Samsung is reportedly planning major camera changes for its next big release, the Galaxy S11. That would be a welcome change, because Samsung's recent flagships, including the Galaxy S10 and Galaxy Note 10, haven't quite measured up to leading camera phones from Apple and Google. But the S11's radical camera overhaul could prove even more polarizing than Apple's iPhone 11 Pro design.
New renders based on factory computer-aided design models show the Galaxy S11 Plus, which we expect Samsung to announce in February, with a matchbook-shaped camera lens array that takes up a sizable chunk of the flagship's rear. It's not pretty, to say the least.
The rear camera bump sports five lenses, two sensors and a flash, though we hope the final phone places them more centrally than they appear in the renders, which are a collaboration between OnLeaks and CashKaro (both noted smartphone leakers who have an accurate track record). The lens and flash appear haphazard, but CashKaro noted that the final placement may be different when the S11 Plus ships. Fingers crossed.
Rumor has it that one of the S11's lenses will be a whopping 108 megapixels with 5x optical zoom. If this design proves true-to-life, the cameras will have to be that good to make up for how ugly the camera patch is.
When you flip the phone over, the S11 Plus appears to have a nearly bezel-free 6.9-inch curved AMOLED display with a centered cut-out for the front-facing lens. The new camera placement would be a welcome change from the Galaxy S10, which forces you to look to the top right of the display to take a selfie.
A volume rocker and power button appear to the left of the metal chassis, and a USB-C port and speakers are located on the bottom. There is no headphone jack.
We expect the Galaxy S11 Plus to debut in February around the same time as the Mobile World Congress trade show, so stay tuned for more details about Samsung's latest.
