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[NEWS IN FOCUS] Samsung Galaxy S24 to see AI upgrades, but a camera snag

Published: 03 Jan. 2024, 07:00

JIN EUN-SOO
[email protected]

Leaked image of what's presumed to be Samsung Electronics' Galaxy S24 Plus uploaded to Walmart's website. [PHONEARENA SCREEN CAPTURE]

Will Samsung compromise on the camera function of its newest Galaxy S24 smartphone lineup?

The upcoming flagship smartphone is expected to pack a number of exciting features including simultaneous phone call translations. But one critical aspect may see a downgrade: the camera.

With just two weeks remaining before Samsung's Unpacked launch event, scheduled for Jan. 17 in San Jose, California, the rumors are swirling in full force. Walmart mistakenly uploaded a “Galaxy S24 Plus” item to its website, revealing various specs about the model, which was soon deleted. But one of the most recent leaks indicates that the S24 Ultra — the series' top model — will not be topped with an 10x optical zoom lens as its predecessor, the Galaxy S23 Ultra, was. The 10x periscope lens is expected to be replaced with a 5x telephoto lens.

The Galaxy S23 Ultra's camera was widely praised as one of the best on the market. Its 10x optical zoom lens, including the 100X “Space Zoom” function, utilized its own patented technology and allowed the close-up recording of events including Taylor Swift concerts.

A Taylor Swift concert recorded using Samsung Electronics' Galaxy S23 Ultra's 100x zoom function.[SCREEN CAPTURE]

American media outlet PhoneArena recently reported that the 10x optical zoom camera will be downgraded to a 5x one, citing a tipster known as @chunvn888, who posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, a picture of the S24 Ultra's camera module lacking the 10x shooter.

The phone is still expected to retain the Space Zoom function, but its quality may be jeopardized.

“Optical zoom offers more clarity because it lets in more light through the lens. Digital zoom and post-processing can be a source of aid to boost and adjust the quality, but it can never be better than using the physical lens,” an industry insider said.

An AI smartphone
Rather than camera hardware, Samsung Electronics focusing on on-device AI function for the Galaxy S24 series.

On-device means that a device can collect and process data without having to send them to the cloud, enhancing processing speed while preventing security issues.

The Galaxy S24 is expected to offer simultaneous translation for phone calls where the two sides can talk in different languages, summarization of emails and an editing tool for photos utilizing the AI.

Samsung Electronics does have its own generative AI model called Gauss which launched last year, but it is yet to be confirmed whether the Korean smartphone maker will deploy it in the Galaxy S24 line.

OpenAI's GPT-4 or Google's Gemini could be used in the upcoming series instead, according to media outlets.

Samsung Electronics' in-house mobile processor Exynos is coming back in Galaxy S24. [SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS]

Snapdragon vs. Exynos
The success of Galaxy S24 is crucial for Samsung Electronics, because it marks a comeback of its in-house processor, Exynos, after the Exynos 2200 was busted for overheating issues in 2022.

Since then, Samsung has been wholly reliant on Qualcomm's Snapdragon chipset to power its smartphone series, enduring a 30 percent increase in the cost of mobile application processors in the first half of 2023 compared to the previous year.

The Exynos 2400 will be deployed in the Galaxy S24 series along with Qualcomm's Snagdragon 8 Gen 3, Samsung Electronics confirmed, although a market and the version breakdown weren't provided.

The more costly Ultra and Plus versions are likely to be powered by Snapdragon, while the base model will include the Exynos 2400 for select countries including Korea, according to local media outlets.

Counterpoint Research forecasts that AI smartphones could account for 40 percent of the entire smartphone market in 2027, compared to 8 percent in 2024.

Samsung's Unpacked event for the flagship S series usually takes place in early February but has been moved up to mid-January this year.

BY JIN EUN-SOO [[email protected]]