I hope Samsung and Google handle these digital camera challenges in 2025

2024 was a reasonably good yr for smartphone cameras. Google delivered the compact Pixel 9 Professional with some unbelievable outcomes, the Xiaomi 14 Extremely emerged as a Galaxy-beating digital camera telephone, and Apple reinvented the digital camera button for a contemporary period.

Regardless of all these cellular digital camera developments, there’s nonetheless some scope for enchancment. I actually hope the Pixel 10 sequence, Galaxy S25 vary, and different main flagship Android telephones handle these challenges in 2025.

Samsung, specifically, continues to wrestle with capturing shifting topics, be it individuals, pets, or zippy little youngsters. Colleague Rita El-Khoury discovered that the S24 Extremely ceaselessly blurred pictures in comparison with the Pixel 8 sequence as a result of extreme shutter lag. This delay can even damage pictures, as seen within the examples above. Google’s Pixels are inclined to do an excellent job of freezing topics in movement, however there’s at all times room for enchancment.

A number of manufacturers have provided devoted snapshot or sports activities modes for some time now, whereas even Samsung’s Digicam Assistant app permits customers to prioritize pace over picture high quality. In the meantime, OPPO has made particular enhancements to the usual photograph mode on the Discover X8 sequence — no snapshot mode wanted.

In any occasion, Samsung must get its act collectively in 2025 and make a concerted effort to scale back shutter lag on the Galaxy S25 Extremely.

Low-light photographs don’t appear to be a giant problem anymore as a result of right this moment’s giant main digital camera sensors and evening modes, however low-light video is one other matter. Few main smartphone makers provide nice low-light video high quality, typically churning out overly darkish clips. Even telephones with low-light video modes are in a position to ship elevated brightness however typically provide extra blur in alternate.

Nonetheless, cellular chipmakers MediaTek and Qualcomm have each prioritized improved low-light video in recent times. And right this moment’s giant digital camera sensors are additionally sucking in additional gentle than ever. So, the items are coming collectively for higher footage when the solar goes down.

I’d particularly prefer to see Google deal with this smartphone digital camera problem in 2025. Sure, some Pixel telephones provide high-quality low-light video by way of the Video Increase characteristic, however this can be a cloud-based functionality that requires an web connection. Even in case you have speedy information, you continue to have to attend some time for the video to be processed on Google’s servers. So I really need the Pixel 10 sequence to supply a correct Evening Sight Video mode working on-device. Sadly, a latest leak suggests this characteristic would possibly solely arrive on the Pixel 11.

I’d argue that Samsung remains to be the perfect Android telephone model relating to video high quality, though even Pixel telephones ship good video high quality. Nevertheless, the Android ecosystem at giant nonetheless lags behind iPhones on this regard.

Android Authority contributor Dhruv Bhutani pitted the iPhone 15 Professional Max towards the Pixel 8 sequence final yr (seen above) and known as the distinction “evening and day.” Dhruv particularly praised the iPhone’s brightness, the extent of element in a wide range of situations, and the smoothness. The truth is, he felt that “micro jitters” within the Pixel clips ruined the footage.

That’s to not say Android manufacturers don’t provide a great deal of video-focused options. However I’d actually like to see OEMs — notably main gamers Samsung and Google — up their sport to match or beat Apple on this class.

Samsung and Google have delivered some really unbelievable enhancing instruments in recent times, permitting you to make transformative modifications to photographs and movies after the actual fact. Each producers (and a great deal of Chinese language manufacturers) provide object erasing, for starters. Google additionally affords the cool Audio Magic Eraser to remove undesirable sounds in movies and Photograph Unblur to (shocker) unblur pictures. In the meantime, Samsung and some extra manufacturers even provide shadow and reflection removing. How loopy is that?

It will be nice if Google, Samsung, and the remainder of the Android ecosystem gave us extra of those after-the-fact enhancing instruments. Apple’s iPhone 16 sequence showcases some extra nice examples, equivalent to the flexibility to alter photograph kinds after you’ve shot the picture and audio remixing after taking pictures a video. Each of those options could be wonderful additions to an Android telephone.

I’d additionally prefer to see OEM enhancing instruments make higher use of RAW codecs, as this may can help you make non-destructive edits to content material. Think about with the ability to shoot a snap on the OnePlus 13 after which going again to use the Hasselblad coloration tuning. Or, you possibly can shoot a vibrant picture on the Xiaomi 14 Extremely and return to it months later to seize a monochrome model of the snap — not simply the identical picture with a filter slapped over it.

We praised the Google Pixel 9 Professional sequence for its long-range digital camera zoom capabilities, with colleague Ryan Haines noting that the Pixel 9 Professional XL‘s 10x pictures blew him away. Nevertheless, Ryan additionally criticized the long-awaited Zoom Improve characteristic, which was meant to enhance zoomed-in snaps after the actual fact. The characteristic appears actually hit-and-miss, with the worst-case situation being a ridiculously over-sharpened shot. A Galaxy S4 filter, if you’ll.

Samsung additionally wants to enhance the digital camera zoom tech on its prime Android telephones. We in contrast the Galaxy S24 Extremely to the Xiaomi 14 Extremely earlier this yr and located that the Xiaomi system delivered considerably higher long-range zoom. Take a look at the comparability above.

So right here’s hoping that Google considerably improves Zoom Improve and that Samsung upgrades its long-range zoom algorithms to ship extra aggressive picture high quality. As a result of firms like OPPO are additionally bringing the warmth with extra superior smartphone digital camera zoom tech in 2025.