A well-known leaker said a few days ago that the Galaxy S11’s design has been finalized, teasing that the leaks can now begin. The same person is now claiming that the phone has a “high probability” of using a new 108-megapixel sensor, which would be unlike anything Samsung or anyone else, for that matter.
There was a point in the smartphone wars where Android vendors would race to add more megapixels to their main cameras, as if megapixels counts alone would result in better photography. All the while, Apple kept itself out of this specs war and the iPhone reigned supreme when it came to smartphone camera performance. In recent years, however, the same Android vendors have quietly agreed that megapixels do not tell the whole story, and the best example here is Samsung.
The company improved the camera capabilities of its flagships in recent years without touching megapixels. But if Ice Universe is correct, the Galaxy S11 might get a crazy new 108-megapixel sensor next year.
The Galaxy S11 has a high probability of using a new 108MP sensor.
— Ice universe (@UniverseIce) November 4, 2019
That would be a massive jump over the Galaxy S10, which features three cameras on the back, including two 12-megapixel shooters (wide and telephoto) and a 16-megapixel sensor (ultrawide).
To be fair, Samsung did unveil a 108-megapixel sensor of its own not too long ago, prompting speculation that the camera might be used on various Galaxy phones in the future, but not necessarily Galaxy S or Note flagships. Since then, Xiaomi has teased a phone of its own featuring the new sensor — Xiaomi worked with Samsung on the camera.
The same insider said back in late August that the Galaxy S11 will feature an experience unlike anything seen before, but he never explained what that meant. That was after Samsung announced the 108-megapixel sensor, but before Apple and Google released their iPhone 11 and Pixel 4 series. Both companies unveiled new upgrades for their mobile camera experiences, and the iPhone 11 and Pixel 4 appeared in various camera comparisons in recent weeks.
Samsung is expected to unveil the Galaxy S11 next February, which gives us plenty of time to learn all of its camera secrets. Of note, this 108-megapixel sensor will likely combine pixels to crate higher-quality shots, so don’t expect the final megapixel count on photos captured with the Galaxy S11 to climb that high.
