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New information points to a big upgrade in camera hardware for Samsung’s Galaxy S23 Ultra due for release next month.
According to a leaked image, obtained by tipster SnoopyTech, of a leather case designed for the yet-to-be-released Galaxy S23 Ultra, the new Samsung flagship will feature significantly larger camera lenses than its predecessor, the Galaxy S22 Ultra.
Samsung's Galaxy S23 Ultra is tipped to feature some significant upgrades over the current Galaxy ... [+]
The image, also posted on Twitter by fellow leaker Ice Universe, shows a side-by-side comparison of cases for the Galaxy S22 Ultra and Galaxy S23 models in which the rear camera cut-outs for the 2023 model appear noticeably bigger. This applies not only to the wide lens but to the ultrawide and telephoto lenses too.
Bigger cut-outs would strongly suggest that the Galaxy S23 Ultra will come with larger lenses, and this increase in physical size should result in better picture quality thanks to improved light-gathering capabilities.
The Galaxy S23 Ultra is already expected to receive big camera improvements thanks to a new 200-megapixel main camera sensor combined with the improved processing capabilities of Qualcomm’s new Snapdragon 8 Gen2 chipset, which has already been shown to beat Apple’s iPhone 14 Pro in some benchmarks.
All other factors remaining equal, a larger lens is capable of ‘scooping up’ more light in a single shot, and this would give the underlying image sensors a head start in producing better photos. However, there’s still an outside chance that these larger cutouts have been made primarily for cosmetic reasons. Either way, it looks like Galaxy S22 Ultra owners won’t be moving their cases over to the new phone if they choose to upgrade.
The cases seem to have been seen in the wild already, as one appears to have been sold already via the German Craigslist-like service eBay Kleinanzeigen, having been listed alongside similar cases for the S23+ and standard S23 models. Note that, unlike eBay.com, this is a site designed primarily for local, in-person cash sales, and the listing has not been verified.
Samsung’s recent pre-order announcement backs up the large lens theory by promoting enhanced night photography in its teaser video for the Galaxy S23 Ultra.
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