The Galaxy S25 Ultra could offer unprecedented AI-powered camera and photography features thanks to the new Qualcomm chipset. The Snapdragon 8 Elite boasts a cutting-edge AI ISP that the company built from scratch to seamlessly integrate with its Hexagon NPU. The result is groundbreaking AI-driven mobile photography with on-device processing of advanced features previously available only in the cloud.
Snapdragon 8 Elite could unlock new AI camera capabilities on Galaxy S25 Ultra
With the Snapdragon 8 Elite, Qualcomm made fundamental changes to how the chipset processes images captured by the camera. The new chip’s Hexagon Direct Link allows the NPU to access the native raw data from the sensor, a first-of-its-kind solution. Earlier, the images were first processed by the ISP and sent to the NPU for post-processing. The new solution allows devices to implement real-time AI enhancements directly to the raw file.
This enables device manufacturers like Samsung to enhance images with their own software algorithms at any stage. The Galaxy S25 Ultra, which boasts a powerful camera setup with a 200MP primary shooter, 50MP 5x zoom camera, 50MP ultrawide lens, and 10MP 3x zoom camera, also benefits from features such as AI-powered Limitless Segmentation. It segments photos and videos into more than 250 layers for accurate optimization.
According to Qualcomm, this tool “recognizes and enhances virtually anything in the frame.” From faces, hair, and clothing to objects, backgrounds, and more, Limitless Segmentation ensures everything in the frame is optimized to perfection, delivering crisp images with accurate details. Real-time Insight AI enhances natural skin and sky tones in all lighting conditions. AI-powered Pet Capture feature helps in the optimization of pet photos.
Galaxy AI on Samsung phones already lets you quickly erase objects from photos. The Snapdragon 8 Elite-powered Galaxy S25 Ultra brings on-device processing of Video Object Eraser. If you want to remove unwanted objects from a video, you won’t have to access a cloud-based feature. You can do that securely on your phone. The new Qualcomm processor also offers AI-based autofocus, exposure, and white balance enhancements.
A seal of authentical for your original photos
Additionally, the AI-infused ISP and Hexagon NPU on the Snapdragon 8 Elite enable digital assistants like Gemini to see real-time footage through the camera. If you cannot identify an object, simply ask AI about it and point the camera to the object. Your AI assistant will work its magic and provide you with detailed information about it. How cool is that? And yeah, this happens through on-device processing without needing cloud access.
Last but not least, the Snapdragon 8 Elite adds cryptographic seals to your original photos, helping you authenticate them as real and not AI-generated. This is done through Truepic with C2PA and also works for videos and audio recordings. Qualcomm’s new chipset may have unlocked a new dimension in mobile photography. Samsung’s years of expertise should bring further enhancements to the Galaxy S25 Ultra. Exciting times are ahead for Galaxy fans.
