Samsung Galaxy S22, S22 Plus might get a major main camera upgrade

Samsung’s Galaxy S21 and S21 Plus generally deliver great image quality, but the company has stuck with the same triple-camera system which debuted on the S20 and S20 Plus. That means you’ve got a 12MP main camera, 12MP ultra-wide shooter, and a 64MP hybrid zoom camera.

Now, Twitter tipster FrontTron may have dished out some Galaxy S22 and S22 Plus camera details. The leaker alleges that a “Samsung Rainbow” series will offer a 50MP main camera, 12MP ultra-wide shooter, and a 12MP 3X telephoto sensor. The source also cautions that the information should be taken with a pinch of salt.

FrontTron previously alleged that the Galaxy S22 series was called Rainbow, and that the models are called red (standard S22), green (S22 Plus), and blue (S22 Ultra). This information was seemingly corroborated by a Korean blog post. So the mention of “Rainbow” and “R/G” in the latest tweet indeed lines up with the S22 and S22 Plus.

Galaxy S22: Is a 50MP camera the right move?

Either way, the switch to a 50MP primary camera might be a step forward for these Galaxy flagships. Samsung’s latest 50MP sensor, the Isocell GN2, does offer a smaller pixel size than the 12MP main camera used on the current base and Plus models (1.4-micron pixels versus 1.8-micron pixels). But the GN2 is capable of outputting pixel-binned shots comparable to a 12.5MP 2.8-micron camera. It also features upgraded dual pixel autofocus tech, 4K/120fps slow-mo recording, and 480fps video at 1080p.

Our own Eric Zeman and Dhruv Bhutani both reviewed the GN2-toting Mi 11 Ultra as well, finding that it delivered great shots bar a couple of complaints (night mode shots that looked too bright and oversaturated yellows). So a Samsung phone with this 50MP camera or a follow-up sensor should perform well too.

A 50MP sensor will also allow for 8K video recording via the main camera, which should deliver better low-light video in theory compared to the S21 and S21 Plus. These models shoot 8K video via the 64MP hybrid telephoto camera, which has reduced low-light performance on paper.

Speaking of hybrid telephoto cameras, there’s no word on whether the apparent 12MP 3X telephoto camera listed by the leaker is a full-blown telephoto camera or another hybrid camera. Hopefully, Samsung switches to proper telephoto cameras on the upcoming devices for improved image quality.

Do you think Samsung should keep the 12MP main camera or switch to a 50MP camera for the Galaxy S22 and S22 Plus? Let us know via the poll above.