Samsung's high-end phones typically feature cutting-edge camera systems. However, it's been four years since Samsung overhauled the camera hardware on its flagship Galaxy phones, so it's best to do so with the Galaxy S25 series early next year.

Higher-resolution telephoto and ultra-wide cameras on premium Galaxy phones

While Samsung introduced a 50MP 5x telephoto camera with the Galaxy S24 Ultra, the Galaxy S24 and Galaxy S24+ still have the same old 10MP 3x telephoto camera. Even the Galaxy S24 Ultra's 3x telephoto and ultra-wide cameras are only 10MP and 12MP, respectively.

Meanwhile, rivals have moved to 48MP, 50MP, and even 200MP sensors for telephoto and ultra-wide cameras. For example, the Xiaomi 14 Ultra has four 50MP rear cameras and a 32MP front camera; The entire camera on the Motorola Edge 50 Ultra is 50MP or higher; the Vivo X100 Ultra has three 50MP secondary cameras alongside the 200MP main camera.

Even Apple and Google – which are considered conservative companies like Samsung – are expected to bring major camera upgrades. All four cameras on the Pixel 9 Pro are 42MP or higher. The iPhone 16 Pro could feature a 48MP main and ultra-wide camera alongside a 12MP telephoto camera. Meanwhile, the iPhone 17 Pro is expected to bump the resolution of the front and telephoto cameras to 48MP and 24MP.

The current camera system on the Galaxy S24 series is not bad. However, it should be significantly improved with larger and higher resolution camera sensors alongside better processors and algorithms.

For example, a higher-resolution telephoto camera can enable further digital zoom without sacrificing image quality; an ultra-wide camera can capture more detail if it has a higher-resolution sensor.

What can you expect from the Galaxy S25 Ultra's camera system?

According to leaks, the Galaxy S25 Ultra will feature a 200MP main camera alongside a 50MP ultra-wide, 3x telephoto, and 5x telephoto camera. Meanwhile, the front camera is said to use a 12MP sensor like the Galaxy S24 Ultra and Galaxy S23 Ultra. However, I hope Samsung considers using a 24MP or 50MP sensor for the front camera.

If Samsung doesn't upgrade the camera hardware with the Galaxy S25 Ultra, it risks falling behind Apple and Google. The ultra-wide and telephoto cameras on the Galaxy S25 and Galaxy S25+ should also be upgraded to 50MP resolution to better compete with Apple and Google's Pro phones.

Samsung should also pay attention to the camera system of its Galaxy foldable phones. The Galaxy Z Flip series should add a telephoto camera. The Galaxy Z Fold series should have a camera system comparable to the Galaxy S Ultra, which could happen with the upcoming Galaxy Z Fold 6 Slim. However, we shouldn't celebrate until Samsung confirms it.