Samsung mimics Pixel 7 Pro by bringing 2x portrait zoom to Galaxy S23
Google’s Pixel 7 Pro is widely regarded as one of the best Android cameras out there. It has a generous 50-megapixel camera sensor at the back, making it perfect for capturing anything from the night sky to the smallest bug and everything else in between. For portraits, you can shoot at any zoom level from a normal 1x zoom to 30x, but it’s generally easier to shoot at around the two-times zoom mark. The Pixel 7 Pro’s rival, the Samsung Galaxy S23, also has a portrait mode but strangely didn’t have a 2x zoom — until now.
While Samsung has been pushing out several security fixes and feature updates since its introduction in February this year, only a handful of changes addressed the camera. Among the plethora of shooting modes is the smartphone-staple portrait mode, for which the S23 uses a 10MP f/2.4 portrait lens with 1x and 3x optical zoom. Those are the only zoom options, but Samsung is reportedly working on a big camera update that will include an additional 2x zoom.
Capturing portraits at the equivalent of a 50-millimeter focal length is the sweet spot for most people. Unlike 1x zoom, you don’t need to get in close to capture the details, and the 3x zoom lends itself to other problems if you move further back for optimal framing. Technically, when paired with the S23’s ability to blur a subject’s background, the 2x zoom should produce stunning photos.
The 2x zoom update was confirmed in response to a post on the Korean-language Samsung forums (spotted by Android Police), where a user mentioned the additional zoom when comparing the iPhone’s capabilities to the S23. A Samsung moderator replied, saying (machine translated): “Double portraits will be applied in the next SW Update,” referring to the zoom function.
