The cameras of Samsung’s Galaxy S11 are already causing a stir several months away from the expected launch in the first quarter of 2020. We’ve been hearing rumors about monster-sized sensors and amazing optical zoom capabilities, but today we’ve learned about one of the sensors’ internal names, which has spawned plenty of excited speculation.
Dutch website GalaxyClub claims that it has received a tip stating that one of the Galaxy S11’s cameras is codenamed ‘Hubble’. Since the most famous use of the name is the Hubble space telescope (itself named after American astronomer Edwin Hubble), it follows that this is the name for the S11's telephoto zoom lens.
We heard back in May of this year that Samsung had designed and begun production of a 5X optical zoom camera. This camera didn’t make it to the Galaxy Note 10, launched in August, which instead has a 2X optical zoom camera like the Galaxy S10. Therefore we're eagerly awaiting the debut of this camera on the next big Samsung release: the S11.
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Other rumors of new camera tech for the S11 include a potential 108MP camera, using Samsung’s new Isocell Bright HMX sensor. This camera’s already in use on the Galaxy A70s, so it would be weird if Samsung didn’t take this powerful piece of kit and put it on the updated flagship range handsets.
It’s good news if this Hubble news means that Samsung is bringing a zoom camera to the S11. Aside from being a cool feature on its own, it’s an area where Samsung’s currently lagging behind, or at best equalling its rivals. The Huawei P30 Pro launched with a 5x optical zoom sensor earlier this year; the Pixel 4 has a SuperRes zoom that delivers great telephoto pics through software tricks in combination with a 2x optical. And the iPhone 11 Pro produces far better images than anything Samsung’s devices can manage.
If you want to learn more about what’s in store for the next phone in the Galaxy S series, then have a read of our Samsung Galaxy S11 rumors roundup page, which we keep regularly updated with the latest news and leaks.
