Look Away, Galaxy Fans — Samsung Doesn’t Plan Zoom Camera Upgrades Until 2027

Samsung’s Ultra flagships have long set the standard for smartphone cameras, but the progress has slowed in recent years. This has allowed rivals to catch up, and in some cases, pull ahead. To make matters worse, new leaks suggest Samsung has no plans to upgrade its 5x periscope telephoto zoom camera for at least two more years.

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Expect the same 50MP 5x zoom camera on Galaxy flagships until 2027

The Galaxy S24 Ultra introduced a 50MP periscope sensor with 5x optical zoom, replacing the 10x 10MP unit on the S23 Ultra. Despite a drop in the optical zoom capability, a 5x lens was seen as a more practical approach. A higher resolution sensor further enhanced the overall image output.

Samsung carried that same module over to this year’s Galaxy S25 Ultra, and according to tipsters, the company isn’t done with it yet. Reliable leaker Ice Universe suggests that both the Galaxy S26 Ultra (2026) and Galaxy S27 Ultra (2027) will reuse the same telephoto setup. The 50MP 5x zoom camera has a 1/2.52-inch sensor size with 0.7μm pixels.

That would mean Samsung is planning a four-year cycle with the same periscope hardware. Samsung has already done that with its 200MP ISOCELL HP2 main sensor, which debuted on the S23 Ultra and will reportedly stay until the S26 Ultra. While these cameras are quite capable, rivals have introduced newer sensors in recent years, leapfrogging Galaxy flagships in camera performance.

Unsurprisingly, consumers have come to expect more frequent camera hardware upgrades from Samsung, especially in the Ultra tier. Meanwhile, the company has been relying on software-based improvements, such as enhanced AI-driven image processing, improved low-light optimizations, and more intelligent zoom algorithms.

Reports suggest that the Galaxy S26 Ultra will feature a new 3x zoom camera, replacing the existing 10MP unit. However, it may not really be an upgrade. While it’s a 12MP sensor, Samsung reportedly still only uses 10MP. Moreover, the new sensor is smaller than the existing one, which could mean a drop in low-light image quality. It remains to be seen whether Samsung’s software-based upgrades can make any difference.