Samsung Galaxy S11 could be best camera phone for zoom pictures, leak suggests

Samsung Galaxy S10 camera
(Image credit: Future)

The Samsung Galaxy S11 camera is expected to be seriously impressive. Not only have we heard it'll have a 108MP main camera, which is far sharper than the 12MP of the Galaxy S10, but a new rumor states the zoom lens will be paired with a 48MP sensor.

That rumor comes from established leaker @UniverseIce, who posted on Twitter suggesting the telephoto lens, responsible for zoomed-in pictures, will have a sensor resolution of at least 48MP, on the Galaxy S11, S11 Plus and even the 'budget' S11e.

That's an impressive resolution, but it should be incredible given that we've also heard the lens will support up to 5x zoom. That's the best optical zoom you can find on a phone right now, matching the Huawei P30 Pro and Xiaomi Mi Note 10

However those smartphones have 8MP and 5MP sensors with their telephoto lenses respectively, which would pale in comparison with the whopping 48MP the Galaxy S11 is said to have. That means zoomed-in pictures on those phones aren't incredible quality, but they should be on the Galaxy S11.

Since most smartphones have sensors on zoom cameras at or under 12MP, a 48MP snapper would lap the competition. All in all, if each of these rumors turn out to accurately reflect the Galaxy S11 camera, the handset could easily be one of the best camera phones of all time.

That explains a Galaxy S11 camera feature...

In November 2019 we heard a rumor about a Samsung Galaxy S11 camera feature called 'Space Zoom' that uses software to zoom in on a subject without losing quality. Obviously, the name indicates this is to be used for the capture of celestial bodies.

While software would do some work to make planets and the moon clearer on a smartphone camera, you're going to need the lens and sensor to do some heavy lifting too – but a telephoto lens with 5x zoom, and a high-quality 48MP sensor, would do just that.

Perhaps Samsung will soon have a feature that could rival the Huawei P30's moon mode, or the Google Pixel 4's astrophotography mode, which would enable you to take high-quality pictures not just of a starry sky, or the moon, but other planetary bodies too.

We'll find out for sure come February 2020, when we're expecting the Samsung Galaxy S11, S11 Plus and S11e to launch. But since the leaks and rumors are coming thick and fast already, stay tuned to TechRadar to stay on top of all the latest information.

Via GSMArena

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Tom Bedford
Contributor

Tom Bedford was deputy phones editor on TechRadar until late 2022, having worked his way up from staff writer. Though he specialized in phones and tablets, he also took on other tech like electric scooters, smartwatches, fitness, mobile gaming and more. He is based in London, UK and now works for the entertainment site What To Watch.

He graduated in American Literature and Creative Writing from the University of East Anglia. Prior to working on TechRadar, he freelanced in tech, gaming and entertainment, and also spent many years working as a mixologist.