Samsung’s high-end phones almost always have exceptional cameras, so if you’re a keen smartphone photographer then you might be excited about the prospect of a Samsung Galaxy S25-series handset.
But not as much has changed with the cameras this year as you might have expected or hoped. That said, there are still some upgrades, and Samsung was starting from a strong position anyway.
Below we’ve detailed the exact camera hardware you’ll find on each Galaxy S25 model, and for more details about these phones, check out our hands-on Samsung Galaxy S25 review, our hands-on Samsung Galaxy S25 Plus review, and our hands-on Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra review.
Samsung Galaxy 25 cameras
As you can see in the chart above, the Samsung Galaxy S25 has three rear cameras, specifically a 50MP f/1.8 main (wide) camera, a 12MP f/2.2 ultra-wide camera with a 120-degree field of view, and a 10MP f/2.4 telephoto camera delivering 3x optical zoom.
The main and telephoto cameras additionally have optical image stabilization (OIS), and there’s also a 12MP f/2.2 camera on the front, for selfies and video calls.
Speaking of video, the Samsung Galaxy S25 supports recording in up to 8K quality at up to 30fps.
Those are some reasonable specs, but disappointingly they’re also identical to the Samsung Galaxy S24’s camera specs. In fact, they’re even identical to those of the Samsung Galaxy S23 and almost the same as those of the Samsung Galaxy S22.
Still, there are some software improvements, particularly when it comes to photo-editing tools and generative AI. In particular, the Samsung Galaxy S25 series is exceptionally good at erasing objects from photos. Image processing should also be improved, thanks to the use of a Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset, which includes an upgraded image signal processor (ISP).
Keep an eye out for our full Samsung Galaxy S25 review to see how the cameras perform overall, but the Samsung Galaxy S24 – which has identical camera hardware on paper – delivered “great image quality with better color and dynamic range” according to our Samsung Galaxy S24 review.
Samsung Galaxy 25 Plus cameras
The Samsung Galaxy S25 Plus also has a triple-lens rear camera setup, and in fact it has exactly the same lenses and sensors as the Samsung Galaxy S25, meaning a 50MP f/1.8 main (wide) camera with OIS, a 10MP f/2.4 telephoto camera with 3x optical zoom and OIS, and a 12MP f/2.2 ultra-wide camera with a 120-degree field of view.
Likewise, it can also record in up to 8K quality at up to 30fps, and it also has a 12MP f/2.2 front-facing camera.
As you might have guessed, those cameras are also identical to the ones you’ll find on the Samsung Galaxy S24 Plus and even the Samsung Galaxy S23 Plus, so the only improvements here are to software – including AI – and likely also to processing.
Samsung Galaxy 25 Ultra cameras
The one phone in the Samsung Galaxy S25 series that actually got some camera hardware upgrades is the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra.
This – as you can see in the chart above – has a 200MP f/1.7 wide camera with OIS, a 50MP f/1.9 ultra-wide with a 120-degree field of view, a 50MP f/3.4 periscope camera with 5x optical zoom and OIS, and a 10MP f/2.4 telephoto camera with 3x optical zoom and OIS.
It also has a 12MP f/2.2 front-facing camera, and it can record video in up to 8K quality at up to 30fps.
So while the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra’s selfie snapper, 3x telephoto, and video recording skills are similar to the other Galaxy S25 models, its remaining cameras are different, and it has one more lens than the phones above.
However, only one of these sensors is actually changed from the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra. Specifically, the 50MP ultra-wide here is an upgrade on last year’s 12MP ultra-wide camera.
So that’s better than nothing, but it’s disappointing that Samsung’s flagship phone hasn’t seen more camera changes, and that it’s still stuck with a humble 10MP telephoto snapper.
Still, beyond this sensor upgrade it also benefits from the same behind the scenes upgrades as the rest of the Samsung Galaxy S25 series, including improved software, better AI, and a new ISP.
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