Galaxy S26 Adds 24MP Camera Mode for Daily Photography, Older Models Miss Out

As Samsung quietly refines the camera experience ahead of its next flagship launch, new details are beginning to surface. Renowned tipster Ice Universe recently shared fresh insights into the 24MP shooting mode coming to the stock camera on the Galaxy S26 series. The tipster says the new mode prioritizes balanced, everyday image quality over aggressive computational tricks.

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The 24MP mode isn’t enabled by default on the Galaxy S26 series

Samsung’s Ultra flagships feature a 200MP main camera, while other flagship models have a 50MP primary shooter. By default, the devices capture 12MP shots, with options to switch to 50MP and/or 200MP. Additionally, the Expert RAW app lets users take 24MP photos. The Galaxy S26 series now brings he 24MP option to the stock camera.

However, according to Ice Universe, the new 24MP mode does not appear by default on the Galaxy S26 series. To access it, users will need to enable it on the Camera Assistant app, which also houses toggles for features like Dual Recording and Single Take. Once switched on, the option becomes available directly within the default camera app alongside existing resolution options.

The source adds that the 24MP mode works in both Photo and Portrait modes, making it suitable for daily use rather than niche scenarios. Crucially, this feature is exclusive to the Galaxy S26 series at a software level. Samsung reportedly doesn’t plan to roll it out to older models, at least not yet. It could change its mind down the line, but things aren’t looking very promising.

Slight processing delay, but better results

Ice Universe also notes that the 24MP mode on the stock camera behaves differently from Expert RAW. The new implementation feels designed for speed, consistency, and realism, rather than pushing extreme detail at all costs. They describe the images as clean and well-controlled, especially in challenging scenarios involving faces or strong backlighting. Common Expert RAW artifacts like excessive sharpening and purple fringing are minimal.

There is a small trade-off, though. After capturing the photo, the system takes roughly three seconds to finish the processing. While there’s no latency when pressing the shutter, you must wait a few seconds for the final results. The tipster suggests the wait is justified, as the results are clearly superior to standard 12MP shots while remaining more natural than Expert RAW images.

It’s worth noting that Samsung is still working on this feature. In fact, camera development for the Galaxy S26 series is still in the process. With further optimization, the final behavior may change before launch. Stay tuned for more updates.