, and improve all existing problems.' This combo should reduce noise and improve low-light photo/video capture. I also expect more natural-looking portraits, as a wider aperture enables a shallower depth-of-field and reduces the need for software-based bokeh. The increased light capture should also reduce blur, particularly at night, as the shutter doesn't have to stay open as long. This opens the door to reduced shutter lag, which has long been an issue on Samsung's Ultra phones. So our fingers are crossed that the S26 Ultra can adequately freeze moving subjects. It's worth noting that a very large sensor in concert with an extremely wide aperture can lead to some unwanted side effects. Colleague Rob Triggs said in his Xiaomi 15 Ultra review that close-up pictures taken with the primary camera (one-inch, f/1.63) can be an 'unfocused mess.' I also spotted this issue with 2023's vivo X90 Pro, which packed a one-inch 50MP f/1.75 main camera. The phone offered impressively shallow depth-of-field effects, but I had to constantly step back for portraits and close-up shots, lest I want an unfocused or partially focused image. So I hope the Galaxy S26 Ultra doesn't suffer from this issue.
Phone Arena
22-07-2025
- Phone Arena
Galaxy S23 users report camera downgrade after One UI 7 update
One UI 7 was one long-awaited update. But it seems not all is fine and dandy. Many Galaxy S23 users are now reporting a drop in camera quality after installing the update. And the issues are not minor. Multiple reports suggest that after installing One UI 7 (based on Android 15), many Galaxy S23 owners are seeing a noticeable downgrade in camera performance on their phones. One UI 7 has been previously reported to cause issues, and now Galaxy S23 , S23 Ultra, and even Galaxy S23 FE users are seeing a drop in camera performance. The list of observed issues includes blurry photos, washed-out photos, and the crispness that their phones usually offered being gone. Reportedly, distant sceneries are looking blurry, close-ups are too soft, and colors appear dull, even if the photo was taken in good lighting conditions. Obviously, things that weren't present on the affected phones before. Apparently, it's not just the quality of still images that has been affected. Some users also report a lag with the camera app itself. Things like delays when switching between camera modes or between the front and rear cameras are also being observed. On top of that, previews appear to slowly come for some users as well. And of course, all of these are pretty frustrating issues to deal with. Luckily, the issues don't seem to be universal, but there are quite a lot of reports of similar buds, so it's not a minor issue either. Many of the S23 users have tried clearing the camera app's cache and resetting settings to no avail. So far, Samsung has not commented on the issue or released an official statement. However, community moderators and members of Samsung support teams are telling users to submit error reports in the Samsung Members app. Also, detailed log files are requested with the reports, so that the Samsung team may investigate the cause of the issue. Meanwhile, One UI 7 has also caused some users to see network and Bluetooth connectivity problems. Hopefully, Samsung manages to fix the issues quickly. I personally think it's a real letdown when a big update, something you're excited about, ends up messing with features you use every day, like the camera. The Galaxy S23 lineup has some of the best smartphone cameras out there, so seeing a drop in quality after an update is understandably frustrating. It's good that not everyone is affected, but still, for those who are, it takes away from the whole experience. Hopefully, Samsung listens to the feedback and rolls out a fix soon – because users shouldn't have to compromise on something they paid premium money for.
Indian Express
11-07-2025
- Indian Express
Huawei launches Pura 80 Ultra with unique switchable telephoto camera
Chinese phone maker Huawei has launched the Pura 80 Ultra, its newest flagship phone that takes smartphone photography to the next level. The company launches its devices in China only, but this time, Huawei is bringing the Pura 80 Ultra to the global market. While this isn't the fastest smartphone on the market, Huawei says the Pura 80 Ultra is the first phone in the world to feature two switchable telephoto lenses stacked on top of one another. The device also stands out from the competition with its unique looking triangle-shaped camera island. The huge camera island houses a 50MP 1-inch RYYB sensor, a 40MP ultrawide shooter and a 1.5MP spectral sensor that helps enhance the colour accuracy. However, the unique selling point of this device is the 50MP telephoto lens, which is the largest on any smartphone. This telephoto lens supports 3.7x optical zoom and also comes with a motorised periscope module that provides 9.7x optical zoom. This is a bit less than the Galaxy S23 Ultra, which came with a 10x periscope telephoto, but Samsung used a much smaller sensor compared to the one on the Huawei Pura 80 Ultra. As is the case with recently launched Huawei phones, the company hasn't stated which chipset the Pura 80 Ultra comes with, but speculation has it that the phone is powered by its in-house developed Kirin 9020 chipset. The front of the phone sports a 6.8-inch LTPO OLED screen with a 120Hz refresh rate and 3,000 nits of peak brightness. The Chinese version of the Huawei Pura 80 Ultra comes with 5G and satellite connectivity and runs on HarmonyOS 5.1 out of the box, while the global variant will ship with 4G connectivity and run on Android-based EMUI 1.5. The phone also comes with up to 16GB of RAM and 1TB of internal storage. Pura 80 Ultra also comes with a new AI Smart Controls button, which, as the name suggests, gives you quick access to frequently used shortcuts like AI lens, flashlight and camera, to name a few. What's interesting is that this button also doubles up as a fingerprint sensor, which is rare to see in a candybar flagship phone. The global version of the Pura 80 Ultra will come with a 5,170mAh battery as opposed to the Chinese variant, which packs in a 5,700mAh battery. You also get support for 100W wired and 80W wireless charging. Available in two colourways – black and gold, the Pura 80 Ultra is available for purchase in China for 9,999 yuan, which roughly translates to Rs 1,19,500, but Huawei is yet to reveal the price of the global variant.
Android Authority
21-06-2025
- Android Authority
How does a phone with a crazy external lens compare to the S23 Ultra's zoom camera?
Hadlee Simons / Android Authority The vivo X200 Ultra is a great camera phone in its own right (if you're willing to import it), in no small part due to its impressive 200MP 3.7x periscope camera. However, the company switches things up by offering an optional external lens for even better zoom. The X200 Ultra's 2.35x telephoto converter lens effectively turns the phone's 200MP periscope camera into an ~8.6x shooter. I thought it would be a good idea to compare this lens to the Galaxy S23 Ultra, which was the last of Samsung's flagships with a dedicated 10x camera (10MP). I wasn't expecting the S23 Ultra to hold up very well, but here's how it went. vivo X200 Ultra's external lens vs Galaxy S23 Ultra Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra 10x Vivo X200 Ultra lens 200mm Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra 30x Vivo X200 Ultra lens 800mm Is it any surprise that I think the vivo X200 Ultra and its external lens handily beat the two-year-old Galaxy S23 Ultra's 10x camera in the comparisons above? Absolutely not, I'm comparing a 2023 flagship to a brand-new flagship phone with a bulky lens. Samsung's 10x and 30x images are washed out and lack detail compared to the vivo pictures. You can see this disparity most clearly in the second set of images, as I can make out the '1919' on the mini-lighthouse in the vivo picture. I also quite like the sea in the second vivo picture, which looks like a painting in the Samsung image. Samsung's 10x picture also contains plenty of noise in the dark parts of the scene. vivo's images are a little overly contrasted for my tastes, though, so it's not a complete win here. You can take a closer look at the difference in definition via the comparison below. I can actually see the cable car inside the station with the vivo as opposed to a blob with the Galaxy. In saying so, the X200 Ultra's heavy-handed image processing at long range is apparent. The phone's AI-driven processing seems to struggle with complex scenery, resulting in these over-sharpened, almost striated textures on the mountain. I would like to see the company take a step back with this aggressive image processing in more situations. What about people, though? Well, the good news is that the X200 Ultra's lens offers a shallow depth-of-field effect without needing to switch to the portrait mode. This gives the scene a good level of depth owing to the blurred background, while the S23 Ultra's rendition appears flatter by comparison. This is also apparent when zooming in to 30x and 800mm. Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra 10x vivo X200 Ultra lens 200mm Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra 30x vivo X200 Ultra lens 800mm The X200 Ultra pictures also show significantly more detail, allowing me to crop in a little further and still end up with a decent image. By contrast, the S23 Ultra's images simply lack the same level of clarity and are significantly noisier. It's not a clean sweep for the vivo handset and lens. Neither phone truly captured accurate skin tones here, but the Galaxy S23 Ultra got closer to the actual scene at 10x. I also noticed mesh-like artifacts in the 800mm vivo image around the left ear. It's a very minor issue and not something you'll see unless you're really pixel-peeping, but it's worth pointing out anyway. When I compared the lens-free X200 Pro to the Galaxy S23 Ultra earlier this year, I thought that the vivo was really able to stretch its advantage over the Samsung in low light. So what happens when you add an external lens into the mix? Galaxy S23 Ultra 10x vivo X200 Ultra lens 200mm Galaxy S23 Ultra 10x vivo X200 Ultra lens 200mm The first set of images highlights one of vivo's traditional strengths, namely its ability to tame light sources in low light. Meanwhile, the signage in the S23 Ultra's image is blown out. Vivo's snap also gives us a much clearer look at the building's artwork. Neither phone manages to stay noise-free in this challenging scene, but you don't have to zoom in to see it on the Samsung image. The second set of pictures reveals a greater disparity, as noise dominates the Samsung picture while vivo's aggressive noise reduction pays off in this situation. I can also make out various bits of text in the X200 Ultra's image, which is a testament to the detail on offer here. You can view full-resolution images from each phone via our Google Drive folder. What do you think of this camera shootout? 0 votes The X200 Ultra's lens is the winner by far NaN % The lens was better, but didn't make a big difference NaN % I preferred the shots from the S23 Ultra NaN % Were there any doubts about the winner? Hadlee Simons / Android Authority It's really no surprise that the vivo X200 Ultra and its bulky telephoto converter lens came out on top in this comparison. In fact, I'd be more concerned if this were a closer fight. The combination of that 200MP 3.7x camera and the external lens results in significantly better image quality, particularly at long range and in low light. It wasn't a flawless victory for vivo, though, owing to the occasional image processing issue. If anything, this shootout makes me sad that we haven't seen a camera phone since the Galaxy S23 Ultra with a proper 10x zoom shooter. I don't think a modern 10x camera would actually beat the X200 Ultra and its giant lens, but updated hardware and more sensible image processing would certainly help it get much closer. So my fingers are crossed for more 10x cameras in 2026.
