Samsung’s Galaxy S21 Series Receives Astrophotography Features

Taking pictures of celestial bodies just became easier with Samsung Galaxy S21 phones.

Samsung recently added support for astrophotography features on the phones under its Galaxy S21 phone series, allowing their users to take photos of the night sky without them looking like pitch-black pictures.

Samsung previously introduced astrophotography features on its Galaxy S22 lineup but didn't deliver the quality expected of it, per SamMobile.

Samsung Galaxy S21 Astrophotography Features Details

Samsung Galaxy S21 phones recently acquired astrophotography features in the latest Expert RAW app update, which arrived with the April 2023 update.

Just like the similar feature found in the Galaxy S22 lineup, the astrophotography features added in the Exper RAW app update on Galaxy 21 smartphones use long exposures to capture photos of the night sky, stars, and constellations, though the picture's resulting quality depends on the night sky's clarity on a user's region. As such, those taking pictures of the night sky in the city might not get the quality they want due to light pollution and other factors.

Android Authority mentioned in its article that users could capture images of up to 10-minute-long exposure to bring out the stars in the night sky using a Galaxy S21 series phone. However, the publication also suggests that users might want to try using a tripod to keep the phone from shaking and to consistently get the best result.

Unfortunately, Galaxy S21 phone users must download the latest version of the Expert RAW app or have it updated to the latest version from the Galaxy Store to use its new astrophotography features since the April 2023 security update is required to use it.

As of press time, there is no comparison of the Expert RAW app's astrophotography features available online between the Galaxy S22 and Galaxy S21. As such, we at iTechPost cannot definitively say which is better.

Interestingly, support for astrophotography features in the dedicated Expert RAW app will also arrive on other Samsung flagship phones in the future, such as the Galaxy S20 and the Galaxy Z Fold series. However, Samsung has yet to reveal a roadmap that shows when these phones will have them.

Other Phones You Can Use For Astrophotography

Aside from the Samsung Galaxy S21 and Galaxy 22 phone series, astronomy enthusiasts and photographers can take pictures of the night sky, stars, and celestial bodies using Samsung's Galaxy S23 Ultra, which Photo Workout deemed a phone that's great for long-exposure shots - perfect for astrophotography.

Meanwhile, Space.com recommends Apple's iPhone 14 Pro Max and Google's Pixel 7 Pro - the former for its quad-pixel sensor and Night Mode and the latter for its shallow depth of field and camera array, respectively.

Aside from a tripod, Android Police recommends smartphone users interested in astrophotography use weather and light pollution apps to find places with a clear sky and away from city lights to get the best possible picture of the night sky, along with a bit of editing to really make the night sky brighter than it normally is.