Samsung’s Galaxy S23 and S23 Plus came out last year with impressive cameras, but a few flaws have held them back from stellar reviews. The most obvious problem, dubbed Bananagate by annoyed owners, is that the phones’ cameras often capture images with a banana-shaped blur in the background. Now, in a Polish Samsung Community post, the company has indirectly promised to fix this issue with a future update.
Samsung says the focusing problem is caused by its S23 and S23 Plus’s rear wide-angle camera’s bright aperture, which reduces the focusing area when shooting close-up subjects. This is supposed to help with low-light photography, but users who have snapped photos of food or other objects with the cameras have noticed that their pictures appear blurry in a circular pattern around the subject. The issue is most evident in photos taken with the ultra-wide camera, though it has also been reported for shots taken in 50MP or 200MP mode.
The company suggests that owners can avoid the blurring by stepping farther away from their subjects or turning their phone vertically. It adds that the upcoming software update will address this issue by changing the camera’s focusing area, but it may not be able to completely eliminate it. In the meantime, it’s worth experimenting with these workarounds to see if they help.
It’s unclear when the upcoming update will arrive. It could come as part of one of the monthly updates that Samsung releases for its high-end devices, or it might be released as a separate update for S23 and S23 Plus owners. Samsung has been fairly aggressive with its updates lately, so it’s possible that this one will come sooner rather than later.
Samsung has not yet given a release date for the new software, but it promises to make it available soon. The Galaxy S23 Ultra does not suffer from this issue because it switches to the ultra-wide camera and uses the focus enhancer mode when taking close-up or macro shots, so this problem doesn’t affect it.
Despite the camera quality issues, the Galaxy S23 lineup is still an excellent choice for buyers who want a flagship-grade device with an amazing display and powerful processor. If you’re considering purchasing a Galaxy S23 or S23 Plus, check out our full reviews to find out if they’re right for you. If you do end up purchasing one, be sure to follow our tips for getting the most out of your new smartphone. And don’t forget to share your photos with us on social media! We’re always looking for awesome user-generated content. You can submit them through our Facebook page or Instagram account. Thanks for reading! 2018 Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. All rights reserved. Samsung is an affiliate of the International Data Corporation (IDC).