Three weeks ago, we told you about the Samsung Galaxy S20 launch. Not all is bright in S20land though. Over those three weeks, quite a few users have been reporting on issues with the S20’s camera. The issues seem to mostly affect the high-end model, the Galaxy S20 Ultra.
The S20 Ultra boasts a 108-Megapixel sensor on the main camera, and a 48-Megapixels sensor on the 100x zoom camera. This phone, and the tech inside it, reecived some great hype. On paper, they are indeed extremely impressive, but twitter seems to be disappointed with the real-life results.
The Galaxy S20 Ultra has a serious focusing issue, it’s almost unusable as a camera. Should I get it anyway, or is the S20 plus something you wanna see in videos?
— James (@tech_zg) February 26, 2020
Take the above tweet for example. It rants about a simple problem, but a problem that shouldn’t exist nonetheless. This is certainly a first-world problem, but nevertheless it’s a problem people shouldn’t have to deal with. Remember this is a $1,400 phone. If you thought that this is a serious issue, take a look at this:
Our own @raywongy and @evanrodgers spent the last few days with the Galaxy S20 Ultra and compared it w/ iPhone 11 Pro, Note 10, Pixel 4
100x zoom is insane but there are real autofocus issues… Got a camera question? Drop them below and we’ll answer!https://t.co/s8HCkpAgpl pic.twitter.com/D3TjPCb26h
— Input (@inputmag) February 25, 2020
It seems that the S20 is suffering from some autofocus issues, too. There are multiple users reporting this problem, ranging from the autofocus taking too long, to not finding focus at all.
A handful of early-reviewers identified these (and other) issues, and Samsung reacted. The Korean giant sent a message to The Verge promising an update:
The Galaxy S20 features a groundbreaking, advanced camera system. We are constantly working to optimize performance to deliver the best experience for consumers. As part of this ongoing effort, we are working on a future update to improve the camera experience
What Samsung didn’t reveal in this statement, or on their “newsroom”, is which issues they are going to fix, and in what timeline.
.@evanrodgers and I shot A LOT w/ the Galaxy S20 Ultra. I wanted the 108MP, 8K video, and 100x zoom to be worth $1,400
Unfortunately, it’s not. iPhone 11 Pro still beats it on dynamic range, video stabilization, skin/hair
Also: the autofocus is SO BAD!https://t.co/hhVYow41Kp
— Raymond Wong??? (@raywongy) February 25, 2020
Considering the main selling point for the S20 is its camera system, (and its 5G capability) this is very disappointing news. If I’d spent $1,400 on a phone, I’d be hounding Samsung for answers! Samsung has reported, with regard to S20 range, that the Coronavirus is a factor affecting sales, but personally I’m not so sure. Let’s sit tight and see what Samsung does – more will follow…
[via DPR]