Samsung is expected to take the wraps off the Galaxy S26 series in January 2026, but a new leak has sparked debate among fans who were hoping for another round of camera upgrades. Instead, it seems the Ultra model could take a step backward on one of its telephoto lenses.
According to leaker Ice Universe, the Galaxy S26 Ultra may ship with a 12MP (cropped to 10MP) 3x telephoto camera using a 1/3.94-inch sensor and 1.0µm pixels. On paper, that’s smaller than what the Galaxy S25 Ultra offered — a Sony IMX754 sensor that delivered 12MP (cropped to 10MP) with a 1/3.52-inch size and 1.12µm pixels. The difference might look small, but in camera hardware, sensor size and pixel pitch directly affect how much light is captured, which can impact detail and low-light performance.
The rest of the camera setup appears largely unchanged. The S25 Ultra’s standout 50MP 5x periscope telephoto (1/2.52-inch, 0.7µm, 111mm) remains competitive, though rivals are moving fast. Apple’s iPhone 17 Pro offers a 48MP 5x telephoto, while several upcoming ‘Ultra’ flagships from China are rumored to adopt Sony’s new 200MP sensor. Ice Universe suggests Samsung did consider alternatives — like moving to a 50MP 4x telephoto — but technical and timing issues ruled it out. A 200MP telephoto, meanwhile, seems too expensive to fit into the S26 Ultra.
With the main 200MP wide and 50MP ultra-wide cameras reportedly unchanged, the rumored downgrade raises questions about Samsung’s strategy. The thicker camera bump on leaked renders has fueled speculation about new optics, but so far there’s little detail to support that.
If the leak proves accurate, Samsung may lean more heavily on software tricks and image processing to close the gap with competitors. Whether that will be enough in the flagship camera race remains to be seen.
Don’t miss a thing! Join our Telegram community for instant updates and grab our free daily newsletter for the best tech stories!
For more daily updates, please visit our News Section.
(Source)
Comments