The Galaxy S26 Ultra may get a brand new camera upgrade

Samsung may be working on upgrading the Galaxy S25 Ultra‘s already complex, high performance camera system for the Galaxy S26 Ultra, by replacing one of its multiple cameras with a brand new sensor. Before we get into it, you should know the details come from information apparently taken from a prototype of the future Galaxy phone, and is therefore not only a little unclear, but also subject to change. That said, here’s what we know. 

For reference, the Galaxy S25 Ultra has four cameras on the back — a 200-megapixel main camera, a 50MP wide-angle camera, a 50MP 5x optical telephoto, and a 10MP 3x optical telephoto. Samsung is expected to continue using the 200MP main, 50MP wide-angle, and 50MP 5x telephoto, but is potentially doing something different with the 10MP 3x zoom according to the PandaFlashPro X account, a known source of mobile industry information.

The message simply states a “currently unknown megapixel fourth sensor,” and adds Samsung is working to “make space” for a different sensor in place of the 10MP 3x optical telephoto inside the Galaxy S26 Ultra. Interestingly, and adding weight to the information, there’s a pattern here. For 2025 and the Galaxy S25 Ultra, Samsung upgraded the wide-angle camera to 50MP, and for the Galaxy S22 Ultra it introduced the 200MP main camera. It seems for the Galaxy S26 Ultra, it will turn its attention to the 3x telephoto, which was also first used on the Galaxy S22 Ultra.

This information also fits in with some previously leaked details about the Galaxy S26 Ultra, which indicated the 10MP camera would be replaced by a 50MP 3.5x telephoto camera. The same leak speculated the rest of the Galaxy S26 Ultra’s camera would be comprehensively upgraded, with the 5x telephoto increasing to an 8x telephoto, and the 200MP main camera gaining a variable aperture. These details are not reflected in the latest information, but that does not mean such updates aren’t happening. 

It does seem like Samsung is going to do something with the fourth camera sensor on its next Galaxy S Ultra smartphone, and given how long the 10MP sensor has been used for, it’s definitely ready for an upgrade. In general, the Galaxy S25 Ultra’s camera has performed well. It beat the Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max and the Galaxy S24 Ultra, but lost out to the Xiaomi 15 Ultra in our tests. The Galaxy S26 Ultra is not expected to launch until 2026.