Samsung's next-gen budget phones could get a much-needed camera upgrade

Samsung apparently wants to increase the competitiveness of its low-cost Galaxy A series phones.

What you need to know

• Samsung is reportedly planning to add OIS to its 2022 Galaxy A-series lineup.
• Samsung currently uses OIS only on its flagship devices and a few "premium" A series phones.
• Thanks to OIS, the Samsung's next-gen A series phones could offer significantly improved camera performance.

Samsung has decided to finally bring optical image stabilization (OIS) to its budget-friendly Galaxy A series phones, according to a report from The Elec. The South Korean publication claims the company's entire Galaxy A series lineup will come equipped with OIS next year.

Until last year, OIS was largely limited to Samsung's flagship phones. In 2021, however, the company launched a handful of Galaxy A series phones with OIS. Currently, the most affordable Samsung phone with OIS is the 4G-only variant of the Galaxy A22. The Galaxy A52 5G and Galaxy A72, which are two of Samsung's best Android phones in the mid-range segment, also offer OIS.

Optical image stabilization allows the camera to capture sharp and clear photos by detecting movement using a gyroscope and adjusting the lens accordingly. What remains to be seen is whether the addition of OIS will lead to an increase in the prices of Samsung budget phones.

While Samsung has come a long way, its budget phones still don't offer as much value as the best cheap Android phones from rivals such as Xiaomi and Realme. This is also one of the biggest reasons why Xiaomi was successful in surpassing Samsung as the world's largest smartphone vendor in June.

The first 2022 Galaxy A series phones are likely to be announced in the fourth quarter of the year, while the rest of the lineup might be introduced early next year.

Samsung Galaxy A52 5G

$425 at Samsung $500 at Best Buy

While it isn't quite as feature-rich as some of its rivals, the Galaxy A52 5G offers good value and comes with an impressive 120Hz AMOLED display. You also get a capable 64MP main camera and a 32MP selfie camera.