If you buy a Galaxy phone in 2023, chances are it has a high-resolution main rear camera. Even the most affordable Galaxy phones launched this year have a 50MP camera, while at the other end of the spectrum, Samsung goes as high as 200 megapixels with the Galaxy S23 Ultra.
Of course, smartphones don’t actually take pictures at the maximum resolution by default. For the best results, Samsung phones capture 12-megapixel pictures whether they have a 200MP camera or a 50MP camera using a process called pixel binning.
However, Samsung’s camera interface does allow users to take pictures at the maximum resolution if they wish to do so. While the maximum resolution can reduce picture quality in some situations, such as indoors and in low-light environments, it can enhance detail in landscape shots captured outdoors during the day.
A single tap required to change camera resolution on One UI 6.0
And with One UI 6.0, Samsung is finally making it easy to switch resolution in the camera app. On One UI 5.x and earlier, the resolution button in the camera app needs one tap to bring up the list of available resolutions and then another tap to actually change resolution. On One UI 6.0, a single tap cycles through each available resolution, as you can see in the GIF below.
Samsung has also separated the aspect ratio setting from the resolution setting. You still get to choose from aspect ratios of 16:9, 4:3, 1:1, and Full, but unlike earlier, the maximum resolution is no longer limited to the 4:3 aspect ratio and you can switch between the four aspect ratios no matter what resolution is selected. However, you will still only get pictures at the selected resolution at 4:3; other aspect ratios will reduce the resolution of the final image.
All Galaxy phones eligible for Android 14 and One UI 6.0 will get the newer camera interface, along with a slew of other improvements and quite a few new features that you can check out in the video embedded a few paragraphs above (keep in mind that not all devices will receive all new features).