The Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra reportedly won't have a 1-inch camera due to design reasons

Despite the trend of 1-inch camera sensors in flagship smartphones, the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra will reportedly stick with a smaller 1/1.3-inch sensor, citing design limitations as the primary reason.

While Samsung's new ISOCELL HP2 sensor boasts an impressive 200MP resolution, its physical size is smaller than the 1-inch IMX989 sensor found in phones like the Vivo X90 Pro and Xiaomi 13 Pro. Samsung claims that using a larger 1-inch sensor would have made the Galaxy S23 Ultra significantly thicker and impacted its "internal structural design."

This decision has sparked debate, with some speculating that cost-cutting might be a factor. However, other flagship phones with 1-inch sensors, such as the Xiaomi 12S Ultra and Vivo X90 Pro Plus, are noticeably thicker than the expected dimensions of the Galaxy S23 Ultra.

Samsung seems to be prioritizing a slimmer profile for its flagship, even if it means using a smaller camera sensor. The company is likely betting on its image processing capabilities and the high resolution of the HP2 sensor to deliver excellent camera performance, despite the sensor's physical size.