Samsung looks back at 15 years of camera evolution from 5MP to 200MP

The first Galaxy S smartphone went on sale 15 years ago. When it debuted in 2010, it featured a single rear-facing camera with autofocus and a 5MP resolution.

Today, the latest and best Galaxy S model, i.e., the Galaxy S25 Ultra, boasts four rear-facing cameras, including a primary shooter with a resolution of 200MP. That's 40 times more than the original Galaxy S model, not to mention other camera advancements.

Speaking of massive camera improvements over the years, Samsung gave fans a short history lesson this week with the release of an infographic.

The said infographic, seen below, revisits some of the most important mobile camera milestones Samsung reached every year with its Galaxy S and now-retired Galaxy Note lineups. Some notable improvements are:

Galaxy S2: First Galaxy phone with 1080p@30fps recording.

Galaxy S3: Zero shutter lag, Burst Shot, and HDR.

Galaxy S4: Dual Shot mode and 13MP sensor.

Galaxy S4 Zoom: World's first phone with 10x optical zoom.

Galaxy S5: First with PDAF (phase detection autofocus).

Galaxy S6: Introduced Smart OIS.

Galaxy S7: World's first with dual-pixel 12MP sensor.

Galaxy S8: Better selfie camera with autofocus.

Galaxy Note 8: First Samsung phone with dual cameras and Portrait mode.

Galaxy S9: Super Slow-mo at 960fps.

Galaxy S10: Triple cameras and further improvements.

Galaxy S20 Ultra: Samsung's first phone with 108MP camera and 100x Space Zoom.

And the list goes on. You can check out the infographics below for more details and a reminder of how Samsung's mobile cameras evolved over the past one and a half decades.

You'll end up at the Galaxy S25 Ultra, which boasts a 200MP primary shooter, fantastic zoom capabilities, pro-level color correction with Samsung LOG video recording, DSLR-level virtual aperture, and more.

Nevertheless, these awesome features that we find in 2025 premium phones exist thanks to all of Samsung's past efforts. And there's always room for even more improvement.

Need a better mobile camera?

Check out the latest Galaxy S25 Ultra offers

Buy Now

Image credit: Samsung

Mihai Matei - Senior Editor

[email protected]

First Samsung device: SGH-A800

Mihai is a blogger and column writer at SamMobile. His first Samsung phone was an A800 which took a lot of beating, and a part of him still misses the novelty of the clamshell design. In his free time, he enjoys watching shows, documentaries, and stand-up comedy; listening to music, taking walks, and occasionally playing old(er) video games.

Camera Phone Galaxy Note 8 Galaxy S Galaxy S10 Galaxy S2 Galaxy S20 Galaxy S21 Galaxy S22 Galaxy S23 Galaxy S24 Galaxy S25 Galaxy S25 Ultra Galaxy S3 Galaxy S4 Galaxy S4 Zoom Galaxy S5 Galaxy S6 Galaxy S7 Galaxy S8 Galaxy S9