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Samsung's Upcoming Galaxy S Phone Will Sport Six Cameras and Support 5G, Report Says (wsj.com) 168

Posted by msmash from the shape-of-things-to-come dept.
Samsung is planning a major upgrade for its 10th anniversary flagship phones next year, including next-generation 5G network speeds, bigger screens and more cameras, The Wall Street Journal reported Tuesday, citing people familiar with the matter. From the report: Samsung, the world's largest smartphone maker by volume, is preparing three versions of its next flagship Galaxy S10 smartphone, with displays that range in size from 5.8 inches to 6.4 inches, the people said, versus two variants in previous years. Those three phones are set to debut in February next year, they added. In addition, the South Korean technology giant is developing a fourth variant of the Galaxy S10 that will be 5G-enabled and is internally code-named "Beyond X," [Editor's note: the link may be paywalled; alternative source] some of these people said.

The 5G phone, slated for a spring release in the U.S. and South Korea, would sport an even larger screen, measuring 6.7 inches diagonally, and pack in a whopping six cameras -- two in the front and four in the back, these people said, which promise richer photos and better spatial perception.
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Samsung's Upcoming Galaxy S Phone Will Sport Six Cameras and Support 5G, Report Says More

Samsung's Upcoming Galaxy S Phone Will Sport Six Cameras and Support 5G, Report Says

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  • I liked my Galaxy Note 4 Better Than 8 (Score:3)

    by BrendaEM ( 871664 ) on Tuesday November 20, 2018 @11:04AM (#57674176) Homepage
    Curved screens don't make sense in the real world. There's a blue line on each edge of the screen. I've already broken 2 screen protectors. I can't even find cases that protect the edge of the screen from drops. And we don't need a whole bunch of crappy cameras, just one good one.

    • Computational photography (Score:5, Interesting)

      by sjbe ( 173966 ) on Tuesday November 20, 2018 @11:15AM (#57674258)

      And we don't need a whole bunch of crappy cameras, just one good one.

      1) The cameras in modern phones are pretty good. Adding additional ones won't make them worse.
      2) Having multiple cameras actually makes them better because you can do all sorts of cool computational photography [wikipedia.org] which can get great results without huge optics.
      3) Having multiple lenses means you can have multiple focal lengths. Many phones already have two.
      4) If cost is an issue I'm sure there will me phones with fewer cameras that you can buy for less money.

      • And we don't need a whole bunch of crappy cameras, just one good one.

        1) The cameras in modern phones are pretty good. Adding additional ones won't make them worse.
        2) Having multiple cameras actually makes them better because you can do all sorts of cool computational photography [wikipedia.org] which can get great results without huge optics.
        3) Having multiple lenses means you can have multiple focal lengths. Many phones already have two.
        4) If cost is an issue I'm sure there will me phones with fewer cameras that you can buy for less money.

        Given a certain price-target, the more you, as an OEM, spend on cameras, the less you have to spend of the entire rest of the product.

        • Given a certain price-target, the more you, as an OEM, spend on cameras, the less you have to spend of the entire rest of the product.

          That's true for every component so I'm not sure what your point is. Furthermore the cost of digital components is continually falling. I'm pretty sure the engineers and bean counters at Samsung are aware of this "issue".

      • The cameras in modern phones are pretty good. Adding additional ones won't make them worse.

        My advice, stop letting yourself try to math near money.

    • I have the Note5 and love it. Camera rocks as well, got complements just this last weekend for some low-light photos and movies that really turned out amazing.

    • The curved screens most certainly do make sense, just perhaps not in your typical usage. They had their inception in Korea. The larger Galaxy Note phones were extremely popular among women there who'd slap a case on it, and carry the phone in their purses. Unfortunately, when they got a SMS, they had to open the purse, pull the phone out, and flip open the cover tor read the text message. By having a curved screen on the edge which could display a preview of the text, the woman could simply open the pur

    • OTOH, the Note 9 is by far the best phone I've ever had. The curved edges are a harmless gimmick and can be fully protected with a flip case if you really have to.

      The reason it has two cameras is that you can't actually make a single good one fit in a phone. The regular phone camera is fixed at what, 30mm equivalent focal length? That's fine and I'm as big of a fan of prime lenses as the next guy, but there are things that you just can't do well with that focal length, like shoot a portrait or capture actio

    • It works like on day one, given that I have it running on its third set of inexpensive 3rd-party batteries.
      Sure, it's already too big to be used as a mobile phone, but it works fine as a small tablet at home.

  • bigger screens and more cameras

    This sounds like a minor upgrade to me. Unless they have somehow put a bigger screen in the same space, that's been done already.

  • How many cameras do you actually want or need? for me, 2 seems to be more than enough.

    5G support will be good, with actual "unlimited" caps on wireless accounts.

    Otherwise it's just a faster way to start throttling or blocking data. A couple videos and a hour or so of netflix is probably enough to burn through most carriers monthly "unlimited" bandwidth. We've already seen 4 wireless carriers throttling netflix and other services.

    • Multiple cameras is a good thing (Score:5, Informative)

      by sjbe ( 173966 ) on Tuesday November 20, 2018 @11:18AM (#57674286)

      How many cameras do you actually want or need? for me, 2 seems to be more than enough.

      If you want better pictures without having the sort of gigantic optics you see on an SLR, the answer is "more than 2". Having a lot of cameras allows you to do some pretty nifty computational photography [wikipedia.org]. Many phones are already doing this since they have two cameras on the rear which work together to get better images than either could alone.

      • Pearls before swine. 99.9% of mobile phone photos are taken and never viewed again. People spend too much time taking photos, not enough time enjoying the world around them.

        • Pearls before swine. 99.9% of mobile phone photos are taken and never viewed again.

          Get off your high horse. Most photos taken with film were stuck in albums or boxes and never viewed again. That's nothing new and it used to be a lot more expensive. But what's wrong with making it possible to take better pictures for the ones that are kept and looked at?

          People spend too much time taking photos, not enough time enjoying the world around them.

          For some of us, taking pictures is how we enjoy the world around us. If it's not your brand of vodka that's fine but I'm pretty sure you have hobbies that I would consider a waste of time too. Go do something you enjoy and stop worryin

      • Re: (Score:2)

        by AmiMoJo ( 196126 )

        The Pixel 3 currently has the best camera of any phone, and it only has one.

        So more accurately you could say that there are multiple ways to improve the quality of photos taken on a phone, and most manufacturers seem to be opting for the multiple camera solution.

        • The Pixel 3 currently has the best camera of any phone, and it only has one.

          That depends on what you are measuring and how you are measuring it. There is no single answer to which camera is best for all uses, conditions, and circumstances. Saying the Pixel 3 has "the best camera" is a false statement unless you provide the use case and measurement technique. Other smartphone cameras will outperform it depending on the conditions and what is being photographed. I have a very nice Sony A9 mirrorless camera. It's arguably the best available currently for many use cases but not fo

        • Re: (Score:2)

          by Luthair ( 847766 )
          When all you have is hammer, everything starts to look like a nail. As a software company Google seems to be opting to solve the problem through software while hardware companies like Samsung solve the problem with hardware.

    • Re:Feature Creep? (Score:5, Funny)

      by Opportunist ( 166417 ) on Tuesday November 20, 2018 @11:26AM (#57674348)

      6 cameras are required because the average human only has 5 fingers he can put in front of the lens to ruin the picture.

    • How about Samsung actually adds a significant feature, like an unlockable bootloader? There are still people who use firewalls to guard privacy, and use rooted applications.

      More work on Linux-On-Galaxy would be nice as well. This way, the phone can be used for other stuff, similar to how the Motorola Atrix could get a decent Linux distro on it for use in a pinch.

      Of course, virtualization would be nice, to separate work and home environments completely.

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by jimbo ( 1370 )

      5G solves the cell congestion problem that's more and more common. Well, hypothetically ofcourse.

  • How long until we have more camera on our phones than a fly???

    • How long until we have more camera on our phones than a fly???

      LOL!

    • How long until we have more camera on our phones than a fly???

      Uh...that happened already.

      Number of cameras on my flip-phone I retired years ago: 1
      Number of cameras on a fly: 0

    • The multiple cameras are performing two functions, both of which save weight and improve image quality.
      • Having two identical cameras spaced apart (to generate parallax) allows you to computationally generate an image equivalent to if the photo were shot with a bigger (heavier, more expensive) single lens. Most notably, this allows blurring the background for more pleasing portraits. I've got huge 70-200mm f/2.8 lens [diyphotography.net] on my DSLR for this purpose. You do NOT want something that big stuck to your phone.
      • Pri

  • In an attempt to be innovative, companies start adding rubbish to the phone. I understand one camera, take photos and selfies. I understand two cameras one for photos and one pointing towards yourself to see yourself while creating a selfie (true selfies are stupid, as they are used to show "look I am happy at $LOCATION" even if that is not true. However, the issue with selfies have to be discussed at another time. And yes, I do them myself. So I am a hypocrite.). The use of three cameras is already strange

    • Multiple cameras isn't just for 3D (Score:5, Informative)

      by sjbe ( 173966 ) on Tuesday November 20, 2018 @11:23AM (#57674320)

      The use of three cameras is already strange for many reasons, but let say you need 3D images, then two cameras might be helpful.

      The main purpose of multiple sensors isn't 3D but to do computational photography [wikipedia.org]. It allows you to get better quality images as well as have multiple focal lengths and have them work together. If you have an iPhone it already does this with two cameras working in tandem on the back. But more camera sensors let's you take it even further. There are camera available [slrlounge.com] which are designed around this idea explicitly with as many as 16 individual camera sensors. This appears to be the best way to get better image quality without having to attach bulky optics like those on an SLR camera.

      • Re: (Score:2)

        by prefec2 ( 875483 )

        Ok fair enough. Still I do not see much benefit in it. In essence you can do things, like a panorama, in one shot without the need to move your phone. However, there might be people who really need this. I would rather go for a real camera. Anyway, I still would trade more battery life over another camera.

        • In essence you can do things, like a panorama, in one shot without the need to move your phone.

          Its a LOT more than that. You can take multiple pictures simultaneously of the same object and digitally combine them into a better image. It lets you do things that would normally take some really expensive and bulky glass. In fact it lets you do some stuff you cannot do (easily) with conventional cameras. Computational photography is a BIG deal and it's really interesting if you have any interest in imaging technology.

          I would rather go for a real camera.

          It IS a "real" camera. I don't get why people look down their nose at the camera's

          • Re: (Score:2)

            by prefec2 ( 875483 )

            Of course it is your choice whether you want to have a digital enabled high end camera in your mobile computer aka smartphone or use a separate device for it. However, I do not see the need to have that in a phone. How often are you going to use it? It makes the thing more expensive. To me it looks like they add more camera/sensors just because they do not know how to add more innovative things to the phone.

            There might be people who desperately need that feature. There might even be a lot of people needing

            • How often are you going to use it? It makes the thing more expensive

              Personally? I use my phone camera constantly and to good effect and so do millions of other people. I very much would welcome any improvements in camera quality on my phone and I'm certain I'm not alone in that. Just because you don't see the use case for you doesn't mean it doesn't exist. I don't use Facebook but I get why other people do.

              Most of the time my big fancy mirrorless dedicated camera is WAY too bulky to carry around as well as redundant. The improved image quality it is capable of is more

      • If you have an iPhone it already does this with two cameras working in tandem on the back.

        Pixel 2 and Pixel 3 do this with a single camera The sensors have "split pixels", so when you take one photo with one camera you're actually getting two photos, with a tiny separation. This separation is enough, it turns out, to compute a depth map. Not good enough for actual 3D photography, but more than adequate for doing what most two-camera phones do: make portraits with a blurred background. And since two cameras aren't required, it works with the front camera, too. Bokeh for your selfies.

    • Then please you might tell me the idea behind selfies, I don't get it. I know where I am (in general, and if I don't, I'm usually in no condition to operate a phone). And even though I'm old I also remember where I was (again, in general, and if I don't, it's usually for the better).

      What's the idea behind making a selfie? And, more importantly, what's the idea behind sending me said selfie? If I was remotely interested in where you are, I would either know or be there with you. If it's neither, a text messa

      • Re: (Score:2)

        by jimbo ( 1370 )

        You know in Quebec they don't enjoy English much so the tried to replace the word "selfie" with a more proper one: "Egoportrait". I'm sad it never caught on.

  • Sorry, Samsung, you better up your game if you want sales.

    (heaven forbid there's a two-camera phone with a decent swappable battery and a well-integrated SD card).

  • Once again, the so-called tech visionaries have been proven wrong:

    Five cameras ought to be enough for anybody.

    --Bill Gates, 1992

  • What a time to be alive (Score:3)

    by SuperKendall ( 25149 ) on Tuesday November 20, 2018 @11:30AM (#57674372)

    The 5G phone, slated for a spring release in the U.S. and South Korea, would sport an even larger screen, measuring 6.7 inches diagonally, and pack in a whopping six cameras

    I never thought I would see the day I could have a cell phone with more cameras than Gs!!

  • 6 cameras! That's awesome news! (Score:4, Insightful)

    by Opportunist ( 166417 ) on Tuesday November 20, 2018 @11:33AM (#57674392)

    If they can waste that much space in the phone that must mean that they have solved the problem of putting a replaceable battery in, put the charging port in a hard-to-destroy place and use enough solder to keep it in place (after all, a blob of solder needs WAY less space than 6 cameras, any sensible manufacturer would first get the important bits done before pondering what to waste the spare space on) and retain the headphone jack, along with adding a few more plugs for SD-Cards and USB devices to attach, so I can charge it and use it at the same time, right?

    RIGHT????

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by jimbo ( 1370 )

      You're assuming manufacturers think not having easily replaceable batteries is a problem in the first place.

  • Sigh. (Score:3)

    by ledow ( 319597 ) on Tuesday November 20, 2018 @11:42AM (#57674446) Homepage

    Got space for 6 cameras?

    Then don't give me shit about having no room for SD cards or headphone sockets.

  • Samsung, the world's largest smartphone maker by volume...

    Are companies now being ranked in terms of volume of phones shipped? How many cubic metres of phones did they ship in 2017?

  • No room for a headphone jack but we do for 6 cameras!?!?

    Gimme one good camera in a phone that will last 2+ days with all the radios on and not shatter when it falls out of my hand.

    Instead we get this shit!

  • not using Intel modems CONFIRMED.

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by jimbo ( 1370 )

      I think it wise to stay away from any 1st gen 5G chipset, no matter the manufacturer. I remember the early LTE days.

  • This is starting to sound like the razor wars from a while back. Every year it seemed the major razor companies would release a razor with one more blade than the year before. I think they finally stopped at six, realizing how ridiculous it all was. This is not that far off.

  • ... so my personal info can be quickly scraped and I can get some CPU cycles to play Farmville.

  • What you really want is the new Snapdragon XRi. With eleven cameras built-in, it truly goes up to 11. Imagine being the envy of all your friends...

    You can get pictures of yourself. Pictures of your friends. Pictures of that scary guy looking at you from behind. Pictures below you. Pictures above you. Pictures so you can watch yourself walk and make adjustments to really get your groove on. You will have so many fucking pictures you will need 2 Dropbox accounts just to keep your Camera uploads manageable.

    E
  • Apple's latest top-of-the-line iPhone is not experiencing the sales frenzy that prior models enjoyed [fool.com]. Lackadaisical sales seems to be affecting their stock price [bbc.com]. Admittedly, both of these can be short-term events or rationalized by pointing to "market conditions". However, an over-the-top approach like Samsung is suggesting seems like a bad idea.

  • I'd been saying to myself - if there's one thing that'll make me buy a phone, it's six cameras. And a notch - or even better, two notches. And no headphones. Or SD card slot.

    Man, that'd be the ideal phone.

  • Sure, we could go to five cameras next, like the competition. That seems like the logical thing to do. After all, four worked out pretty well, and five is the next number after four. So let's play it safe. Why innovate when we can follow? Oh, I know why: Because we're a business, that's why!

    You think it's crazy? It is crazy. But I don't give a shit. From now on, we're the ones who have the edge in the multi-camera game.

  • As expected from Samsung, a company that is slated to re-igniting the market.

  • ... is a camera with a robust case, and a lot of battery.

    And not made out of that greased teflon stuff that Samsung uses, so the phone almost literally leaps out of your hand while you're trying to use it.

    "Paper-thin" is not a feature I'm interested in.

    My current phone, and previous phone, were Samsun Galaxy S phones, and my next one likely will be, too. But the first thing I do, before even opening the box, is buy a Seidio case for it.

  • Relevant Onion article

    Would someone tell me how this happened? We were the fucking vanguard of shaving in this country. The Gillette Mach3 was the razor to own. Then the other guy came out with a three-blade razor. Were we scared? Hell, no. Because we hit back with a little thing called the Mach3Turbo. That's three blades and an aloe strip. For moisture. But you know what happened next? Shut up, I'm telling you what happenedâ"the bastards went to four blades. Now we're standing around with our cocks in

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