The Samsung Galaxy S25 lineup leans on AI to maintain its cameras recent

Samsung’s Galaxy S25 smartphones launched today, however relating to the all-important cameras, the corporate leaned on AI reasonably than making any significant adjustments. There may be one welcome addition, although. Samsung lastly caught as much as to rivals like Honor by introducing log video to permit extra exact shade grading. Different key updates embrace improved low-light functionality on all fashions, a “digital aperture” and a a lot greater decision ultrawide digital camera on the high-end Extremely.

Final yr the Galaxy S24 Extremely’s massive promoting level was the 200MP digital camera, which made the 12MP ultrawide look weak compared. Samsung remedied that with the Galaxy S25 Ultra by greater than quadrupling that sensor to 50MP. That additionally helps Samsung match up higher in opposition to Google’s Pixel 9 Professional and its 48-megapixel ultrawide digital camera.

With that, the Extremely now has a formidable suite of cameras: a 200MP huge, 50MP ultrawide, 10MP 3x telephoto and 50MP 5x tele. Nonetheless, that makes the extra mainstream Galaxy S25 and S25+ look a bit weak compared. These solely include a 50MP huge, 12MP ultrawide and 10MP 3x tele, similar to the final two fashions. All telephones have a entrance 12MP selfie digital camera with as much as 4K 60p video.

Samsung additionally rectified a weak level we addressed in our reviews on the S24: sub-par low-light efficiency. With Qualcomm’s new Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy chip, Samsung says the brand new cameras can analyze noise extra successfully utilizing a brand new “spatial-temporal filter,” that may detect transferring and static objects extra exactly. That in flip permits for cleaner video, notably with transferring objects in dim environments. The draw back is that making use of stronger noise discount can generate bizarre artifacts, one thing we’ll take a look at additional in upcoming opinions.

Different key new digital camera options are additionally accessible throughout the S25 lineup. An important one for content material creators is Galaxy Log, which lastly allows log video to enhance dynamic vary and permit extra correct shade grading. That is a much-requested function for Galaxy telephones that was solely accessible beforehand with third-party apps. Nonetheless, it nonetheless falls wanting the flexibility to seize ProRes log video on the most recent iPhones.

I examined go browsing Honor’s Magic smartphone sequence and it will probably meaningfully enhance video by boosting dynamic vary in difficult lighting conditions (a backlit topic or sunny day, for example). The issue is that remodeling log into common footage requires an enhancing app and a few data about issues like LUTs — so whether or not it will catch on with customers depends upon how Samsung implements it.

Samsung additionally enabled 10-bit HDR video seize by default, which lets you shoot extra colourful and detailed pictures. Nonetheless, remember that such content material won’t show correctly on apps and gadgets that do not help HDR (different smartphones, PCs, TVs, and many others.).

To deal with images after you’re taking them, Samsung enhanced Portrait Studio with new options like personalised avatars with extra true-to-life facial expressions. It additionally added new analog filters for a extra film-like aesthetic for images and movies.

There are two different new methods: Audio Eraser and Digital Aperture. Although all of the cameras have a set aperture, the latter simulates having an adjustable one similar to mirrorless cameras. Nonetheless, the feat is completed by computational methods, so it is more likely to look a bit synthetic. Audio Eraser, in the meantime, is an AI-powered noise discount system designed to chop out background sounds in busy environments when taking pictures video.

The Galaxy S25 Extremely’s new digital camera is nice should you can afford that $1,300 mannequin, whereas the improved low-light dealing with, Galaxy Log and AI ought to present good, however not spectacular, advantages. All informed, Samsung did not carry as a lot to the desk because the iPhone 16 with its Digital camera Management button, or the Pixel 9 (Video Enhance, Add Me, Auto Body). For extra on how the Galaxy S25’s cameras work in the true world, try our hands-on checks and keep tuned for full opinions.