Samsung Galaxy S11 to have four rear cameras, including 108 MP sensor

Samsung is taking the gloves off with the Galaxy S11. Nowhere is that more apparent than in the arsenal of cameras on the back of the device: four shooters in total, one of which uses a monster 108 MP sensor.

That’s according to sources cited by Bloomberg who are “familiar with the company’s plans.” There are some teeth to these rumors, as we’ve seen Samsung’s 108 MP sensor in a few phones already (namely, the Xiaomi Mi Note 10). It makes sense that Samsung would use its own behemoth of a shooter on its flagship for next year.

The sources also claimed the rear camera array would include an ultrawide lens, a 5x optical zoom lens, and a time-of-flight sensor (like the one used in the Galaxy Note 10+).

However, if Xiaomi’s offerings are anything to go by, the inclusion of a 108 MP sensor will introduce some problems. While a 108 MP camera looks great on a spec sheet, the real world paints a much different picture. For one, crunching all those pixels into a single photo takes time. The Mi Note 10 from Xiaomi has been criticized for the seconds it takes to render its 108 MP shots.

Granted, the Mi Note 10 runs on weaker silicon than the Galaxy S11’s purported Snapdragon 865. Still, that’s a lot of image data to process. Even with the latest and greatest from Qualcomm, the Galaxy S11 will take time to process 108 MP images, which may limit the usefulness of its main sensor.

We’ll see whether or not Samsung opts to equip the Galaxy S11 with a 108 MP sensor. Samsung’s next flagship is expected to launch sometime this coming spring.