The Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra might get a mind-boggling camera upgrade

While it is very true that the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra is probably at least 15 months or so away from being announced, the rumors are already starting to swirl. The Galaxy S24 Ultra won't arrive until January or February of 2024, which means it'll be the same months in 2025 before its replacement debuts. But we're already intrigued about what it will offer once that happens.

That's because Samsung is now reportedly hard at work on camera upgrades that might or might not make their way into the flagship phone of the year. X leaker Revegnus shared details over the weekend, saying that a number of Samsung ISOCELL camera sensors are being mass-produced in the second half of 2024. Those sensors include a new 200-megapixel sensor with 0.6μm pixels as well as a 5-megapixel one with 1.6μm pixels. But the one that's most interesting is the one that's listed as having the name HU1, because it's a 440-megapixel sensor that could absolutely change the way photos are taken on phones.

There are few details about what that sensor will be like or indeed what it will ship in. It's entirely possible that it will never see the light fo day in a camera, but given what the leaker said about another of the three sensors suggests that isn't necessarily the case.

According to a follow-up tweet, Rebengus believes that the HP7 part, or the 200-megapixel sensor mentioned earlier, was originally destined for use in the Galaxy S 25 Ultra but was canceled due to the price involved in producing it. It seems unlikely that building a new 440-megapixel sensor would be cheaper, but it might be worth it if the technology offers Samsung a significant advantage in terms of photography and videography capabilities for its future high-end model.

At this point, we're of course far too early in the rumor cycle to really know what's going down with the Galaxy S25 Ultra. There's a long way to go before that phone is even close to being ready for public consumption and it's possible Samsung's plans could change anyway. But a 440-megapixel sensor has the potential to generate some stunning photos, assuming Samsing's camera software can keep up of course. There's no guarantee that would be the case, but with the Galaxy S25 Ultra still more than a year away it's probably fair to say that the company has plenty of time to iron out any kings in that regard.