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Samsung might give you a big reason to not buy the Galaxy S24 Ultra. The 2024 Ultra flagship is rumored to be missing a 10x optical zoom camera, something the lineup has had since the Galaxy S21 Ultra in 2021. The company is replacing it with a 5x solution, which is a massive downgrade.
According to reliable tipster Ice Universe, the Galaxy S24 Ultra will feature a 10MP telephoto lens with 3x optical zoom and a 50MP telephoto lens with 5x optical zoom. The letter sensor has an optical size of 1/2.52 inches and features 0.7μm pixels. The source didn’t share further details, but the biggest news here is the lack of a 10x lens.
It is something that has set Samsung’s Ultra flagships apart from the competition for a long time now. No other smartphone currently offers a 10x optical zoom, and very few of them go up to 5x. By removing it, the Korean firm is giving up one of the biggest USPs of the Ultra lineup. The likes of the Xiaomi 13 Ultra will match the zoom levels offered by the Galaxy S24 Ultra, with the Xiaomi phone giving you 50MP sensors for both 3x and 5x optical zoom.
This would be a huge downgrade for the Galaxy S24 Ultra
It’s unclear why Samsung is making this unexpected and potentially ill-fated downgrade. Unsurprisingly, its fans aren’t happy about this change. In fact, the entire smartphone community is baffled by this decision, with many hoping the rumor isn’t true. But Ice Universe sounds confident about the information that has reached him through industry sources. “I know it’s hard for you to accept, me too, but it’s the truth,” he said in a recent X/Twitter post.
Rumors about Samsung changing the zoom camera system of its Ultra flagship in 2024 aren’t new, though. We originally heard that Samsung will introduce a variable zoom camera offering digital zoom at all magnification levels between 3x and 10x. Follow-up rumors hinted at 5x and 10x optical zoom cameras. Then we were told that the 3x lens would be upgraded to a 50MP sensor while the 10x lens would remain unchanged.
All of these rumors suggested a positive change or an upgrade. However, in reality, Samsung seems to be downgrading the 10x zoom camera to a 5x solution while keeping the 3x lens unchanged, at least in terms of resolution. The Galaxy S24 Ultra may keep the 200MP primary camera and 12MP ultrawide lens unchanged as well. If these rumors turn out to be accurate, then Samsung may turn off many potential buyers of the phone.