We've been hearing plenty about the upcoming Samsung Galaxy S20 (previously known as the Galaxy S11) this week, and a newly leaked image gives us some idea of what the rear camera array on the Ultra model is going to look like.
Not only that, but the image posted by tipster Ishan Agarwal on Twitter makes another mention of the 100x digital zoom that's supposedly coming to the most powerful and most expensive S20 in the range.
That matches up with spec sheets we saw yesterday and other rumors that have been floating around in the last few days. It appears that the Galaxy S20 Ultra is going to have a very impressive quad-lens camera attached on the back.
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And Samsung is apparently so proud of what it's been able to put together that a "100x" label will be attached right by the periscope camera that also offers up to 10x optical zoom – though we're not sure if that's truly optical or not.
Optical zoom means zooming in without any loss in picture quality, in the same way as conventional cameras do – even when you're zoomed in, all the original detail is retained, up to the zoom level limit.
Digital zoom, meanwhile, uses software trickery to make educated guesses about details in images, and where pixels should be put as a picture gets bigger. It's not considered as good as optical zoom, but it's easier to do on a phone with limitations on space.
With Google, Apple and others now relying so heavily on algorithms and digital enhancements to make mobile pictures the best they can be, the line between digital and optical zoom is blurring.
We'll have to wait and see exactly what optical and digital zoom levels the Galaxy S20 phones use, and how much of a role software processing plays. The big announcement day is February 11.
Via SamMobile
