13MP camera tipped for Samsung Galaxy S IV

The Samsung Galaxy S III still seems like the hottest Android smartphone out there, but this doesn’t stop rumors about the next Galaxy S to surface here and there. First, it was the Galaxy S IV’s allegedly upcoming appearance at MWC 2013, and now a 13-megapixel camera module has surfaced and it’s said to be directly linked to the fourth generation Samsung Galaxy S.

Currently, the Galaxy S III sports a pretty capable 8-megapixel shooter. Increasing the megapixel count however is no easy task if Samsung wants to retain the slim body line of its flagship Android phone. Moreover, more megapixels also make it more challenging for a device to perform well in low light conditions due to the simple fact that pixels get smaller and noise gets in easier.

Still, we expect the next Galaxy S IV to bring some big camera improvements, and while we’re not sure whether Samsung will bump up the megapixels, that’s definitely one possible way to go.

The 13-megapixel sensor is said to have been originally intended for the third-gen Galaxy S and the second Galaxy Note, but never made it to those devices (both feature 8-megapixel shooters). If such a camera arrive in the S IV, it'd capture images with 4208 x 3120 pixel resolution.