Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra just tipped for this big camera upgrade

A render of the Galaxy S24 Ultra from the back and front in black
(Image credit: Technizo Concept)

Even with the possible early arrival of the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, the Samsung Galaxy S24 series isn’t expected until the start of 2024. But according to a joint reveal from SamMobile and Galaxy Club, the handset will come in three sizes with a significant upgrade to the Galaxy S24 Ultra model.

The fact that there will likely be three models isn’t really a surprise, given the Ultra variant has been a staple of Galaxy S launches since the Galaxy S20 arrived in 2020. 

Nonetheless, the sites have found evidence that the S24 Ultra has the codename Muse3, which hints at the existence of a Muse1 and Muse2 — presumably the vanilla S24 and S24 Plus. 

That’s good news for fans of the Plus, given a report in January suggested Samsung was considering axing it for its 2024 flagship range.

For those who like to read things into device codenames and want to guess at what ‘Muse’ might hint at, recent internal names have included ‘Hubble’ (S20), ‘Unbound’ (S21), ‘Rainbow’ (S22) and Diamond (S23).

Galaxy S24 Ultra in line for a camera upgrade

More significant than the range of devices is one specific upgrade tipped for the Galaxy S24 Ultra. Both sites claim that this top-end model will get a telephoto lens with a 5x optical zoom, which will presumably replace the 10MP, 3x optical zoom on the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra.

Assuming the others remain the same, that would mean that the new 5x zoom would join the 10x sensor, limiting the gap needed to be filled with digital zoom. 

The S23 Ultra already has a 200MP main sensor, ensuring its current position at the very top of our list of the best camera phones, so it seems unlikely that sensor will change. 

Aside from this, we’re not expecting huge changes to the Galaxy S family next year, beyond the annual Qualcomm chip upgrade. Even the design looks set to stay the same, with Samsung sticking rigidly to its winning formula. 

Of course, there’s still plenty of time for more leaks to emerge, given we’re likely over six months away from go time. Before then, we’ve got another Galaxy Unpacked event to look forward to next month, where we’re fully expecting to see the Galaxy Z Fold 5, Galaxy Z Flip 5, Galaxy Watch 6 and Galaxy Tab S9 make an appearance.

More from Tom's Guide

TOPICS
Alan Martin

Freelance contributor Alan has been writing about tech for over a decade, covering phones, drones and everything in between. Previously Deputy Editor of tech site Alphr, his words are found all over the web and in the occasional magazine too. When not weighing up the pros and cons of the latest smartwatch, you'll probably find him tackling his ever-growing games backlog. Or, more likely, playing Spelunky for the millionth time.

Read more
Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra cameras close up
Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra leaker just tipped all of the cameras
Galaxy s25 Ultra concept design by Technizo Concept on YouTube
Samsung Galaxy S25 series specs leak in full ahead of Unpacked — here's everything you need to know
Leaked render of Galaxy S25 Ultra.
Leaked Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra render reveals biggest upgrades from S23 Ultra and S24 Ultra
Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra camera closeup.
Forget Galaxy S25 Ultra — Samsung reportedly developing 500MP camera sensor
Galaxy S23 hands-on
Samsung Galaxy S25 vs Galaxy S23: Biggest expected upgrades
Samsung Galaxy S25 render
Samsung Galaxy S25 leaker just tipped several camera upgrades before Unpacked event
Latest in Samsung Phones
Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge next to Galaxy S25 Plus
Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge vs. Galaxy S25 Plus: Everything we know so far
Showing the front of a Galaxy S25 Ultra held in hand
One UI 7 will arrive late for US Samsung users — here’s when it’ll launch for you
samsung galaxy s25 edge mockup at galaxy unpacked
Galaxy S25 Edge is overhyped — I want Samsung to make this phone thinner instead
Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra
Older Samsung phones are finally getting One UI 7 — here's all the devices
The iPhone 16 Pro Max (L) and Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra rear cameras
I took 200 macro photos with Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra vs. iPhone 16 Pro — here's the winner
Try Galaxy home screen on iPhone 16 Pro Max
You can now try Samsung's latest One UI 7 software on your iPhone — here's how
Latest in News
Apple Watch Series 10
Future Apple Watch models could get a surprising new feature — what we know
iPhone 16 Pro vs iPhone 16 Pro Max in hand showing displays
Forget iPhone 17 — iPhone 18 could get this huge upgrade
The new Husqvarna iQ series robot lawn mower.
Husqvarna’s new robot mowers offer GPS for less
Rendered images of rumored foldable iPhone.
Foldable iPhone report just revealed key details — here's what we know
NYTimes Connections
NYT Connections today hints and answers — Sunday, March 23 (#651)
NYT Strands on a cellphone
NYT Strands today — hints, spangram and answers for game #385 (Sunday, March 23 2025)