Samsung Electronics has achieved numerous firsts in mobile camera performance and technology since the pre-smartphone era. From the Galaxy S’s 5-megapixel (MP) rear camera in 2010 — at the dawn of the smartphone era — to the Galaxy S25 Ultra’s 200 MP ultra-high-resolution camera, 50 MP ultra-wide-angle camera, and suite of Galaxy AI editing features, Samsung has continuously redefined what a smartphone camera can do.

“Always one step ahead” – For the past 15 years, Samsung has always been one step ahead, pushing mobile photography to new heights and ushering in a new era of Galaxy camera technology. Explore this groundbreaking journey in the infographic below.

From making the best of natural light, to using dusk to your advantage, Mike Will has used the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G to shoot a selection of locations around the London cityscape at different times of the day, bringing to life his top tips for expert outdoors photography.

Photography tips from Mike Will using the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G

Scorching hot – This could be the trickiest time to capture an image. Shooting in the middle of the day will mean you have much harsher lighting; you can see this by where the shadows are. Something to look out for is to make sure your subject isn’t over exposed. Thankfully the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G is equipped with a Triple Rear Camera (Ultra-Wide and Dual Tele-lenses) that features a 108MP pro sensor so you can capture 12 bit HDR photos, for 64 times richer colour^[1]– ensuring that you capture as much detail as possible even when the lighting isn’t always playing ball.

Dusk – If you are in a city, my favourite time to shoot is just as the sun is setting. The city lights will be on and you can still get some awesome colours from the sky!  What’s more, with the Galaxy S21 Series’ Ultra-Wide lens, you’ll be amazed at how many objects and buildings you’ll be able to fit into frame.

Shutter speed for sunset – Just as the sun is setting, try shooting a handheld long exposure with the shutter speed around 1/6 in Pro Mode that’s available across the Galaxy S21 5G range, including the Galaxy S21 and Galaxy S21+. The light during this time is perfect to achieve an amazing effect with this trick.

Shadows – This is the perfect time for capturing some interesting shots. As the sun gets lower, shadows get longer! This is a great time to shoot people and architecture. If you can look down on a viewpoint, you will get a nice effect. Even more impressive is that when using the Zoom on the S21 Ultra 5G, you don’t have to worry about sacrificing clarity. The Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G features 100x Space Zoom which is powered by Samsung’s first-ever Dual-Tele lens system – one optical 3x and one optical 10x- so you can capture crystal-clear shots no matter how far you are from the action.

Golden hour – Possibly the most popular hour for capturing stunning shots. If you are shooting towards the sun for a sunset image, a key tip is to make sure you don’t ever expose your image. When shooting in Pro Mode, you can adjust your shutter speed, so this doesn’t happen.

Get Bokeh – To create a bokeh effect, when you are in Pro Mode on the Galaxy S21 Series, correctly expose your camera, and then click manual focus and pull the focus all the way to the left so it goes out of focus but creates a cool shot. This will give you a unique shot to stand out from the crowd.

Lowlight and night – The AI low light setting in the Samsung Galaxy S21 series can vividly light up any low light conditions. The advanced Night Mode is also brilliant for improving details and reducing noise. My tip is to capture on a mini-tripod or hold the phone very still if your shutter speed is 0.3 seconds or longer.

The Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G is designed with a unique contour-cut camera to create the best-in-class smartphone photography — letting you capture cinematic 8K video and epic stills, all in one go. And with Samsung’s fastest chipset, strongest material, 5G support and an all-day battery, the Ultra easily lives up to its name.

All of Mike Will’s images snapped on the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G can be found on his Instagram: @m.visuals

For more information about Galaxy S21 5G Series, please visit https://news.samsung.com/uk/,  https://www.samsung.com/uk/smartphones/galaxy-s21-ultra-5g/ or https://www.samsung.com/uk/smartphones/galaxy-s21-5g/

[1] Compared to Galaxy S20 Ultra 5G

These include features such as Super Slow-mo and Dual Aperture, which allow users to capture amazing moments in impeccable detail, as well as exciting innovations like AR Emoji, which offer users a fun and unique way to express themselves. Let’s explore some of the innovative features that make these cameras such a pleasure to use.

Capture Small Moments in Incredible Detail

Our daily lives are full of blink-and-you’ll-miss-it moments that, when captured on camera, are breathtaking to behold. By increasing the camera’s shutter speed to a blistering 960 frames per second (fps), the Galaxy S9’s new Super Slow-mo function makes it easy for users to record special moments that pass too quickly to be seen by the naked eye – such as the instant a water balloon bursts, or the moment your child scores a big goal.

In order to incorporate the function, Samsung outfitted the Galaxy S9 with a Super Speed Dual Pixel image sensor that supports faster image processing. Composed of an image sensor, a fast readout circuit, and a smart dedicated DRAM memory chip, this sensor allows Super Slow-mo to record content that’s 32 times slower than normal video, and four times slower than any other slow-motion mobile technology. That means that just 0.2 seconds of normal video can be transformed into approximately 6 seconds of stunning footage.

When activated on the Galaxy S9, the function is not just fast; it’s also smart. To make capturing slow-motion footage even simpler, Samsung enhanced the function with an intelligent feature called Automatic Motion Detection, which allows users to capture any fleeting moment.

This allows users to automatically record moments that could pass them by in the time it would take to manually activate the function. Users can easily adjust the size of the motion-detection area on the camera screen, and have the option to capture either a ‘Single-take’ or ‘Multi-take’ Super Slow-mo video, with the latter allowing them to record up to 20 slow-motion clips.

The camera also makes customizing and sharing Super Slow-mo videos simple. Users have the option to create a GIF of their clip that they may save and share with three playback options: on loop, in reverse, or in swing mode. They can also add a soundtrack to their video, utilizing a song from their library or any of Super Slow-mo’s 35 built-in options, and choose to display their Super Slow-mo clip on Galaxy S9’s home screen or lock screen.

Crisp Images in Low-Light Conditions

The Galaxy S9’s cutting-edge Dual Aperture camera is designed to adapt to various lighting conditions just as the human eye would, automatically letting in more light when it’s dark and less when it’s too bright to ensure that photos are crisp and clear anytime, anywhere.

This level of clarity is possible thanks to Samsung’s pairing of a new F1.5 aperture lens, which is the brightest currently available on a smartphone, with an F2.4 lens.

The lenses automatically adjust their apertures to reduce visual distortion and deliver the best possible picture and help the camera provide 28 percent better reception to light¹. Users may also adjust the apertures manually by utilizing the camera’s Pro Mode.

The Galaxy S9’s upgraded Multi-Frame Noise Reduction technology enhances low-light image quality even further by capturing and combining 12 pictures in quick succession to eliminate up to 30 percent¹ more noise and create a stunning shot.

Express Yourself with AR Emoji

Expressing yourself with animal emoji and cartoon characters can be fun, but as cute as they may be, they lack your distinct personality. That’s why Samsung developed the Galaxy S9’s AR Emoji feature – to offer users a visual communication tool that allows them to express themselves in a way that’s unique to them.

From a single selfie, the Galaxy S9’s machine-learning algorithm analyzes more than 100 distinct facial features, including your eyes, nose, mouth, cheeks and forehead, and uses that data to generate a personalized 3D avatar, or ‘my emoji,’ that looks just like you. Each is capable of mimicking the user’s own movements, in addition to supporting 18 pre-set expressions at launch, which makes it easy to punctuate any point with a dynamic visual.

Users can choose to create their own avatar, or pick one from a built-in selection of unique characters. Each is fully customizable, so users may edit their avatar’s facial features, hairstyle, accessories (such as glasses) and clothing to their liking. Samsung is also collaborating with various partners to add more fun and iconic characters to the AR Emoji roster very soon.

AR Emoji are compatible with messaging apps that utilizes the Samsung keyboard, and can easily be shared as GIFs or PNG files with anyone, no matter what kind of smartphone they have. To apply an extra layer of personalization to their device, users may also choose to use it as a wallpaper on their lock screen and home screen.

Deeper Bixby Integration²

Samsung’s intelligence platform, Bixby, is deeply integrated into the Galaxy S9’s camera, and utilizes augmented reality and deep learning technologies to provide users with a wide range of helpful, real-time information about the world around them.

When the user points their camera at an object, Bixby recognizes what it’s looking at and instantly presents information related to that object overlaid on top of the image. Bixby currently features nine different camera modes, including Text, Food, Makeup, Wine, Shopping, Image, QR Code and more, which allow users to receive instant insight into their surroundings.

This means that, for instance, a user on a business trip abroad may utilize the Live Translation function under Bixby’s Text mode to instantly translate a menu or sign written in a foreign language, or even foreign currency, in real-time. Bixby is currently capable of detecting 54 languages and translating them into a total of 104, which means no more accidentally ordering the wrong dish when overseas!³

Speaking of food, Bixby Vision’s Food mode allows the Galaxy S9’s camera to provide comprehensive information on the food you’re eating, including the calorie count and recipes.⁴ Makeup mode delivers similar levels of analysis and convenience, allowing the Galaxy S9 to recognize the kinds of makeup that the person in the camera is wearing, and providing direct links to websites that sell them.⁵

A Dual Camera Is Twice As Fun

The best-in-class Dual Camera featured on the Galaxy S9+ is composed of a pair of 12MP cameras – an F1.5 wide-angle lens with Super Speed Dual Pixel image sensor, and an F2.4 telephoto lens – that seamlessly combine their respective images into one.

The telephoto lens offers 2X optical and up to 10X digital zooming capabilities, while the camera’s dual optical image stabilization (OIS) technology ensures that both lenses provide crisp, clear shots even when the user has a shaky hand.

The camera’s Live Focus feature makes snapping selfies more fun, and allows you to easily capture a perfect portrait shot and adjust the depth of field before the picture is taken, or afterward, in the Gallery app. The Background Blur function offers users even more creative control over their pictures, allowing them to adjust their photo’s focus by applying a variety of shapes, including a heart or star to the background.

The Dual Capture feature was specifically designed to capture beauty in the background – or views that could be missed when taking a Live Focus shot. This function allows you to snap a close-up Live Focus portrait while also capturing the surrounding scenery, so the final photo will encapsulate the beauty of the moment in its entirety.

In addition, the cameras of both the Galaxy S9 and S9+ utilize machine learning technology to ensure that captured images are as clear as can be. The cameras’ Selfie Focus feature, for instance, automatically distinguishes the user’s face from their surroundings when taking a selfie, while Image Classification Solution automatically categorizes images and recognizes subjects’ surroundings to apply filters that make the photos looks like they were taken by a professional photographer.

^*All functionality, features, specifications and other product information provided in this document including, but not limited to, the benefits, design, pricing, components, performance, availability, and capabilities of the product are subject to change without notice or obligation. 

¹Compared to the Galaxy Note8.

²Bixby service availabilities and features may vary by country or carrier.

³Of these 54 recognizable languages, 33 may be detected automatically, and 21 should be selected manually.

⁴Food mode is available in Korea, the U.S., France, Germany, the U.K., Italy, Spain and India.

⁵Makeup mode is available in Korea, the U.S., Canada and China.

Both devices offer a smartphone experience that’s personalized in ways that enhance users’ connected lives, and designed to reimagine the way that we communicate, share and experience the world around us.

1. A Streamlined Design

Both the 5.8-inch Galaxy S9 and the 6.2-inch S9+ introduce refinements to the Infinity Display that make Samsung’s signature screen even more striking.

These include reinforcing the Super AMOLED displays with thicker Corning© Gorilla© Glass 5 and crafting the bezels and screen in a deeper black to conceal the iris sensor and create a more uniform, minimalist aesthetic. Both devices feature sleek, contemporary designs, and are available in a choice of four colors: Midnight Black, Titanium Gray, Coral Blue, and the all-new Lilac Purple.

2. Make Everyday Moments Epic

The Galaxy S9’s Super Slow-mo feature was designed to allow users to capture, in stunning detail, the epic, blink-and-you’ll-miss-it moments that occur in everyday life.

Super Slow-mo increases the camera’s shutter speed to a blistering 960 fps (frames per second), and is capable of recording video that’s four times slower than any other slow-motion mobile technology. Once they’ve recorded their Super Slow-mo clip, users may choose to save it as a GIF, customize it with a favorite tune, or display it as a wallpaper for their home or lock screen.

3. A Low Light Camera That Imitates the Eye

Combining an F2.4 aperture lens with an F1.5, the brightest currently available on a smartphone, the Galaxy S9’s advanced Dual Aperture camera adapts to its environment to allow users to snap stunning shots in any light.

Just like the human eye, the camera automatically adjusts to lighting conditions to allow just the right amount of light to reach the lens. So whether users are enjoying a sunny day at the beach or a birthday dinner with friends, they can rest assured that their images will be crisp and clear.

4. Express Yourself with AR Emoji

The Galaxy S9’s new AR Emoji feature allows users to create their own realistic or cartoon-like emojis using the device‘s facial recognition technology. From a single selfie, the device analyzes a 2D image of you by mapping more than 100 distinct facial features, and then applies that image to a 3D model to generate an avatar that looks just like you and can imitate your facial expressions.

AR Emoji are fully customizable, can easily be shared with others and also used as a wallpaper for the user’s home or lock screen.

5. Instant Insight into Your Surroundings

Samsung’s intelligence platform, Bixby, is deeply integrated into the Galaxy S9’s camera, and utilizes augmented reality and deep learning technologies to provide users with a wide range of helpful, real-time information about the world around them.

When the user points their camera at an object, Bixby recognizes what it’s looking at and instantly presents information related to that object overlaid on top of the image. This means that, for instance, a user on a business trip abroad would be able to utilize the Live Translation function under Bixby’s Text mode to instantly translate a menu or sign written in a foreign language, or even foreign currency, in real-time.

6. Snap Standout Shots with Dual Camera

The Galaxy S9+’s best-in-class Dual Camera features a pair of 12MP cameras – an F1.5 wide-angle lens with Super Speed Dual Pixel image sensor, and an F2.4 telephoto lens – as well as dual optical image stabilization (OIS) to ensure that photos are crystal clear even when the user has a shaky hand.

The camera’s Live Focus and Background Blur features offer users more creative control over their photos. The former allows them to adjust the depth of field at any point in the photo-taking process, while the latter lets users play with the focus of their photo’s background by applying shapes such as hearts, stars and more.

7. Stereo Speakers Provide Premium Sound

Because our smartphones are often our go-to platform for entertainment, Samsung has complemented the Galaxy S9’s immersive Infinity Display with an equally engrossing sound system.

To make it easy for users to immerse themselves in their content, Samsung placed powerful, AKG-tuned stereo speakers into the bottom and earpiece of the device that produce rich, balanced sound, no matter the volume. The Galaxy S9 also features a Dolby Atmos effect, which carefully analyzes key variables in content’s audio to give users the sensation that they’re experiencing 360-degree surround sound.

8. Enhanced Biometric Authentication

The Galaxy S9’s Intelligent Scan feature combines the collective strength of Samsung’s iris scanning, facial recognition and intelligent technologies to create a seamless authentication solution that offers users secure access to their device in virtually any environment.

In addition, the phone’s fingerprint scanner, which is now conveniently located beneath the camera on the back of the device, supports a new Dedicated Fingerprint function, which allows users to designate a fingerprint to provide instant access to their Secure Folder.

9. Built for Mobile Lifestyles

In addition to allowing users to enjoy a full-screen desktop experience powered by their mobile device, the Samsung DeX software platform now allows users to transform their Galaxy S9’s Infinity Display into a Touch Keyboard and Touch Pad using the new DeX Pad.

^*All functionality, features, specifications and other product information provided in this document including, but not limited to, the benefits, design, pricing, components, performance, availability, and capabilities of the product are subject to change without notice or obligation.

Imagine a camera that can see more than your eyes – one that can help you capture every moment and change the way you experience the world. Now imagine it’s part of the device you already use, every single day.

By taking a fresh perspective and exploring new frontiers, we’ve crafted a smartphone packed full of life-enriching features, transforming the common device into something that allows you to do what you can’t.

Find out more on February 25. We didn’t just update the camera. We rethought the entire camera experience.