Samsung is working on a big Galaxy S24 Ultra camera update

Summary

• Galaxy S24 Ultra’s March update adds underage mode and camera tweaks, but not major changes.
• April firmware update will focus on white balance and telephoto image quality enhancements.
• Don’t expect all camera issues to be fixed with Samsung’s rumored update; consider other Android camera phones.

The Samsung Galaxy S24’s first firmware update arrived after weeks of delay, bringing much-needed improvements for the dull display colors and camera processing enhancements. Samsung quickly released the second update for the phone, though it did not contain any significant changes. Despite two firmware updates, there’s room for Samsung to improve the image processing of the Galaxy S24 Ultra further. The Korean giant will supposedly release such a major camera-specific update for its 2024 flagship in April.

Leaker Ice Universe claims Samsung is working on two software updates for the Galaxy S24 series. The March update will add an “underage mode” and introduce some camera optimizations, but that’s all. A bigger camera-focused firmware will arrive in April with improvements to white balance and telephoto shots.

The Galaxy S24 lineup already received the March 2024 update. So, the leaker may be referring to another firmware that will land towards the end of this month or early April. This should be followed by a major camera-centric build arriving in late April or early May.

Samsung typically releases a big update for its flagship phone a few months after its release to address shortcomings in its camera processing. The Galaxy S23 received such an update in June 2023, which added a 2x zoom for portrait mode alongside other camera processing improvements. Since the Galaxy S24 series went on sale earlier than its predecessor, its camera-focused update should also land a few weeks earlier.

Don’t expect the update to address all the Galaxy S24’s camera shortcomings

While the Galaxy S24 Ultra and its smaller siblings pack an impressive camera setup, their performance is let down by their image processing. This year, Samsung has tuned down on the boosted colors for a more natural look. However, as our Galaxy S24 Ultra review highlighted, the cameras are still inconsistent, especially with their iffy white balance, exposure, and inability to freeze motion.

Given Samsung’s history, if you are currently unhappy with the photos the S24 Ultra captures, don’t get your hopes up about this rumored camera-centric update fixing them all. The firmware should address some of the shortcomings to a certain extent but is unlikely to resolve all of them. Instead, consider buying one of the best Android camera phones for a better imaging experience.