Galaxy S23 and S23+ camera blur issue addressed, a software update will fix

Earlier this year, certain users of the Samsung Galaxy S23 and Galaxy S23 Plus encountered an exasperating issue known as the “banana blur.” To be more specific, these users expressed frustration over a persistent blurriness in the photos captured by the 50 MP main camera, particularly noticeable in close-up shots.

Samsung has now officially acknowledged this problem and reassured affected users that a forthcoming software update would rectify the issue. In the meantime, the company has also suggested some temporary workarounds to mitigate the inconvenience.

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According to Samsung, the root cause of this bug lies in the rear wide-angle camera, which employs a bright aperture in low-light photography situations. The company further explains that this higher degree of selective focus may inadvertently result in a slightly blurred photo background.

Galaxy S23 and S23+ Camera Blur issue

Samsung’s acknowledgement of the blurring issue in its Galaxy S23 and S23+ devices was brought to light by a Reddit user named NoSeK2323. The company’s official recognition of the problem was found on their Polish forum. According to an article by Android Authority, Samsung has admitted that the blurring observed in the images captured with the Galaxy S23 and S23+ can be attributed to the wider aperture of the main camera.

When testing the capabilities of the S23 or S23 + camera, you may have been trapped because when you take a close-up photo, the area around the subject looks a little blurry. This is because the rear wide-angle camera on the S23 and S23 Plus has a bright aperture, which helps to take photos in the dark. However, it also means that a more noticeable selective focus can make the background of your photos look a little blurry.

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The issue of blur becomes particularly evident when capturing close-up shots, where specific areas of the image may exhibit persistent blurriness. This occurrence stems from the bright aperture of the rear wide-angle camera on the Galaxy S23 and S23+. Designed to ensure high-quality photos in low-light environments, this wider aperture inadvertently introduces a more pronounced selective focus, resulting in background blurring.

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While Samsung has acknowledged the problem and is actively working towards a resolution, it remains uncertain if the banana blur can be entirely eliminated, given the nature of the issue. Some experts propose that the inclusion of a dual aperture function, as seen in previous models like the Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S10, with the ability to switch between F1.5 and F2.4 apertures, could have provided an ideal solution. Regrettably, this feature was omitted in subsequent models like the Galaxy S20.

Here are Samsung’s tips to work through the blurry photo bug on Galaxy S23

Samsung says it plans to fix this issue in a future software update, but without providing a timeline for the patch, and in the meantime, suggests a couple of workarounds waiting for the bug to be fixed.

A suggested gimmick involves moving away a little if the subject is 30 cm or less away; the other is to keep the smartphone vertical when taking a photo.

This issue emerged in March, and it’s strange that Samsung hasn’t released a responsive patch yet.