The much-anticipated Galaxy S25 Ultra is set to launch later this week, but recent reports about a camera glitch have caused a stir among potential buyers. Specifically, users have been experiencing an issue with the night mode on the phone’s main camera. Reddit users have reported seeing strange white bands or lines in their photos when using this feature.

What’s Happening with the Night Mode?

The glitch seems to be occurring only when using the Galaxy S25 Ultra’s main camera in night mode. Users report that the white bands don’t appear when using the ultrawide or telephoto cameras. Interestingly, this issue also doesn’t show up when the main camera is used in pro mode with a longer exposure time. However, some users have confirmed the presence of these white bands when using third-party apps like Open Camera as well.

Testing the Glitch

In my own testing of the Galaxy S25 Ultra, I shot over 200 photos, including astrophotography shots, using both the Galaxy S25 Ultra and its predecessor, the Galaxy S24. Initially, I didn’t encounter any glitches in the photos taken with night mode. That was until I began experimenting with astrophotography.

Astrophotography requires long exposures, so I placed the Galaxy S25 Ultra on a tripod, set it to night mode, and used the maximum exposure time of 8 seconds. After taking several shots of the night sky, I previewed the images and noticed the same white bands across the photos taken in night mode. However, when I switched to pro mode with a 30-second exposure, the white bands weren’t present.

Possible Causes and Other Issues

The most likely cause of this glitch appears to be Samsung’s image processing software. Although the bands didn’t appear in pro mode, I did notice other oddities. The photos taken with night mode had some artifacting, especially near the edges where the white bands appeared. These artifacts seemed to follow a similar pattern to the bands, which further supports the idea of a software-related issue.

Additionally, I found that the quality of astrophotography on the Galaxy S25 Ultra was disappointing. Even after adjusting the focus multiple times, the images looked soft and lacked the sharpness I expected. In comparison, the Galaxy S24 Ultra produced much clearer astrophotography results.

Is This a Dealbreaker?

While this glitch could be concerning for anyone planning to purchase the Galaxy S25 Ultra, I don’t believe it’s a hardware issue. Given that production has already started, it seems more likely that this is a software problem that can be fixed with a firmware update.

The Galaxy S25 Ultra is already shaping up to be a top contender in the camera phone market, narrowly edging out the iPhone 16 Pro Max in recent camera shootouts. However, the presence of this glitch, though limited to specific situations, is a bit of a letdown. I’m hopeful that Samsung will release a software fix to address this issue before the phone hits shelves.

The highly anticipated Galaxy S25 Ultra is facing a significant camera glitch ahead of its release. Users have reported strange white bands appearing in photos when using night mode with the main camera. The issue does not affect the ultrawide or telephoto cameras, nor does it occur with pro mode or third-party apps like Open Camera. While some users, including a reviewer, haven’t experienced the problem during normal night mode shots, it became noticeable during astrophotography with longer exposures. This glitch is likely related to Samsung’s image processing, and the hope is that a firmware update will resolve it before the official launch.

Looking Ahead

With launch day just around the corner, this glitch is a minor concern in what is otherwise a stellar phone. It’s likely that Samsung will work quickly to resolve this issue, so for now, those interested in the Galaxy S25 Ultra should keep an eye out for future updates. Hopefully, this small hiccup will soon be a thing of the past.