New Samsung Galaxy S23 rumors point to photo and video upgrades

Samsung Galaxy S22 back angle
The Galaxy S22 is due a successor soon (Image credit: Future / Lance Ulanoff)

We're continuing to hear plenty of leaks and rumors around the Samsung Galaxy S23 series of phones, and the latest unconfirmed whispers are pointing to upgrades for both the photo-taking and video-taking capabilities of the handsets.

According to seasoned bringer-of-leaks Ice Universe, in terms of video recording the new Galaxy S23 phones will be able to capture 8K footage at 30 frames-per-second. That's up from 24 fps across the three phones in the Galaxy S22 range.

It might not seem the most significant of jumps, but it's likely to be a welcome one nevertheless as more and more movie makers switch to an 8K resolution for their video. That video will look smoother on the 2023 flagships.

More improvements

That's not all, because Ice Universe also says that photos taken in daytime conditions with the Galaxy S23 Ultra are going to be "clearer", as well as offering "better details and higher saturation" for shots taken with the handset.

While there isn't much specificity there, it sounds in line with what we've been hearing about the Galaxy S23 range – that images and video captured from the Ultra model in particular are going to be noticeably better.

Based on what we've heard previously, it sounds as though Ice Universe has got hold of a Galaxy S23 handset in advance, or perhaps just seen the results of its rear cameras. The new phones are expected to be unveiled in February 2023.


Analysis: pushing camera quality

Smartphone camera quality has now improved to such an extent that it's difficult for manufacturers to make huge leaps forward with the tech year on year. It sounds as though the Galaxy S23 upgrades will be minor ones in the photo and video capturing department.

The Samsung Galaxy S22 and Samsung Galaxy S22 Plus sported triple-lens 50MP+12MP+10MP rear cameras with 3x optical zoom, while the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra topped the range with a quad-lens 108MP+12MP+10MP+10MP rear camera that boasted 10x optical zoom.

There's been talk that the Ultra model may be fitted with a 200MP camera on the back next year, and unsurprisingly that's going to lead to substantial improvements in terms of low light photography and telephoto zoom options. However, some of the other cameras in the rear module are apparently staying the same.

We've heard less about potential camera upgrades for the Galaxy S23 and Galaxy S23 Plus. What rumors there have been have suggested that there won't be much of an upgrade in terms of hardware components, though software algorithms can always be improved.

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David Nield
Freelance Contributor

Dave is a freelance tech journalist who has been writing about gadgets, apps and the web for more than two decades. Based out of Stockport, England, on TechRadar you'll find him covering news, features and reviews, particularly for phones, tablets and wearables. Working to ensure our breaking news coverage is the best in the business over weekends, David also has bylines at Gizmodo, T3, PopSci and a few other places besides, as well as being many years editing the likes of PC Explorer and The Hardware Handbook.