Imagine scrolling through the internet and social media, you start seeing images of the moon taken by the newly released flagship Samsung phone. You can’t help but wonder, how does a pocket-sized smartphone capture the craters of the moon?

How does a smartphone capture an image so detailed and crisp that it almost puts professional DSLR setups to shame?

In 2020, Samsung released their S20 Ultra series which boasts a 100x “space Zoom” feature. The feature essentially allows users to zoom so far beyond the standard smartphone, that it could capture details of the moon.

However, earlier in the year (2023) a Reddit user “ibreakphotos” created a post called “Samsung space zoom moon shots are fake, and here is the proof” which went viral in the r/android subreddit.

Many of us have witnessed the breathtaking moon photos taken with the latest zoom lenses, starting with the S20 Ultra. Nevertheless, I’ve always had doubts about their authenticity, as they appear almost too perfect. While these images are not necessarily outright fabrications, neither are they entirely genuine.

As a consumer, how might this false perception of technology lead to a negative user experience? While Samsung’s “Space Zoom” feature is not outright fake, the marketing sets unrealistic expectations for users.

In this article, we will be exploring this issue from multiple perspectives as well as diving into the various implications.

The accusation and the controversy

To look at this issue from multiple perspectives, we must assess the evidence and the claims that have surfaced about the accusations.

Accusation

• A Reddit user accused Samsung of faking detailed moon photos taken with phones like the Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra that feature a hyped “space zoom” camera
• The user claimed that the photos…