This year, the flagship Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra debuted with a whopping 200MP main camera. It won a lot of acclaim and – having used it in the past – I can attest to just how brilliant the image quality is.
The brand aren't sitting down, though. According to a recent report, future Samsung phones could get even better. That's because the Korean tech giant is currently working on a 440MP unit with a one-inch sensor.
Put simply, that would totally dwarf anything else on the market right now. The Sony IMX989 is a one-inch sensor, though it only has a 50MP resolution. Still, that's enough to output some really impressive performance, as seen with devices like the Xiaomi 13 Pro.
The information comes from popular tech tipster, Tech_Reve, who shared the information on Twitter. Tech_Reve has a good reputation for this kind of leak, and can often be found sharing intimate details about devices before they are released.
What's more, Reve even suggests that these sensors could be coming fairly soon. The list of sensors posted – which included this one – was titled, "Samsung ISOCELL sensors being mass-produced in the latter half of 2024."
If that proves true, it could line up well with the Samsung Galaxy S25 series of devices. Still, there's plenty of time between then and now for things to change, so I wouldn't hold your breath just yet.
There's also no guarantee that a sensor like this is designed for Android phones at all. Samsung also manufacture sensors for EVs, and something with this kind of resolution may be reserved for those applications, instead.
Even if it is, it won't be the only camera upgrade which Samsung fans have to look forward to. Rumours suggest that the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra is getting a 50MP telephoto lens. That would mark a substantial improvement over the 12MP sensor currently on use in its predecessor. That device is expected to launch around February 2024.
I hope the larger sensor does come to their phone range, though. Honestly, the 440MP resolution doesn't matter much to me. While it's an impressive figure, it's certainly not the only indicator of a good sensor these days. Computational photography is just as important as resolution.
Samsung do that pretty well, though. And the difference of having a one-inch sensor would be significant. In a camera system as strong as theirs, it would surely make for one of the best phone cameras on the market.
