Galaxy S26 Ultra Leak Suggests No Change to 5x Zoom Camera

The Galaxy S26 Ultra may still be several months away from launch, but leaks are already painting a fairly detailed picture of its camera setup. Earlier this week, GalaxyClub revealed that the phone will once again feature a 200MP primary camera, just like its predecessors. Now, fresh information from the same source suggests the 5x telephoto zoom camera will also remain unchanged.

Galaxy S26 Ultra may keep the same 50MP 5x telephoto zoom camera

According to the new report, the Galaxy S26 Ultra will feature a 50MP telephoto camera with 5x optical zoom. It appears to be the same sensor introduced with the Galaxy S24 Ultra and carried over to the S25 Ultra. The 1/2.52-inch sensor has 0.7µm pixels, phase detection autofocus (PDAF), and optical image stabilization (OIS).

Rumors of a 200MP ISOCELL telephoto sensor had stirred hopes of a major leap, but this report suggests that at least one of the two telephoto lenses will retain the 50MP resolution on the Galaxy S26 Ultra. Details about the second telephoto camera are still under wraps, leaving room for further surprises. However, there’s little chance Samsung will upgrade it to a 200MP unit.

While some may see the lack of hardware upgrades as underwhelming, it is important to note that camera quality isn’t solely defined by megapixel counts or sensor sizes. Image processing, AI enhancements, ISP tuning, and software optimizations — all of which Samsung continues to improve year after year — play a crucial role in determining real-world photo and video quality.

Still, when paired with optimized software, hardware upgrades can help take things to the next level. That’s why there’s still hope that Samsung may equip the second telephoto or ultrawide camera with improved components. The 10MP 3x zoom camera is clearly showing its age and needs an upgrade. Whether that happens with the Galaxy S26 Ultra, only time will tell.