Samsung’s obsession with megapixels is hurting its flagship telephones

There are oh, so many unusual issues in regards to the new Galaxy S25 Edge. Sure, it’s skinny, and sure, it’s created from a sturdy mixture of titanium and top-tier Gorilla Glass, however when you get previous that, I’m merely confused. It has a small battery that’s not silicon-carbon, gradual charging with no magnetic ring for Qi2 equipment (shocker), and, watch for it, solely two cameras. That’s one fewer digital camera than the usual Galaxy S25 and S25 Plus carry, and half the variety of the top-tier Galaxy S25 Extremely. The final time we noticed a non-folding Galaxy gadget with solely two rear cameras was again on the Galaxy S10e.

But Samsung’s all-new, razor-thin flagship packs 3 times the megapixels of its extra reasonably priced siblings. Its two sensors mix for a outstanding 212 complete megapixels, which might be sufficient decision to place virtually any triple-camera gadget on our record of the greatest Android digital camera telephones (offered the software program was simply nearly as good, in fact). On the dual-camera Galaxy S25 Edge, nevertheless, the steadiness is off. There are such a lot of megapixels packed into its main sensor that every part else seems like an afterthought, and that’s not adequate for a cellphone that prices this a lot. Right here’s why.

Earlier than I begin complaining, let me get one factor clear: The Galaxy S25 Edge’s 200MP main digital camera is nice — wonderful, even. Its 12MP ultrawide digital camera is, properly, stable at greatest and serviceable on the absolute worst. We’ve seen each of those cameras earlier than, the previous on the top-tier Galaxy S25 Extremely, and the latter on the extra approachable Galaxy S25 and Galaxy S25 Plus. That mixture is each the excellent news and the unhealthy information.

On the brilliant facet, we already knew Samsung’s 200MP main digital camera was excellent. It turned in impressively sharp photographs throughout my evaluation of the Galaxy S25 Extremely, even when binned all the way down to a extra manageable 12MP by default. It additionally dealt with my optical crop wants brilliantly, which is nice since I punch in to 2x virtually by default — sorry, followers of the large focal size. Nevertheless, the first digital camera on the Galaxy S25 Extremely was just one piece of a well-rounded setup. It knew when at hand off duty to Samsung’s pair of telephoto sensors, lending a hand with further element as wanted however finally stepping again for a lot of the zoom work.

Samsung additionally made a pretty big (for Samsung) fuss about bringing an all-new, amped-up ultrawide digital camera to its Galaxy S25 Extremely. It ditched the earlier 12MP sensor that we’d all gotten used to for a super-sharp 50MP model with the identical lovable 120-degree area of view. Naturally, this appeared like the brand new path for Samsung’s most premium flagships. That’s not the case on the Galaxy S25 Edge. Regardless of costing practically as a lot because the Galaxy S25 Extremely and solely having two cameras, Samsung determined that its lower-resolution 12MP ultrawide sensor was adequate.

And, on the finish of the day, possibly it’s. Maybe the truth that its 50MP ultrawide sensor bins to 12MP by default finally steered Samsung this fashion. Nevertheless, I can’t assist however really feel disillusioned by the Galaxy S25 Edge’s startling lack of flexibility. Regardless of having a whopping 212 megapixels at its disposal, the cellphone can solely swing from 0.6x (ultrawide) to 10x zoom earlier than calling it a day. That’s much less vary than the smaller Galaxy S25 duo with its triple-camera setup, and it simply matches the Galaxy Z Flip 6, which achieves the identical max zoom regardless of carrying a 50MP main sensor.

Then, as if to make life extra complicated, Samsung supplied some reasoning behind its choice throughout our preliminary Galaxy S25 Edge briefing. It declared that customers spend most of their time between 0.6x zoom and 5x zoom, so it determined to concentrate on that vary. It determined {that a} huge main digital camera backed by AI processing was a simpler approach to take action than to stay with the versatile trio that labored brilliantly, thicker digital camera bump or not. So, with a strict zoom restrict in thoughts, Samsung gave us two cameras and referred to as it a day.

In fact, to additional illustrate my level — or possibly show myself fallacious — I made a decision to have a little bit zoom check. I grabbed my shiny new Galaxy S25 Edge, its closest in-house rival, the Galaxy S25 Plus, a equally priced dual-camera cellphone within the Motorola Razr Extremely, and the most effective two-camera possibility that Apple makes within the iPhone 16. Then, I discovered a easy little backyard scene that I stroll previous each single day, and I let every digital camera do its factor. Right here’s how my fast check shook out:

The ultrawide angle is, to my eye, the Galaxy S25 Edge’s best weak point. It doesn’t ship a horrible shot, but it surely doesn’t stand out as particularly good, both — it’s simply type of okay. In fact, I largely anticipated this to be the case, because it’s working with the identical sensor as its Galaxy S25 Plus sibling, so it makes good sense for the 2 photographs to come back out virtually similar.

Nevertheless, Motorola’s 50MP ultrawide sensor smokes the pair of them. In case you zoom in on the Razr Extremely’s end result, you’ll discover heaps extra element, whether or not within the bricks, the inexperienced of the vegetation, or all the best way again to the bench that we’ll get nearer to in only a second. Motorola’s Pantone-certified colours are additionally even punchier than Samsung’s — not one thing I ever thought I’d say. Sadly, the cool colour profile of the iPhone 16 makes its end result look a bit lifeless by comparability, even when its particulars are high quality. Apple might in all probability stand to carry a better decision ultrawide sensor to its base iPhones, however that’s a debate for a special day.

Leaping to 1x zoom, the default view, the Galaxy S25 Edge appears to be like far more aggressive because of its huge main sensor. There’s loads of element all through the vegetation, and you’ll pick a number of birds on the hanging poster to the left. It nonetheless lands roughly within the center concerning colour profile, with the ice-cold iPhone on one finish and Motorola’s Pantone partnership on the opposite. That mentioned, I feel the Razr Extremely gives a barely sharper take a look at the chicken poster to the left facet regardless of its decrease 50MP decision.

At 2x zoom, the 200MP main sensor actually comes into its personal. To my eye, its central crop merely holds onto far more decision than the Galaxy S25 Plus’s 50MP digital camera can match earlier than it switches to the telephoto for longer distances. The Razr Extremely packs decently sharp foreground particulars, too, particularly should you zoom in on the vegetation to the left, although I can’t assist however really feel prefer it makes the bench and chair within the background look a bit too artificially processed. The central crop from Apple’s 48MP main digital camera can be by far the softest of this set, with vegetation dropping particulars left and proper, and the arbor above the bench turning into a mixture of pinks and greens whenever you get shut.

At 4x zoom, one thing like no-man’s-land for these cameras, the Razr Extremely’s heat profile begins to do lots of heavy lifting. Though it’s starting to lose a little bit of sharpness, the colourful greens and the strings of lights trick the attention into pondering it’s a greater picture than Samsung’s comparatively flat colours. This time, the Galaxy S25 Edge and Galaxy S25 Plus present completely different strengths. The dearer flagship appears to be like higher for its distinction — take a look at the high quality strains on the leaves to the left — whereas the triple-camera model shines with higher particulars by way of the wall of ivy on the again. Each Samsung gadgets additionally current a extra pure take a look at the bench, since Motorola’s processing has oversharpened it an excessive amount of.

Final however not least, we now have 10x zoom — the Galaxy S25 Edge’s higher restrict. Whereas I may not like that that is the place Samsung’s $1,100 flagship calls it quits, I feel it as soon as once more gives the most effective element of the bunch. Each of Samsung’s photographs look essentially the most color-accurate, whereas the Edge reveals sharper particulars within the brick walkway and higher distinction within the bushes behind the bench. One thing in regards to the Razr Extremely’s completed product appears to be like a bit too darkish, prefer it’s pumped up the saturation as soon as once more. Lastly, the iPhone 16 gives, properly, simply not an excellent shot, being a bit too brilliant and mushy from prime to backside.

The issue right here is that that is the place my zoom comparability stops. Regardless of having a $1,100 cellphone in my hand with a 200MP main digital camera, Samsung has no real interest in letting its mixture of sensor cropping and digital zoom transcend a wonderfully common size. I might have saved going as much as 30x zoom with the Galaxy S25 Plus and the Razr Extremely, seeing what a 3x telephoto sensor and Motorola’s 50MP main digital camera can do, however the Galaxy S25 Edge mentioned no.

I received’t lie — I assumed I might get up to now and really feel vindicated in pondering that Samsung had made a horrible choice for its Galaxy S25 Edge cameras that may preserve me from calling it one of many greatest Samsung telephones round. That’s nonetheless the case, but it surely’s not practically as lower and dry as I might need anticipated. Though I’m completely disillusioned that the Galaxy S25 Edge received’t zoom previous 10x, I merely can’t argue with the truth that it’s sharp throughout each focal size that it does cowl. I’d fortunately put up any of the pattern photographs I confirmed off above, and that’s not one thing I can say about the entire different gadgets, at the least, actually not the iPhone 16.

From that perspective, I get it. I perceive why Samsung let 200MP and a little bit digital zoom do all of its heavy lifting. I may even admit that if the Edge went previous 10x zoom, I’d in all probability be much less inclined to put up the photographs I captured as a result of they’re not often very spectacular.

Nevertheless, I nonetheless don’t like spending this a lot cash on a comparatively rigid digital camera. Though Samsung is correct, and most of the people will spend their time between 0.6x and 5x zoom, that’s not an unique rule. There shall be instances, like at a live performance or whereas birdwatching, when 15x, 20x, and even 30x zoom is a must have, and this $1,100 cellphone will allow them to down. When it does, these customers will take a look at their buddies with Pixel 9 Execs, iPhone 16 Execs, and even Samsung’s personal Galaxy S25, and be a little bit envious of the cash they saved and the digital camera flexibility they earned.