Samsung Galaxy S22 set to perfect Galaxy S21 camera rather than upping the pixel count

(Image credit: Samsung)

published 7 July 2021

The Samsung Galaxy S22 is the next flagship phone on the horizon for the Korean tech giant (that isn't a foldable) but it looks like we won't be seeing it roll out with the rumored 200MP camera sensor after all. Instead, the smartphone will reportedly feature its third-gen ISOCELL HM3 108MP sensor.

This year's Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra launched with the company's newest sensor at the time, boasting a couple of firsts for the its US audience, including its 108MP wide-angle camera, and dual telephoto lenses to offer 3x, 10x, and an unbelievable 100x zoom. It's an incremental step up from the previous year's Galaxy S20 Ultra, but prior to these two handsets, we didn't see anything come close in terms of Samsung's older smartphones.

Reputed Samsung tipster Ice Universe took to Chinese social media site Weibo to say that the Galaxy S22 Ultra will almost certainly not sport the 200MP sensor we were expecting. Instead, the handset will incorporate an improved version of its existing 108MP sensor.

"It is almost 100% confirmed that Samsung [Galaxy] S22 Ultra will not follow up with 200 million pixels and will polish the third-generation 108MP sensor. Do you think the flagship sensor should be polished or replaced with a new one?"

For anyone hoping that the teaser from the Samsung Exynos Twitter account – which showed off a six-camera smartphone with a 200MP lens – was indicative of the Galaxy S22 specs, this won't be ideal news. But as SamMobile points out, smaller pixels means "lower light sensitivity and higher noise" so perhaps sticking with the ISOCELL HM3 and giving it a refresh is for the best.

With the Galaxy Z Fold 3 and Galaxy Z Flip 3 set to be unveiled at Samsung Galaxy Unpacked next month, rumors about the Galaxy S22 are being eclipsed by the juicier tidbits slipping out about the foldables. But we're almost certain to see the specs leak in their entirety prior to launch, as they always do, so if you sit tight, they will come.

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Shabana worked at T3.com as News Editor covering tech and gaming, and has been writing about video games for almost a decade (and playing them since forever). She's had bylines at major gaming sites during her freelance career before settling down here at T3, and has podcasts, streaming, and video content under her belt to boot. Outside of work, she also plays video games and should really think about expanding her hobbies. If you have any tech or gaming tips, shoot over an email or DM her on social media.