Is Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra just an S24 Ultra with 50MP ultrawide camera?

Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra will launch with brand innovations next month. The upgraded chipset is a basic upgrade in the new flagship and there’s a debate among consumers regarding the camera capabilities. Some even urge that the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra is just an S24 Ultra with a 50MP ultrawide camera.

Let’s explore the facts and debunk the spec similarity myth!

Samsung fans and potential buyers are concerned that the camera setup isn’t getting a deserved upgrade. I also believe that the company should have considered upgrading the 3x Telephoto instead of the 50MP ultrawide.

Mobile camera capabilities don’t solely rely on image sensors. The overall experiences come from a well-optimized system of image sensors, processors, ISP (image signal processor), and software.

Here’s the nearly final S25 Ultra camera specs:

• 200MP – Primary camera
• 50MP – Ultrawide camera (12MP in S24 Ultra)
• 50MP – Periscope telephoto (5x optical zoom)
• 10MP – Telephoto (3x optical zoom)

Samsung’s S25 Ultra brings an upgraded ultrawide camera as compared to the S24 Ultra. It’s a fact but the performance improvements don’t solely depend on the camera sensor.

The Galaxy S23 Ultra was the first to use a 200MP primary camera. In 2025, Samsung is set to install the same image sensor in the Galaxy S25 Ultra, for the third time in a row.

10MP telephoto belongs to the S21 Ultra which was released in early 2021. The Galaxy S24 Ultra, meanwhile, replaced the 10MP 10x periscope with a new 50MP 5x solution.

Image: SammyFans

The ultrawide sensor is mainly used to capture a photograph of a large group of people. Besides, it becomes a great option while capturing nature or elegant landscapes when you are on a trip.

Upgrading the ultrawide sensor may have some hidden plans. Samsung may offer better macro-sensing capabilities with the new 50MP ultrawide image sensor to consumers.

Design changes aside, we are only talking about the camera setup of the device, which isn’t getting a radical upgrade, but the performance will be significantly better in all aspects.

Here is the reason:

Image Signal Processor (commonly known as ISP) integrated with the Snapdragon 8 Elite promises to significantly enhance photography and videography capabilities.

Qualcomm revealed that the Snapdragon 8 Elite’s ISP is deeply integrated with the Hexagon NPU (Neural Processing Unit), allowing for real-time AI enhancements.

As a result, smartphones with a Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset would offer features like:

• Automatic correction of white balance and exposure
• Differentiation between object layers in photos and videos
• AI-driven improvements to autofocus, auto exposure, and auto white balance

Snapdragon 8 Elite ISP | Image: Qualcomm

Apart from this, the enhanced ISP boosts pixel throughput by 35%, reducing shutter lag, and improving the image processing speed. The solution can also perform “limitless” real-time semantic segmentation, up to 250 layers.

The videography segment will also be upgraded with new features and AI improvements. Snapdragon 8 Elite introduces video object eraser technology for removing unwanted elements from video clips on-device.

Owners of S21 Ultra and S22 Ultra should consider upgrading to the upcoming S25 Ultra. If you are bored with your S23 Ultra’s boxy design, the S25 Ultra would be a noteworthy upgrade.