Samsung unveils a powerful new 200MP telephoto camera sensor that could be heading to the Galaxy S25 Ultra

an image of the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra

The rear cameras on the Galaxy S24 Ultra (Image credit: Future / Roland Moore-Colyer)

We're unlikely to see the Samsung Galaxy S25 unveiled before January 2025, but in the meantime, Samsung has unveiled a trio of new mobile camera lenses – one of which, a flagship 200MP camera, may well find its way into the Galaxy S25 series next year.

Announced via a press release, the sensor series is led by the ISOCELL HP9. It has a 200MP resolution, 12% better light sensitivity, and a 10% improvement in autofocus contrast compared to its immediate predecessor in Samsung's line-up. This isn't actually a completely new camera though, as it's already shown up in the Vivo X100 Ultra.

There's up to 4x optical zoom on the sensor itself, so it can reach up to a 12x zoom level when paired with another 3x telephoto module. As a reminder, the Galaxy S24 and Galaxy S24 Plus offer 3x optical zoom, while the Galaxy S24 Ultra boosts that to 5x.

Considering the Galaxy S24 Ultra is already fitted with an older 200MP camera as part of its quad-lens setup, we suspect the ISOCELL HP9 is heading to the Galaxy S25 Ultra. That fits with previous rumors that the Galaxy S25 Ultra would get a new sensor that didn't increase the megapixel count but did improve light sensitivity.

Minor upgrades on the way

Samsung ISOCELL H9, ISOCELL JN5, ISOCELL GNJ camera lenses — The new Samsung camera sensors (Image credit: Samsung)

Also included in this new Samsung unveiling are the 50MP ISOCELL JN5 and the 50MP ISOCELL GNJ. The sensor size and megapixel count on that second camera closely matches what we saw in the Galaxy S24 and the Galaxy S24 Plus, so this may well be the primary camera for the newer models coming in 2025.

Samsung is promising fewer artifacts in photos and videos from this improved camera sensor, more accurate color capture and better preservation of details. It's also less demanding than previous sensors regarding power draw, which will help with the battery life.

All the signs are that the Galaxy 25 range is going to get relatively minor camera upgrades next year, but these new lenses – if they are going to be used – should help improve capture quality. Of course, the Galaxy S25 isn't mentioned in the press release at all.

While we wait for 2025 to roll around, TechRadar will be covering Samsung's next Galaxy Unpacked from the ground on Wednesday, July 10. The products on show should include the Galaxy Z Fold 6 and the Galaxy Z Flip 6 foldables.

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.