Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra camera module just leaked ahead of January launch

We’re less than a month away from the Samsung Galaxy S24 family’s rumored release date, and, assuming that’s correct, you’d expect production to be ramping up to ensure a steady supply of units for launch day. 

Right on time, a snapshot of that production line has been leaked to X — the social network formerly known as Twitter. @chunvn8888 shared a photo of a tray filled with ten camera modules reportedly destined for the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra.

You can’t learn too much from the selection of SKU, part and model codes alongside the tray, but the quad-camera array layout suggests that the back of the S24 Ultra is going to look pretty similar to the handset it’s set to replace.

So far, the leaks we’ve seen show few changes to the best camera phone on the market. It will apparently maintain the 200MP main camera, along with the 10MP 3x optical zoom lens and the 12MP ultrawide sensor of its predecessor.

There is one significant change tipped in the camera array, and it’s a slightly controversial one. The second 10MP telephoto lens is reportedly being replaced by a 50MP sensor, but with a shorter zoom distance. While the S23 Ultra’s part has a 10x optical zoom, the S24 Ultra is downgraded to 5x.

Buyers may prefer a better quality shorter zoom to a weaker long-distance one, of course. And it’s also possible that the higher megapixel count will allow Samsung to achieve decent results on longer distances via pixel binning, as Apple recently did with the iPhone 15.  

While would-be buyers may find the lack of movement on camera specs a bit disappointing, it’s important to remember that raw specs can only tell you so much. Not only does image processing play a significant part in a camera’s performance, but this year Samsung is apparently embracing AI in a big way.

A couple of leakers have recently revealed some ways we can expect AI to be leveraged by the camera. Ice Universe claims that the S24 Ultra’s camera will be able to identify 12 kinds of objects and optimize pictures accordingly, while @BennettBuhner adds that you’ll be able to remove unwanted objects from every frame of a video at the touch of a virtual button.  

While these remain rumors for now, we don’t have too long to wait for them to be confirmed or debunked. The Samsung Galaxy S24 family is purportedly set to be unveiled at an event on Wednesday 17 January 2024 in San Jose, and Tom’s Guide will be on hand with all the details and analysis you need.