Samsung Galaxy S22, S22 Plus might get a major main camera upgrade

Samsung’s Galaxy S21 and S21 Plus generally deliver great picture quality, but the company has stuck with the same triple camera system that debuted on the S20 and S20 Plus. That means you have a 12 MP main camera, a 12 MP ultra-wide shooter, and a 64 MP hybrid zoom camera.

Well, twitter tipster FrontTron may have released some camera details of the Galaxy S22 and S22 Plus. The leaker claims that a “Samsung Rainbow” series will feature a 50 MP main camera, a 12 MP ultra-wide shooter and a 12 MP 3X telesensor. The source also warns against using the information with caution.

FrontTron previously claimed that the Galaxy S22 series was called Rainbow and that the models were called red (standard S22), green (S22 Plus) and blue (S22 Ultra). This information was apparently confirmed by a Korean blog post. So the mention of “Rainbow” and “R / G” in the latest tweet actually fits the S22 and S22 Plus.

Galaxy S22: is a 50MP camera the right move?

Either way, switching to a 50 MP primary camera could be a step forward for these Galaxy flagships. Samsung’s latest 50-megapixel sensor, the Isocell GN2, offers a smaller pixel size than the 12-megapixel main camera of the current basic and plus models (1.4-micron pixels versus 1.8-micron pixels). But the GN2 is able to output pixel-separated images that are comparable to a 12.5 MP 2.8 micron camera. It also features improved dual-pixel autofocus technology, 4K / 120fps slow motion recording, and 480fps video at 1080p.

Our own Eric Zeman and Dhruv Bhutani both checked out the GN2-bearing Mi 11 Ultra and found that it provided great shots, aside from a few complaints (night mode shots that looked too bright and oversaturated in yellow). So a Samsung phone with this 50 MP camera or a follow-up sensor should work fine too.

A 50-megapixel sensor also enables 8K video recordings via the main camera, which should theoretically deliver better low-light videos compared to the S21 and S21 Plus. These models record 8K video through the 64 megapixel hybrid telecamera which reduces the low light performance on paper.

Speaking of hybrid telephoto cameras, there’s no word on whether the apparent 12MP 3X telephoto camera listed by the leaker is a full-blown telephoto camera or some other hybrid camera. Hopefully Samsung will switch to real telecameras in the upcoming devices to improve the image quality.

Do you think Samsung should keep the 12 MP main camera or switch to a 50 MP camera for the Galaxy S22 and S22 Plus? Let us know via the poll above.