Samsung is billing its Galaxy S20 as the “phone that could change photography.” So what’s so special about this new phone?
The phone’s Space Zoom promises to allow you to zoom in up to 100X if you purchase the S20 Ultra. On the standard model, you can zoom in up to 30X.
But these phones don’t just offer a digital zoom. A digital zoom basically just crops the photo for you. These phones offer a hybrid digital/optical zoom. Optical zooms are when the lens actually moves to zoom in. Side note: I have seen a few articles where experts say that the optical zoom is actually a little less than what’s stated by Samsung.
You can take still photos with up to 108 mp in resolution. The phone also boasts an 8K video resolution. That all for a picture 4 times as large as one taken in Ultra High Definition. Users can pull 33 mp stills from videos. Samsung promises these videos will look good even displayed on a large-screen TV.
A new image stabilizer promises steadier video.
There’s also a new Beast Mode that allows you to grab up to 10 seconds of video and then later choose which format you want it in. There’s also an improved low-light mode.
All of this doesn’t come cheap. The phone starts at $1,000 and the Ultra will set you back $1,500. You may be able to get a better price depending on what types of deals your carrier is offering. The phone is available for pre-order now.