Samsung started the “megapixel revolution” in the smartphone segment years ago. The company first launched 48MP sensors, reaching 200MP today. A while back, Samsung revealed its ambitions to release up to a 500MP camera sensor for smartphones in the future. Well, a recent report suggests that time is drawing near.
Samsung Galaxy phones could get 500MP camera sensors soon
Currently, Samsung’s high-resolution sensors are present in many smartphones across all price ranges. However, Sony continues to dominate the premium segment. Most Android brands rely on big 50MP Sony sensors for their devices’ main cameras. On the other hand, Samsung bets on its own 200MP camera tech for its Galaxy S Ultra.
According to reliable tipster Jukanlosreve, the South Korean giant will continue with its approach and take it further in the future. The X/Twitter report reads that Samsung is already making a 500MP sensor for its Galaxy phones. Currently, the company uses its more advanced 200MP sensors in its Galaxy S Ultra devices, so the new camera will likely be featured in its upcoming Galaxy premium flagship phones.
We won’t see the new sensor on the upcoming Galaxy S25 series, though. Multiple leaks have confirmed that the company will continue to use a 200MP main sensor on the Galaxy S25 Ultra.
Megapixels vs sensor size
Samsung’s bet on high-megapixel sensors has pros and cons compared to the path taken by other brands. Premium mobile devices from rivals opt for large sensors—1 inch or close to it—but with a resolution of 50MP. The size of these sensors allows them to capture much more information. However, they take up considerable space in the body of the device, resulting in huge camera bumps.
On the other hand, the smaller physical size of Samsung’s 200MP sensors enables more discreet designs. However, they require more work at the image processing level. This means that you have to wait longer to get the picture after taking it, which is something that many Galaxy users have complained about. Samsung’s Good Lock even lets you speed up the shutter to try to fix this, but the quality of the pictures will suffer.
Advanced camera sensors for iPhones reportedly in development too
The report also claims that Samsung is developing a new “3-layer stacked” image sensor for Apple. Historically, Apple has always used Sony sensors as the main camera for its iPhones. However, the tipster claims that the sensor in development “is more advanced than Sony’s existing Exmor RS.” So, we could see it as the main sensor for future iPhones’ camera setup. A leak from July claimed that Apple will implement Samsung’s new advanced ultra-wide sensor in the iPhone 18 series, replacing Sony’s.
