Motorola snagged the “world's first OEM to have released a smartphone with a 200MP camera” title last week. Samsung can no longer claim that title, even though the Motorola X30 Pro features the Samsung-made 200MP ISOCELL HP1 sensor. Nevertheless, the Korean tech giant is not out of the game. It can and supposedly will upgrade the resolution of its mobile cameras next year, starting with the Galaxy S23 Ultra.
Another industry report reiterates Samsung's alleged plans to equip the upcoming Galaxy S23 Ultra with a 200MP camera. According to industry rumors, Samsung's Mobile Experience division has confirmed these plans with its major camera partners in preparation for the Galaxy S23 Ultra's release next year. (via ETNews)
Galaxy S23 Ultra's 200MP camera is unknown
While reports say that the Galaxy S23 Ultra will be Samsung's first to adopt a 200MP camera, some speculate that it won't be the same ISOCELL HP1 as the one found on the back of the Motorola X30 Pro. And it won't be the ISOCELL HP3, either. Samsung's upcoming flagship may instead adopt a new, unannounced ISOCELL HP2 sensor, although it's not clear how it differs from Samsung's other 200MP shooters.
Either way, the race for higher megapixels is on again, as other OEMs, including Xiaomi, are also advancing towards higher-resolution sensors. Meanwhile, in the opposite camp, rumors say Apple has turned its attention to periscope camera designs and may want to implement this type of zoom technology in its 2023 iPhone 15 series.
Samsung could unveil the Galaxy S23 Ultra in January or February 2023. And according to other industry reports, the upcoming flagship could also feature Qualcomm's latest fingerprint sensor with a larger scanning area.