What you should know
- The “Samsung look” refers to the sharper, more vivid and saturated photos taken by Samsung phones, which are often more colorful than reality.
- Recent rumors suggest that Samsung may opt for a more realistic look with the upcoming Galaxy S24 line, potentially altering the color saturation and sharpening settings.
- While some users enjoy the exaggerated colors, others prefer a more natural look. The rumored changes could offer more true-to-life colors, particularly in nature photos and skin tones.
- Despite the rumors, it is not yet confirmed whether Samsung will implement these changes in the Galaxy S24 series.
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You’ve likely heard of the “Samsung look” in photos. It’s a sharper, more vivid, and saturated image than real life. Some people love this vibrant look, but others prefer a more natural aesthetic.
Recent rumors suggest Samsung might be shifting towards a more realistic look with their Galaxy S24 line. If this happens, it could significantly change your photo game.
Samsung’s flagship phones are powerhouses, boasting the latest chipsets and exciting features. But they also have a unique look to their photos. Most pictures taken with a Galaxy phone are instantly recognizable.
Color saturation is how colorful something is. If you remove all saturation from an image, it turns grayscale. The more saturation you add, the more vivid the colors become. Sharpening, on the other hand, enhances the definition of edges in an image. Samsung is known for cranking up these two settings.
Take a look at some shots taken with the S23 Ultra. Those bright green grass shots were taken during winter. While you weren’t there to verify the grass’s color, it’s hard to imagine such vibrant green grass in winter.
You might like this, and many people do. It’s pretty, and if you want these exaggerated colors, it’s great! But, if you want more natural colors, you’d be happy to learn about this new rumor.
Rumors about the S24 series suggest more realistic photo processing. Several reputable leakers, including the accurate tipster IceUniverse, have backed this. This could mean that we might see more realistic photo processing on the S24 Ultra.
Samsung applies the same vivid-like processing to all of the S23 Ultra cameras. It’s even more noticeable on the ultra-wide and sometimes, portrait shots. Samsung could potentially tame this with software, but let’s see what could happen if it opts for a more realistic approach.
Samsung is already great with details. The S23 Ultra’s cameras capture beautiful night shots. The zoom is reliable, and the portrait mode is excellent in terms of subject separation and natural-looking bokeh.
However, the saturation can sometimes be excessive, especially in nature photos. The bright green grass and candy-blue sky might not be to your taste. More realistic processing might tone down these colors, making them more true to life.
This could also help with skin tones, which sometimes appear pinker or yellower than reality on Galaxies. For comparison, check out a shot taken from our Galaxy S23 Ultra vs Pixel 8 Pro review.
Samsung has already toned down the color saturation a bit when you compare the S23 and the S22 Ultra. But there’s still room for improvement.
No phone currently has photos that align with everyone’s taste. But Samsung is well-positioned to elevate its photos with more realistic colors while keeping the rich details and beautiful dynamics.
There are plenty of scenarios where you’d want a more realistic photo. If you’re outdoors a lot and enjoy taking nature photos, a more natural green and blue can help you achieve more inspiring shots.
The need for true-to-life colors also applies when you’re photographing colorful buildings, pets, and people.
Remember, it’s not 100% certain Samsung will make this change. It’s still a rumor at this point. We’re close to seeing the S24 series unveiled, probably in January, and we can’t wait to see what Samsung has in store for us!