The Samsung Galaxy S25 line relies on AI to keep its cameras fresh

Samsung’s Galaxy S25 smartphones launched todaybut when it comes to the most important cameras, the company relies on AI instead of making significant changes. There is a welcome addition, however. Samsung has finally caught up to rivals as Honor introducing log video to allow for more accurate color grading. Other key upgrades include improved low-light capability on all models, a “virtual aperture” and a much higher resolution ultrawide camera on the high-end Ultra.

Last year, the big selling point of the Galaxy S24 Ultra was the 200MP camera, which made the 12MP ultrawide look weak in comparison. Samsung has remedied that with the Galaxy S25 Ultra by more than quadrupling that sensor to 50MP. This also helps Samsung better compete with Google’s Pixel 9 Pro and its 48-megapixel ultrawide camera.

With this, the Ultra now has a formidable suite of cameras: a 200MP wide, 50MP ultrawide, 10MP 3x telephoto and 50MP 5x tele. However, that makes the more mainstream Galaxy S25 and S25+ look a little weak in comparison. Those are only with a 50MP wide, 12MP ultrawide and 10MP 3x tele, like the last two models. All phones have a 12MP selfie front camera with up to 4K 60p video.

Samsung has also rectified a weak point that we addressed in ours reviews on the S24: sub-par low-light performance. With Qualcomm’s new Snapdragon 8 Elite chip for Galaxy, Samsung says the new cameras can analyze noise more effectively using a new “spatio-temporal filter,” which can detect moving and static objects more accurately. That in turn allows for cleaner video, especially with moving objects in dark environments. The downside is that applying stronger noise reduction can generate strange artifacts, something we’ll be testing more in upcoming reviews.

Other key features of the new camera are also available across the S25 line. The most important for content creators is Galaxy Log, which finally allows the video log to improve the dynamic range and allow more accurate color grading. It is a much in demand feature for Galaxy phones that was only available before third party apps. However, it also lacks the ability to catch ProRes log video on the latest iPhones.

I tried to log in the Magic smartphone series of Honor and it can significantly improve the video by increasing the dynamic range in difficult lighting situations (a backlit subject or sunny day, for example). The problem is that converting logs to regular footage requires an editing app and some knowledge of things like LUT – so whether it catches on with users depends on how well Samsung implements it.

Samsung has also enabled 10-bit HDR video capture by default, allowing you to shoot more colorful and detailed images. However, be aware that such content may not be displayed properly in applications and devices that do not support HDR (other smartphones, PCs, TVs, etc.).

To handle photos after taking them, Samsung has improved Portrait Studio with new features such as custom avatars with more realistic facial expressions. It also added new analog filters for a more filmed aesthetic for photos and videos.

There are two other new tricks: Audio Eraser and Virtual Aperture. Although all the cameras have a fixed aperture, the last one seems to have an adjustable one like mirrorless cameras. However, the fact is carried out through calculation tricks, so it is likely to look a little artificial. Audio Eraser, meanwhile, is an AI-powered noise reduction system designed to cut background sounds in busy environments when shooting video.

The Galaxy S25 Ultra’s new camera is fantastic if you can afford that $1,300 model, while improved low-light management, Galaxy Log and AI should provide nice, but not spectacular, benefits. All in all, Samsung has not brought as much to the table as the iPhone 16 with its Camera control button, or Pixel 9 (Video Boost, Add Me, Auto Frame). To learn more about how the Galaxy S25’s cameras perform in the real world, check out our hands-on tests and stay tuned for full reviews.