Samsung’s Galaxy S26 Ultra might not bring significant changes to its rear camera hardware — at least not where it matters most to power users. According to an industry insider, most of the cameras could remain unchanged. If anything, the company could upgrade the 3x zoom lens, but the rest of the setup may feature the same sensors.
Galaxy S26 Ultra to sport a similar camera setup as its predecessor
X user @PandaFlashPro claims that the latest Galaxy S26 Ultra prototype features a 200MP primary shooter, likely the same ISOCELL HP2 sensor or a slightly tweaked version found on the S25 Ultra. The 50MP ultrawide camera could carry over unchanged as Samsung introduced this sensor with the 2025 model. Don’t expect an upgrade next year.
Additionally, the 50MP 5x periscope zoom lens, which replaced the 10x zoom lens starting with the S24 Ultra, may also remain unchanged. While these sensors are competitive in the premium space, some Samsung fans were hoping for improvements. There’s still some hope, though, as the fourth camera remains unconfirmed.
For the past few years, Samsung has been shipping its Ultra flagships with a 10MP 3x zoom camera. It is arguably the weakest link in the otherwise powerful camera setup on the Galaxy S25 Ultra. A newer sensor here could significantly improve short-range zoom quality and close-up portrait clarity, particularly in low light. But as of now, there’s no solid leak confirming if Samsung plans to overhaul this part of the system.
If this rumor holds true, Samsung is likely focusing on software and AI improvements — rather than hardware overhauls — to push camera quality forward with the Galaxy S26 Ultra. This strategy has been central to the company’s recent imaging advancements, especially with the introduction of Galaxy AI. However, with rivals pushing larger sensors and other advancements, Samsung needs to up its hardware game to stay competitive.
