Are we going to see a better zoom on Samsung’s upcoming foldable?
The triple-camera array of the Galaxy Z Fold 4 has received significant advancements, which Samsung hopes will make up for some of the shortcomings of its predecessor.
That’s according to Ice Universe, a well-known tech leaker, who claims that the next-generation Galaxy Fold will include a 50MP main camera and a 3x optical zoom.
A trio of 12MP lenses and 2x optical zoom were seen in the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3. On a $1,799 phone, these weren’t terrible, but they seemed a little sluggish.
On paper, Samsung’s flagship Galaxy S22 Ultra has a quad-camera array with a 108MP primary sensor, but that’s still some distance behind. But according to Ice Universe, the Galaxy Z Fold 4 has a secret weapon.
The S22 Ultra is Samsung’s strongest 3x camera ever, he claimed in a subsequent tweet.
That would be a bold move on Samsung’s part, if true. The Galaxy S22 Ultra is Samsung’s top-of-the-line smartphone, and rightfully so. With a 10x optical zoom and a 3x optical zoom, it’s one of the best camera phones for taking close-up photos, especially in low light. I doubt Samsung will be able to beat it with the Galaxy Z Fold 4.
Can the new Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 be improved?
When it comes to cameras on foldable phones, there’s a double incentive not to go overboard.
First and foremost, Samsung is unlikely to want to raise the price of its foldable phones by including the most powerful cameras possible. More serious camera hardware adds weight, which may be more important. Because they’re really two phones back to back, folding phones are already heavy and thick when closed.
And this is the reason for Samsung’s reluctance to go all out on cameras for its foldables, according to Ice Universe.
Samsung’s idea is to make the fold tiny and easy to operate, the leaker tweeted. “Don’t anticipate big advances in camera technology from this foldable phone at less than 260 grammes,” the leaker wrote. Even if the claimed weight of 260 grammes is accurate, it would only be 20 grammes more than the iPhone 13 Pro Max if that were the case. Moreover, it weighs 21 grammes less than the Galaxy Z Fold III.
“The camera arrangement is enough, and the rest depends on software optimisation,” stated Ice Universe. Despite the fact that it may sound like a cop-out, software optimisation can go a long way.
According to the specifications, the camera sensors of numerous iterations of Google Pixel were distinctly below average. These phones are frequently included in lists of the best camera phones because of their excellent picture processing.
According to Ice Universe’s tweets, Samsung’s stated approach was supported. A 5000mAh battery and a S Pen are among the features they cited as priorities in their tweets. “It’s doable, but it’s 350 grammes and 18 millimetres thick. It’s pointless to have a foldable phone.”
That’s obviously not Samsung’s approach. Recent 360-degree images of the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 have given us our first peek at the device. In the second half of this year, we may learn more about it, along with the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4 and, potentially, the Galaxy Watch 5, which are slated to be released.