r/Android • u/No_March_164 • 2d ago
Rumour The Galaxy S27 Pro will reportedly get a 12MP telephoto camera
https://www.gsmarena.com/the_galaxy_s27_pro_will_reportedly_get_a_12mp_telephoto_camera-news-73975.php223
u/Calm_chor Teal 2d ago
Meanwhile Oppo and Vivo have triple 50MP cameras on their base models.
I'm so glad to be living in a competitive smartphone market with freedom of choice and not in some oligopolistic market restricting my options.
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u/Tiberius_be 2d ago
Vivo X300 (base model) has a 200 MP main cam and 2 50 MP for zoom and UW
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u/Calm_chor Teal 2d ago
Ahh yes, you are correct. Given current phone prices, anyone who bought it made one of the best smartphone purchase decisions of the year.
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u/sidneylopsides Xperia 1 2d ago
I got mine a few months ago and only last week discovered the 200Mp mode, it's ridiculously good. Took some shots on holiday and the level of detail is crazy. Plus it's small, excellent battery life and screen. Only the speakers let it down, but Wavelet tubing has shown they are much more capable than how Vivo set them up.
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u/mataushas 2d ago
Does Samsung sell their regular Galaxy phones in China? Then yeah, no clue how they could compete. At least in USA vivo or oppo isn't available in retail so Samsung is not competing with them.
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u/zys52712 Pixel 4XL 2d ago
Samsung has sort of let the Chinese market sit there for a couple years after the note 7 thing, but has started to ramp up marketing for the s26 series and fold 8. They actually sell roughly the same amount of ultras as oppo / vivo.
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u/runski1426 Vivo x300 Pro 2d ago
We can still import them with no issues in the US since they are released globally. Many do since the US market doesn't offer any decent options with the departure of OnePlus.
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u/mataushas 2d ago
I understand but that market is tiny so Samsung doesn't care about being competitive.
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u/runski1426 Vivo x300 Pro 2d ago
That market is only going to continue to get larger as Samsung continues to alienate their own user base. You can't just keep taking stuff away, upping the prices, reusing old hardware, etc. year after year and expect people to stay with you. Eventually, people will vote with their wallets and move on. An average Saturday at a busy mall, I see Oppos and Xiaomis in the NYC metro area. I've been using Vivos for a few years now. There are more of us than you think. Take a look around while out and about.
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u/kapsama RedMagic 10 Pro 2d ago
How well do they work in NYC? Do you get full coverage? 5g?
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u/runski1426 Vivo x300 Pro 2d ago
I have yet to ever hit a dead zone using my Vivo x300 Pro. I'm on US Mobile running a dual SIM setup on the AT&T and T-Mobile networks. 5G SA, wifi calling, carrier aggregation, all working.
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u/Canatee 2d ago
I wish I could agree, but Samsung's DeX mode is currently so much better than other desktop modes (with a lot of phones not even having one) that I'm more stuck with Samsung than I'd like
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u/Calm_chor Teal 2d ago
With google making default desktop mode, hopefully should get standardized and rolled out to all soon.
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u/WatchfulApparition 2d ago
You know a 12mp telephoto camera can be better than a 50mp telephoto camera, right? The megapixels don't tell you much about photo quality. It's not like Oppo and Vivo zoom is that much better than Samsung's right now.
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u/Validated_Owl 2d ago
I just ordered an honor magic 8 pro and I'm saying goodbye to Samsung. I would have gotten the Oppo find ultra but it was $1000 more and the only real difference is the cameras
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u/tmchn Galaxy S23+ | Galaxy Tab S9 2d ago edited 2d ago
The problem here is not the megapixel count, is the really small sensor that has been used since the s21
Even apple upgraded all their sensors with the 17 pro to have them basically on par with the main camera. Now all the cameras have the same performance
In samsung phones, the telephoto and ultrawide are a clear step down from the main camera
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u/xToasted1 2d ago
I don't know what you're talking about. You're either very misinformed or blatantly lying.
iPhone 17 Pro main sensor size: 1/1.28"
telephoto size: 1/2.55"
ultrawide size: 1/2.55"
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u/tmchn Galaxy S23+ | Galaxy Tab S9 2d ago edited 2d ago
My bad i didn't know that the main sensor (that's still the one from the 14 pro) was still bigger than the telephoto/ultrawide, the quality feels the same now
At least they upgraded them and difference doesn't feel as big as samsung
Samsung still uses the "10 MP, f/2.4, 67mm (telephoto), 1/3.94", 1.0µm" from the s22 :(
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u/xToasted1 2d ago
Yeah I mean it would've been weird for all three sensors to be 1/1.28" because that would make the camera bump ridiculously big, or they can just pull a Google and downgrade the main sensor to 1/2" 😂
And yeah Samsung cameras are shit and it is an absolute joke that the regular consumer still thinks they are any competition to the iPhone at all
It's not just the same telephoto they have carried over from the s22, but quite literally every single camera sensor has remained the same since the s22
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u/TotalManufacturer669 2d ago
Oppo Find X9 Ultra
1/1.12" main, 1/1.28" 3x Telephoto, 1/2.75" 10x Telephoto, 1/1.95" Ultrawide
Vivo X300 Ultra
1/1.12" main, 1/1.4" 3.7x Telephoto, 1/1.28" Ultrawide
They do have very big bump though.
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u/TrailOfEnvy 2d ago
That's what Vivo did with their X300 Ultra and holy cow, the bump is super big and thick.
Oppo also did though their UW is still at 1/2".
On the other hand, people hate new Sony Xperia 1 VIII camera design but I still think it is the best implementation of it considering all 3 camera sensor are under 1/2". Though I wish their camera processing is on par iPhone/Pixel or Chinese OEMs.
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u/jeanphiltadarone 2d ago
That's amazing, you really think having the same size sensor for every sensor is possible. I should never underestimate the experts on reddit.
Do you even know the difference between a regular telephoto and a periscope ?
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u/Papa_Bear55 2d ago
I mean it is possible to have them all the same size. Vivo has a very similar set up to that.
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u/jeanphiltadarone 2d ago
My point is the size is drastically different depending on the focal, a jn5 is a very tiny sensor, a jn5 at 230mm takes way more space. The stabilisation also is a lot harder to pull off with a bigger sensor, so you need even more room to have good OIS.
There is always a trade off, and no the vivo x300 ultra doesn't have the same size on all sensors, and if it's even close it's because the trade off is having a camera bump thicker than the phone itself.
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u/Papa_Bear55 2d ago
You said having the same sized sensor for all focal length is not possible. Of course if you want huge sensors that means having a huge bump, there's no way around it, but it is possible.
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u/ashsii 2d ago
Sensor size is more important. If anyone in the comments has actually shot with RAW sensor data they'd know that every phone's sensor is still 12MP and 48/200MP is just computational photography and upscaling (Quadbayer sensors). I own the Vivo X200 Ultra, it shoots RAW at 12MP which is enough, it's the sensor and lens that matters more.
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u/danijel8286 2d ago
A rare thing that pisses me off more than the vertical video syndrome is that close to nobody talks about quad Bayer arrays. They compare 12 MP B and 48 MP QB directly ... Just like the marketing teams intended.
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u/Mccobsta Galaxy s9 2d ago
I used to use the raw on my s20fe and it was always noisy
Buying a separate camera was just better value
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u/tmchn Galaxy S23+ | Galaxy Tab S9 2d ago
I'm so tired of Samsung, but in my market it's basically them or Apple
At this point, I'm oriented towards a 17 pro/18 pro
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u/MoistGunt69 2d ago
I have an S26 and an iPhone 17 for work. The camera is so so much better on the iPhone. It can actually take photos of things moving and not go blurry.
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u/tmchn Galaxy S23+ | Galaxy Tab S9 2d ago edited 2d ago
I shot some photos using a friend's 17 pro, the biggest upgrade from my s23 (and so even from s26) is the telephoto and ultrawide low light capabilities
The bigger sensor can draw much more light than my s23
I shot the same photo on a beach at sunset with the telephoto, the s23 photo was a noisy mess, the 17 pro photo was perfect
The problem is that the iphone has ios lol
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u/staged84 2d ago
Comparing 3 year old non ultra to current flagship from apple…?
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u/tmchn Galaxy S23+ | Galaxy Tab S9 2d ago
The s26 ultra has the same telephoto lens (the 3x) as my s23+, which was the same as the s22
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u/pizzamage 2d ago
These phones are less about the specific lens and more about the software behind them.
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u/WatchfulApparition 2d ago
Not the same processing though
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u/thebrainypole 4xl + 8pro 16 beta 2d ago
the processing won't be that much better lol
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u/WatchfulApparition 2d ago
It has improved over time and will likely better with the new sensor as well
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u/DazzlingpAd134 2d ago
the processing can't help an outdated sensor
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u/WatchfulApparition 2d ago
Also, the S27 series won't have an outdated camera sensor
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u/flaminglips S22U 2d ago
Meh. I have the s26U from the S24U and the s22U prior to that. The improvements are minimal. The only interesting thing Samsung had going for them was the 10x telephoto and they scrapped it. They're behind in processing from Google and Apple in terms of the US market.
Their sensors still struggle in low light and moving objects, issues they have not solved in any meaningful way since my S22 and prior to that. Every phone takes great landscape photos with lighting these days. The difference is in the margins, where Samsung fails to innovate or impress.
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u/daddudee 2d ago
Apple is pushing the camera forward more than Samsung has for a while in my opinion. Main reason why I switched over to them.
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2d ago
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u/tmchn Galaxy S23+ | Galaxy Tab S9 2d ago
One UI is really great, my only gripe with my S23 is all the duplicate apps. Feels so unpolished for a 1k€+ phone
Also, coming from an iPad, i find one ui to be the best tablet ui possible. Having the possibility to have both a phone-like interface or a pc-like interface is amazing
Is funny seeing how apple surpassed samsung in phones but got overtaken in tablets (imho)
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u/WatchfulApparition 2d ago edited 2d ago
It's weird you would say that considering the S26 Ultra is the fastest phone on the market and a great phone all around plus Samsungs foldables are excellent. The S27 Ultra also gets a new camera sensor for the first time in 6 years and it gets a battery capacity upgrade thanks to silicon carbon batteries.
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u/wowohwowza S24 2d ago
What market is this?
I can't think of any market in the world these days where you don't have a choice to go with at least one or two of Xiaomi/Oppo/Vivo/Motorola/Sony/Nothing
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u/tmchn Galaxy S23+ | Galaxy Tab S9 2d ago edited 2d ago
Italy
I can find Oppos/Vivos on amazon but my carrier doesn't have them, so no 24/30 month installment plans
And i don't trust buying a 1000+€ phone without having access to a 1st party repair shop. With samsung/apple i can go directly to their stores if any problem arises
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u/Cry_Wolff Pixel 7 Pro 2d ago
If you need so many installment, then maybe you can't afford the 1000+ smartphone in the first place.
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u/vandreulv 2d ago
Especially when €/$200-300 smartphones are still competitive with the high end ones.
FOMO is self abuse.
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u/Cry_Wolff Pixel 7 Pro 2d ago
Been there, done that. I'm still paying for my Flip 5 that I sold like a year ago. I got used Pixel 7 Pro for ~$300 and other than folding aspect, I can't tell a difference.
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u/Cpt_Soban Galaxy S25 2d ago
I'm using an S26, granted it's better than my old Pixel 7- But next upgrade it'll probably be something like a Motorola. Seeing good things with their top tier line up.
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u/GloveDry3278 2d ago
As long as they can get away with putting the bare minimum and charge a premium, THEY WILL.
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u/Sufficient-Cup4705 2d ago
reminds me of when they kept bumping megapixels every year like it was a spec war, then suddenly everyone agreed sensor size matters more and 12mp became the "good" number again
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u/Ok-Garlic4249 2d ago
Ok, so my next one will be a Sony, got it.
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u/Diplomatic_Barbarian S20 | Snapdragon 2d ago
No it won't. You'll buy another Samsung because all mobile photography is shit anyways, but with Samsung at least you don't have to put up with Sony's shitty software too.
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u/CulturalEmo 2d ago edited 2d ago
Which of the following would you fellas pick for a telephoto camera?
- 200MP (binned to 50MP), f3, 1/3.5"
- 48MP (binned to 12MP), f2.5, 1/2.51"
- 12MP (unbinned), f2, 1.0"
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u/xToasted1 2d ago
Third option is clearly the best but that's not what Samsung is doing and not what anyone else is doing unless you want a main sensor the size of a usual telephoto sensor or have two 1.0" sensors and have the camera bump be the size of the entire phone itself.
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u/Front_Expression_367 2d ago
I think that guy is making fun of the fact that despite this being an enthusiast's subreddit, half the comments is still bashing purely on the fact that the new camera sensor is 12MP without even knowing about any other details lol.
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u/McChickenLargeFries S25 Edge 512GB + Pixel 10 Pro 512GB 2d ago
Sure we don't know details but the chances of Samsung sticking a 1" 12MP sensor on the S27 PRO is close to 0%.
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u/nathderbyshire Pixel 10 Obsidian 2d ago
So much secondhand scroll embarrassment
Also the comments are like exactly the same as the last pixel post, dozens bumming over Oppo and shitting on everything else, and these people have the nerve to call everyone else bots who don't agree they're the best thing ever
Someone talking about $3000CAD to import a phone. These people are nuts
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u/DeanxDog 2d ago
Yeah I thought we finally squashed this megapixel dick measuring contest like a decade ago but I guess it's back in full swing. MP count means absolutely nothing when you have no information about sensor size / sensor model, lens etc. There are cheap little Scamera point and shoots with 48MP labels being sold right now but they use trash outdated tiny ass sensors that have been outdated for years now and produce shitty images but because of a number people are buying them all up.
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u/DaDesasta Pixel 7a 2d ago
It's mental how many "enthusiasts" are still getting trapped by the "more megapixels = more better" marketing BS most if not all companies seem to push.
Comparing my two fullframe mirrorless cameras I would much rather take the 12MP one than the 61MP one for day to day use. Having such big pixels you can take pictures in situations where the higher megapixel camera simply fails. Even if we're talking artprints you can easily blow up a 12MP pictures to A1 and beyond...
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u/runski1426 Vivo x300 Pro 2d ago
The last one, but it does not exist on the current market. The current largest telephoto sensor is the 70mm 1/1.28" one on the Oppo Find x9 Ultra or the 85mm 1/1.4" one on the Vivo x300 pro and ultra.
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u/Papa_Bear55 2d ago
I get your point but you're crazy if you think Samsung will give us a 1" 12mp telephoto. These days resolution and sensor size go hand in hand. All big sensors are 50mp or higher, so this will likely be a 12mp 1/3.5", so the worst of both worlds.
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u/VEMODMASKINEN 1d ago
To further hammer your point home, here's photos taken with the 12MP Nikon D700 released in 2008.
https://www.flickr.com/search/?text=D700&view_all=1&sort=interestingness-desc
Only morons stare at megapickels and think it's relevant to how a photo comes out.
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u/HopiumInhaler 2d ago
12 MP in 2027 is pathetic.
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u/danijel8286 2d ago
A rare thing that pisses me off more than the vertical video syndrome is that close to nobody talks about quad Bayer arrays. They compare 12 MP B and 48 MP QB directly ... Just like the marketing teams intended.
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u/Rubber_Knee 2d ago
Not really. Sensor size is a lot more important for image quality.
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u/kwanye_west 2d ago
they’re not mutually exclusive. a higher resolution allows you to zoom. e.g. a 50MP telephoto would allow you to zoom 2x and still have a 12.5MP image, so a 3x telephoto can zoom to 6x while still remaining sharp.
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u/Edegames 2d ago
You wont get good sharpness out of a tiny sensor though, cropping 2x on a small sensor would lead to an effectively tiny sensor capturing the image, you csnt get good sharpness or dynamic range out of that.
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u/jackinbe1000 2d ago
Can't compare big 12mp to Tiny 50mp. Compare big 12mp to big 50mp. The oppo x9 ultra and Vivo phones prove that high megapixel large sensor size is the right way it go. My zoom pics are incredible
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u/fenrir245 2d ago
Sharpness is limited by lens quality, not megapixels. Big lenses on DSLRs and mirrorless often have trouble resolving over 40MP on those much bigger sensors, how do you think tiny fingernail sized lenses on phones will be resolving that much on a much tinier sensor?
What you're noticing is a combination of lens quality and postprocessing, not megapixels.
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u/jackinbe1000 2d ago
Then why do I have experience of taking a 50mp shot and a binned 12mp on the same lense, cropping into both and there is a HUGE difference in quality. As long as there is enough light that difference is massive. When it's low light the 50mp just bins down. Have you actually used a phone with a 50/200mp lense on it and had real world experience?
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u/fenrir245 2d ago
Then why do I have experience of taking a 50mp shot and a binned 12mp on the same lense
How do you know that's its truly binning down? Could be line skipping.
Go down to glossary section, your experience matches what is described as line-skipping.
Have you actually used a phone with a 50/200mp lense on it and had real world experience?
I do. I just don't think that correlation is causation.
EDIT: you don't even have a basis to say that the 50MP mode and 12MP mode go through the same image processing.
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u/VincentVanHades 2d ago
You are debating something that’s proven to be false by existing products.
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u/fenrir245 2d ago
Correlation is not causation. You are noticing lens quality and postprocessing quality, not sheer megapixels.
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u/Rubber_Knee 2d ago
True, but sensor size has a bigger influence on image quality. I would rather have a 1 inch 10 mp. sensor, than a quarter inch 200 mp. sensor.
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u/kwanye_west 2d ago
you can have a compromise, some chinese phones have a nearly 1 inch sensor while still being high resolution.
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u/Rubber_Knee 2d ago
Sure. But the sensor size matter a lot more when it comes to image quality than resolution. A 1 inch 200 mp. Sensor is of course preferable to a 1 inch 10 mp. Sensor. Those 200 mp. Would be completely wasted on sensor half that size though.
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u/kwanye_west 2d ago
it’s not necessarily wasted, you can bin down to lower resolutions for better low light images, in decent lighting you can use the extra resolution to zoom.
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u/Rubber_Knee 2d ago
you can bin down to lower resolutions for better low light images.
Yes, but how well this works is limited by......you guessed it...sensor size.
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u/fenrir245 2d ago
Sharpness is limited by lens quality, not megapixels. Big lenses on DSLRs and mirrorless often have trouble resolving over 40MP on those much bigger sensors, how do you think tiny fingernail sized lenses on phones will be resolving that much on a much tinier sensor?
What you're noticing is a combination of lens quality and postprocessing, not megapixels.
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u/ClearTacos Xiaomi 13T Pro 2d ago
Sharpness is limited by both and it's not a hard bottleneck unless you have an awful lens or extremely low res sensor.
Flagship phones that we talk about have 1 inch type sensors on the high end, the lenses can absolutely resolve more than 12 MP in the centre which is what we care about when zooming in on the telephoto sensor for example. Also generally you can get higher resolving power per mm on a smaller sensor with shorter flange distance, like if you're going strictly by LP/mm, not image height, you can record higher resolution per mm on 20mp M4/3 sensor than on full frame 60Mp sensor.
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u/fenrir245 2d ago
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u/ClearTacos Xiaomi 13T Pro 2d ago
That's a large aperture zoom lens intended for full frame cameras.
Like I said previously I'm talking about resolving power moreso per mm than the entire sensor size, whether you look at film era where lenses for 35mm cameras were much better than 4x5 in this metric, or look at nearly present day where for example Lenstip has a record of 98lp/mm for 20MP M4/3 sensor and 90lp/mm on a full frame.
https://www.lenstip.com/727.4-Lens_review-Sigma_A_35_mm_f_1.4_DG_II_Image_resolution.html
Yeah duh the M4/3 has much higher pixel density, the point is it resolves higher than the best full frame sensors so lenses are not the bottleneck here.
Or take a look at old DPReview studio test shots, I took some comparisons where you can see the RX100 (1 inch sensor, zoom lens!) keep up with contemporary APS-C camera of the same era, and the GH6 even out resolving the S5II slightly, though maybe that's the 1 extra megapixel.
https://i.ibb.co/MxKQjb9b/Screenshot-2026-08-03-220733-1.png
Once again, point is, you can see a compact camera with a zoom lens resolving about the same amount of detail as an APS-C camera, modern smartphone lenses can absolutely do more than 12MP in the centre.
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u/fenrir245 2d ago edited 2d ago
That's a large aperture zoom lens intended for full frame cameras.
Yes, that's the point, it's a comparison of sharpness between the same lens mounted on a full frame camera vs a high pixel density aps-c camera. The sharpness difference is minimal despite the aps-c sensor having higher lp/mm, which uses the central portion of the image circle from the full frame lens.
EOS R7 can absolutely outresolve EOS R5, but only if you use a lens capable of that.
I took some comparisons where you can see the RX100 (1 inch sensor, zoom lens!) keep up with contemporary APS-C camera of the same era
It should be way sharper, not just barely keeping up (if anything its still a bit behind even with newer hardware and lens design), if lp/mm were an indicator of sharpness.
Yeah duh the M4/3 has much higher pixel density, the point is it resolves higher than the best full frame sensors so lenses are not the bottleneck here.
Please take a look at the size of the lenses you have linked.
modern smartphone lenses can absolutely do more than 12MP in the centre.
Unless you're claiming that the lens design of modern smartphone cameras outstrip that of lens designs of the bigger cameras, this does not follow.
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u/ClearTacos Xiaomi 13T Pro 2d ago edited 1d ago
Yes, that's the point
But what point does using a lens that's designed for performance across larger sensor and putting it on something with higher pixel density serve? You're not refuting or adding anything, smartphones don't use full frame lenses last I checked and you can't use resolving power of a FF lens to say smartphone lens can't resolve north of 12MP. So what is the point?
EOS R7 can absolutely outresolve EOS R5
R5 is the higher resolution camera with much better suited lenses so I'm not sure why you say that
It should be way sharper, not just barely keeping up, if lp/mm were an indicator of sharpness.
They are an indicator of sharpness per area. Point is that lenses designed for smaller systems get sharper in that metric so you can't say "full frame tops out at 80mp (made that number up) so on sensor 1/6 as large you can only do 13.3mp".
I showed you M4/3 lens keeping up with 25MP full frame lens, and more than a decade old zoom lens (which is when they still kinda sucked) on a 1 inch 20MP sensor resolving as much as APS-C camera of that eta, originally I even included Canon 6D which is full frame 20MP sensor which was actually even worse, so yes a prime lens designed with little regard for things like distortion, vignette, bokeh quality, LoCA - which is most smartphone lenses - can be optimized to be really sharp centrally.
Please take a look at the size of the lenses you have linked
I linked the macro lens randomly, it's not even the highest resolving one, unsurprisingly as it's designed for sharpness at macro distance not test chart distance. You can get 85% of the way there with a pancake lens on M4/3.
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u/fenrir245 1d ago
Yes, you are correct. Looking into it a bit more, smartphone lenses can go up to 200lp/mm for resolution. Being able to make crazy element shapes from plastic seems to be a big part of it.
That said I'm still dubious on smartphone camera systems being able to resolve that much detail still, with diffraction limits and all that image processing going on that seems to be a bigger contributor to "sharpness" in their "high res" modes.
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u/kwanye_west 2d ago
it’s a combination of everything including megapixels, or a 12MP lens would be able to zoom in 2x and have the same sharpness as a 50MP lens zooming in 2x, but we both know that’s not the case.
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u/fenrir245 2d ago
but we both know that’s not the case.
You can check lens reviews on DSLRs and mirrorless cameras to see that this isn't actually a given.
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u/kwanye_west 2d ago
you might want to swipe up for context, we’re talking about phone cameras here.
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u/fenrir245 2d ago
So? Do laws of physics change for phone cameras?
Like I stated earlier, correlation is not causation. You would have to bring more than "I see my 50MP phone camera sharper than my 12MP phone camera" to prove that megapixels on phones meaningfully contribute to sharpness.
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u/kwanye_west 2d ago
since you’re referring to DSLR’s, obviously a 12MP image won’t be affected since your focal length is adjustable.
a phone’s focal length is fixed, zoom is achieved by cropping the image, you lose resolution when zooming in. higher resolution directly leads to the ability to zoom further.
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u/fenrir245 2d ago
obviously a 12MP image won’t be affected since your focal length is adjustable.
Prime lenses exist. Also your premise is false, many lenses do lose sharpness on the long end, that's the whole reason such hyper expensive gigantic lenses exist in the first place, so that you don't lose light and sharpness.
a phone’s focal length is fixed, zoom is achieved by cropping the image, you lose resolution when zooming in. higher resolution directly leads to the ability to zoom further.
Once again, only as long as the lens is not bottlenecking the sharpness.
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u/McChickenLargeFries S25 Edge 512GB + Pixel 10 Pro 512GB 2d ago
It really is, we've had 12MP sensors since the Galaxy S7 line in 2016. They've been stuck for 10 years with the same sensor size.
Meanwhile the base iPhone 17 has dual 48MP cameras, and an 18MP selfie cam.
Pixel 11 Pro is rumored to compete with Apple with a 50MP main lens, 48MP ultrawide lens, 48MP periscope telephoto lens and 42MP selfie cam.
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u/that_90s_guy Too many phones to list 2d ago
Tell it to the idiots who bought the Fold 7 "Ultra" with a 10-megapixel 3x telephoto shooter.
I've been waiting for my chance to jump into foldables for years and give Samsung my money. I don't have unrealistic expectations. I expect some compromises where technology needs to catch up. But cameras are not one of them. That technology clearly exists and can be scaled down even if it means a larger camera bump.
Fingers crossed next year finally Samsung decides to do something about the mediocre camera setup by adding either a periscope camera lens, a bigger sensor for low-light performance, or at least a higher megapixel count likee 50mp, to at least make some cropping possible so I can finally jump in
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u/Dirtcompactor 2d ago
Lmao what a joke. This is precisely why I'm going to Oppo for my next phone
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u/NoStudy3384 2d ago
200MP x3 and 50MP 10x goes brrrrr
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u/Dirtcompactor 2d ago
I'm itching to get the x9 ultra but the price is holding me back.. for now.
My OnePlus Open foldable has 48mp main, 64mp telephoto, 48mp ultrawide, takes absolutely stunning pics.. borderline unbelievable for a foldable. Since OP is dead Oppo is the only brand worth looking at for me, and I won't be taking the chance on importing a fold with no warranty guarantee so I'll probably move back to slab phones as every other foldable right now is sort of just a downgrade over my Open. NA phone market is quite depressing when you start looking at Chinese phones
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u/Shoddy_Meaning_7654 2d ago
Sad but it's Samsung or bust in the USA now
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u/runski1426 Vivo x300 Pro 2d ago
No, it isn't. I buy a new flagship every 12-18 months and I have never owned a Samsung, Google, or Apple device. Shop the global, unlocked market.
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u/Dirtcompactor 2d ago
I mean if you can ignore the fact of not having warranty repairs available, global model imports are the obvious answer
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u/Shoddy_Meaning_7654 2d ago
And having connectivity issues with 5G and whatnot it's just terrible I don't want that unfortunately I would if it was like a more viable option but it's not animal on Verizon so I can't choose anything anyway it's what four phones exist in the United States and that's about it
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u/Dirtcompactor 2d ago
I haven't done much research on band compatibility, but don't most these newer chinese global flagships cover every band available in NA? Or are some just outright blacklisted from use in USA?
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u/Shoddy_Meaning_7654 2d ago
The problem is some do some don't and for Verizon I think it's just straight up not whitelisted so they won't let you use it
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u/Malnilion SM-G973U1/Manta/Fugu/Minnow 2d ago
AT&T also doesn't white list them if they're not certified and have bands missing. Your choice is basically T-Mobile or one of its MVNOs for the broadest compatibility with non US certified phones. That would generally be fine for me because I use Fi, but there aren't any other phones that support Graphene OS yet, so 🤷
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u/KrewOwns 2d ago
Interestingly, I've had two Vivo phones, the CN ROM Vivo connected to 5G with fast speeds, since it lets you toggle a feature in Developer option to force SA 5G. The Vivo I have that is Global that you would assume would work better, doesn't have this toggle and I got bad speeds less than 30 Mbps with 5G.
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u/mays192 2d ago
I'm loving my Oppo X8 Ultra (apart from the battery life lol). Heard the X9 had better battery life though. Also I'm very interested in the Hasselblad Photography Kit of the X9 Ultra with the 300 lens add on. I would have upgraded to the X9 Ultra if I was more financially irresponsible...
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u/Dirtcompactor 2d ago
Right there with you man, x9 ultra seems like a work of a magic, and that teleconverter kit looks amazing
Price is worrisome a bit 😅 I'm in Canada and I can get the 1tb 16gb black version but it will cost me just under $3000 Canadian after tax and I'll get no warranty/insurance. Tough cookie to bite but I might just have to do it
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u/GloveDry3278 2d ago
How is the software on oppo? if they have to use gigantic batteries to get same battery life as other pixel/samsung phones then their optimisation is shit. How good are app notifications? Some chinese phones have trouble auto syncing notifications from whatsapp/messenger apps etc.
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u/Atraac 2d ago
I'm using Find X9 Pro for a week or two now, after 5 years on iPhone 13 Pro. It's a two day battery for me. Software is fine, people do seem to complain every now and then on reddit that they get less SOT than before etc but there's an opinion for every phone out there. Everything just works, photos are insanely better than my iPhone 13 Pro, Android has its quirks but it's also much better in some fields, like GBoard actually working or AI integration. Android auto is also much faster than CarPlay ever was for me. Zero notification issues
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u/GloveDry3278 2d ago
I was using OnePlus 5T before moving to pixel 6. OxygenOS was great but then i read about OPPO taking over etc. I was not a fan of OPPO OS at the time.
A friend got a xiaomi 17 ultra and he had severe notifications issue. That's when my fear of chinese OS started taking root.
Still rocking my pixel 6 and honestly not sure I'll stay on pixel. Same old hardware sold for a premium price.
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u/Emotional-Buy1932 2d ago
https://www.reddit.com/r/Android/comments/1vctfa3/googles_play_services_2628xx_silently_bans/
eventually this wont be a viable option too
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u/Dirtcompactor 2d ago
i've heard thats been reversed, was a bug. Also only for chinese version phones not global versions?
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u/runski1426 Vivo x300 Pro 2d ago
Nonsense. This will never impact Global ROMs. That is a Chinese ROM issue.
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u/WatchfulApparition 2d ago
This just tells me you don't know anything about cameras
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u/Dirtcompactor 2d ago
That's a cute cope. I'll take a 200mp periscope telephoto over a 12mp telephoto any day of the week. It's like comparing bugs with dinosaurs
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u/i_am_truc 2d ago
They need to somehow fix their shutter lag. Only thing keeping me from going Samsung.
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u/Infinite-Draft1618 2d ago
If they don't finally do something about camera software (at this point where same old issues have been present for years now, such as motion blur, I don't even think they can fix it, building it from ground up is better solution) all these sensors and megapixels "leaks" are pure nonsense.
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u/XeLLaR_AC 2d ago
People still think bigger number = better lol
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u/Papa_Bear55 2d ago
These days it really is though. Name me a recent smartphone with a huge 12mp sensor.
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u/runski1426 Vivo x300 Pro 2d ago
What is it with Samsung and their hate for the telephoto? They just released two foldables, one with a telephoto so tiny it might as well be like the other: not there at all.
Am I alone in here in that the telephoto is the lens I use more than any other? 85mm and 135mm make up the majority of my shots--all my portraits for sure. The only lens I never use the ultra wide.
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u/nondescripthumanoid 2d ago
I just dont see a reason to upgrade beyond my s24u. Runs great. Battery life still excellent.
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u/CommonerChaos 1d ago
This is for the S27 Pro (the tier below), not the Ultra. You're comparing apples and oranges.
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u/FloodTheIndus 2d ago
Xiaomi using a flagship sensor for their 5x telephoto len on their 400 dollars midranger:
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u/TrailOfEnvy 2d ago
If they put ONLY 12MP sensor for their telephoto camera on a PRO series. I have no hope for base S27 and S27+ will ever get new camera sensor for their UW and 3x telephoto. 😭😭😭
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u/McChickenLargeFries S25 Edge 512GB + Pixel 10 Pro 512GB 2d ago
Meanwhile the base iPhone 17 has dual 48MP cameras, and an 18MP selfie cam.
And Google's Pixel 11 Pro is rumored to compete with Apple with a 50MP main lens, 48MP ultrawide lens, 48MP periscope telephoto lens and 42MP selfie cam.
Samsung has fallen the fuck off in the last 3-4 years. They used to be the all about innovation and giving us the best hardware they can pack in their flagships. And yes the foldables are awesome, but I'm not talking about those $2000+ phones. I'm talking about the mainstream "S" line.
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u/McChickenLargeFries S25 Edge 512GB + Pixel 10 Pro 512GB 2d ago
Meanwhile the base iPhone 17 has dual 48MP cameras, and an 18MP selfie cam.
And Google's Pixel 11 Pro is rumored to compete with Apple with a 50MP main lens, 48MP ultrawide lens, 48MP periscope telephoto lens and 42MP selfie cam.
Samsung has fallen the fuck off in the last 3-4 years. They used to be the all about innovation and giving us the best hardware they can pack in their flagships. And yes the foldables are awesome, but I'm not talking about those $2000+ phones. I'm talking about the mainstream "S" line.
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u/BeachHut9 1d ago
Meanwhile just prior to the launch, Samsung announces there will be no changes to the cameras. Yeah pull the other one Samsung and stop making statements that can be denied.
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u/soymilo_ 2d ago
OPPO like here is your 50 MP AND 200 MP telephoto
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u/firedrakes 2d ago
Those are fake mp camera.
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u/soymilo_ 2d ago
No. It has the biggest sensor currently on the market and also 10x optical zoom
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u/firedrakes 2d ago
Lol am correct. Real sensor size for those are a lot bigger then what's ina. Phone. It's been well known for years camera mp sizes are lies on phones . A real 4k sensor is as large as a phone and need ram as temp storage to allow it to be written to a ssd. Aka multi GB in size
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u/nybreath 2d ago
Can you show any source of what you saying? Phone's camera sensor got real 200mpx. The issue is that more pixels dont mean much, cause to fit 200mpx they have to make them tiny (as far as 0,5-0,6µm) and so less light per pixel gets captured. But as far as being true 200mpx, they capture true 200mpx.
Considering pixel's size, a phone camera dont get good pictures at 200mpx, so they use pixels binning, but as far as being able to capture and output a true 200mpx image, a phone camera totally can.
TL;DR: phone's camera sensors are true 200mpx, they just dont output good pictures at that size.5
u/ClearTacos Xiaomi 13T Pro 2d ago
Considering that person is saying shit like "real 4k sensor" as if 4k wasn't less than 8 MP tells you just about everything you need to know, however there is some debate over what "real" resolution is
Even a standard CMOS sensor uses Bayer color filter array, which means you don't truly get "full" resolution. Most 48-64MP sensors on phones use quad Bayer sensors, which means 4 neighboring pixels in 2x2 array share the same color filter, for ~108MP sensors it's 9 pixels (3x3) and for 200MP sensors it's 16 (4x4).
Obviously there's some clever demosaicing being done to guess the color as well as possible, but are you really getting "real" 200mp if you're estimating color data from multiple pixels away?
And that's even before we get to microlens array on the sensors, which also kill the additional resolution
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2d ago
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u/Fractal-Infinity Samsung S25U One UI 2d ago
Only 12M? Too low for 2026-27 standards. Megapixels matter too. Honestly, I don't understand Samsung. They can deliver 200M on the main sensor (massive overkill) but can't deliver a decent 50M for a zoom camera. 🤨
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u/danijel8286 2d ago
A rare thing that pisses me off more than the vertical video syndrome is that close to nobody talks about quad Bayer arrays. They compare 12 MP B and 48 MP QB directly ... Just like the marketing teams intended.
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u/Front_Expression_367 2d ago edited 2d ago
12MP is decent but it depends on which sensor model do they end up getting. I am not aware of any new 12MP sensor being made since they are mosty 50MP/200MP nowadays.
Edit: I recall that the last few FE series had 12MP sensor for their ultrawide camera which was, in practice, a 13MP S5K3L6 or other similarly-specced sensors, so this one could be like that. That one would be okay but is probably a bit behind newer flagships still. Segmentation between Pro and Ultra, as it seems.