It seems like the Samsung Galaxy S10 series of devices received a new update that considerably improves low light photography, at least according to SamMobile. Low light performance on the Galaxy S10e, S10, and S10+ was not up to par to the Pixel 3, Pixel 3a, and Huawei P30 series handsets, and it seems like Samsung opted to change that.
The source says that the May security update for the Galaxy S10 trio improves the Night mode considerably, while it also adds some new camera functionality as well. Night mode actually works with the ultra-wide camera now, which is something that consumers have been requesting ever since they got their hands on the night mode.
It is worth noting that the ultra-wide camera sensor on the Galaxy S10 has a considerably narrower aperture than the primary one, f/2.2 compared to f/1.5, so images taken with that camera will not be as impressive as the ones you take with the phone’s main unit. You will get much more noise, less light, and more blur… but still, if you need that wide-angle shot, the feature is there.
The main news here is that the night mode has been improved in general. Low light photos now have less noise, claims the source, while the phone keeps the shutter open longer than it did previously. That will let more light into an image, but also more blur in areas where it’s extremely dark, and you don’t have extremely steady hands.
That’s not all, though. Live Focus photos can now be taken using either the phone’s ultra-wide lens or telephoto lens, presuming that we’re talking about a Galaxy S10 series phone that has both lenses, as the Galaxy S10e does not. You can essentially get up close to your subjects without actually moving, when you’re taking bokeh pictures.
This update did not arrive to everyone just yet, of course. The update has been spotted in Galaxy S10 series models in Switzerland, though it will reach more markets in the coming days, most probably. By more markets, we mean more markets in Europe, and we’re talking about unlocked devices here.
Those of you who live in the US may have to wait a bit longer for this update to hit your device, though Samsung may shed more detail regarding all that in the near future. It is worth noting, though, that carriers in the US did not even bring the first version of the dedicated Night Mode to the Galaxy S10 series, so the second one may be a long way off… unless they opt to skip the first one entirely and bring the second one directly.
The Galaxy S10 series of smartphones was announced back in February along with the Galaxy Fold, Samsung’s very first foldable handset. The Galaxy S10 and S10+ have the exact same camera setup on the back, both devices offer three sensors on the back, including the main sensor, plus a telephoto and a wide-angle one. The Galaxy S10e, on the other hand, has that same main camera, plus a wide-angle unit, so it does get most of the features we’ve talked about here.