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Samsung did Galaxy S25 Ultra buyers a favor by not equipping it with the better HP9 camera

By Anam Hamid

Updated: Feb 03, 2025, 4:45 PM

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In June last year, Samsung introduced the 200MP ISOCELL HP9 sensor. It was not used for the Galaxy S25 Ultra and there's a good reason for that.

The Galaxy S25 Ultra comes with a higher-resolution 50MP ultrawide camera but the megapixel count for the other three sensors has not changed. Some users were wondering why the phone doesn't feature the HP9 sensor. Known leaker Ice Universe has revealed the main reason behind that.

The HP9 would have made the Galaxy S25 Ultra's camera bump huge. | Image Credit - Ice Universe

The HP9 is a huge sensor and needs a lot of space. It's thicker than the Galaxy S25 Ultra and its use would have made the phone unappealing aesthetically.

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Granted, some Vivo phones employ the sensor, and the upcoming Xiaomi 15 Ultra is also rumored to feature it. It makes for great photos, but the trade-off is that the HP 9 makes the camera bump very thick. This could be one of the reasons why the phones that employ it don't have mass market appeal.

Samsung is unlikely to ever use the HP9 for its Galaxy phones. What it's more likely to do is use the All Lenses on Prism (ALoP) technology it revealed in November to develop a better telephoto sensor without increasing the camera bump.

The Galaxy S25 Edge, which was teased at Unpacked, was previously expected to feature the ALoP tech, but given that the phone is rumored to not have a telephoto camera, it looks like ALoP is more a concept than a viable tech right now, and it could be a while before this structure replaces the conventional folded optics. Regardless, Samsung is at least making progress and it's also good to know that it doesn't want to rush out a half-baked solution.

Even without the HP 9, the Galaxy S25 Ultra is one of the best camera phones of the year and will outperform most other smartphones.

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Anam Hamid is a computer scientist turned tech journalist who has a keen interest in the tech world, with a particular focus on smartphones and tablets. She has previously written for Android Headlines and has also been a ghostwriter for several tech and car publications. Anam is not a tech hoarder and believes in using her gadgets for as long as possible. She is concerned about smartphone addiction and its impact on future generations, but she also appreciates the convenience that phones have brought into our lives. Anam is excited about technological advancements like folding screens and under-display sensors, and she often wonders about the future of technology. She values the overall experience of a device more than its individual specs and admires companies that deliver durable, high-quality products. In her free time, Anam enjoys reading, scrolling through Reddit and Instagram, and occasionally refreshing her programming skills through tutorials.