Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra: No 3x Camera Upgrade News Revealed

Key Takeaways

1. Samsung typically introduces only one camera upgrade with each new Galaxy S Ultra model.
2. The Galaxy S25 Ultra retains camera specs from the Galaxy S24 Ultra, except for the 5x telephoto camera.
3. The upcoming Galaxy S26 Ultra may feature a new 10 MP telephoto camera setup, moving away from the existing specifications.
4. The new camera sensor for the S26 Ultra reportedly has a 12 MP capability but will not be fully utilized.
5. Previous transitions, such as from the Galaxy S21 Ultra to the S22 Ultra, show Samsung’s history of altering camera components, but the impact on image quality remains uncertain.

Samsung often sets apart its Galaxy S Ultra flagship models with slight upgrades to their cameras. For example, the Galaxy S25 Ultra (currently priced at $1,049 on Amazon) was released in January featuring the same main, telephoto, and selfie cameras as the previous model. Likewise, the Galaxy S24 Ultra retains all the camera specs from the Galaxy S23 Ultra, except for the 5x telephoto camera.

Camera Upgrades and Patterns

To put it simply, Samsung usually adds just one camera improvement with each new Galaxy S Ultra release. However, according to the tipster Ice Universe, this pattern might change in the upcoming Galaxy S26 Ultra. In a post on X, the leaker suggests that Samsung is ready to move away from the 10 MP, 1/3.52-inch, 1.12 µm, and 3x (70 mm) telephoto camera that has been in use since the Galaxy S22 Ultra.

Potential Changes for the S26 Ultra

Ice Universe also claims that the Galaxy S26 Ultra might debut with a 3x telephoto solution that is technically less advanced. Reportedly, Samsung is switching to a new 10 MP camera setup, which is said to be a 12 MP sensor that the company won’t be using in full. Supposedly, this new sensor features an optical format of 1/3.94-inch, an f/2.4 aperture, and 1.0 µm pixels.

Comparative Analysis of Camera Quality

Though this might seem unusual, Samsung has done something similar when transitioning from the Galaxy S21 Ultra to the Galaxy S22 Ultra, switching from a 1/3.24-inch and 1.22 µm 3x camera to the Sony IMX754 that is currently in use. It is yet unclear how this latest alteration will influence image quality when comparing the Galaxy S25 Ultra and the Galaxy S26 Ultra, especially at the 3x zoom setting.

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