The Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra isn’t expected to launch until early 2026, but rumors are already swirling about potentially significant camera upgrades. While it’s still early and specifications are far from finalized, the latest leaks suggest Samsung may be planning some of the biggest camera improvements in years for its flagship smartphone.
Return of Variable Aperture
One of the most intriguing rumors is that Samsung could bring back variable aperture technology to the Galaxy S26 Ultra’s main camera. Variable aperture allows the camera to physically adjust the size of the lens opening, giving more control over depth of field and low-light performance.
Samsung previously used variable aperture on the Galaxy S9 and S10 series, allowing the cameras to switch between f/1.5 and f/2.4 apertures. The latest rumors claim the S26 Ultra could take this even further:
- Main 200MP camera rumored to have variable aperture from f/1.4 to f/4.0
- Would provide significantly more flexibility across lighting conditions
- Could improve both low-light shots and depth of field control in bright scenes
While exciting, such a wide aperture range would be technically challenging to implement in a smartphone camera module. As with all early rumors, this should be taken with a healthy dose of skepticism until more concrete evidence emerges.
Zoom Camera Upgrades
The Galaxy S26 Ultra may also see major improvements to its zoom capabilities, according to recent leaks. The current S25 Ultra features a 10MP 3x optical zoom camera and a 50MP 5x optical zoom camera. Rumored upgrades include:
- Replacing 10MP 3x zoom with new 50MP 3.5x optical zoom
- New 50MP 8x optical zoom camera with 184mm equivalent focal length
- Would provide more zoom range and likely improved image quality
These changes would give the S26 Ultra more flexibility for telephoto shots, potentially closing the gap with competitors like the iPhone 15 Pro Max’s 5x optical zoom.
Sensor Improvements
While megapixel counts may remain similar, Samsung is likely working on sensor improvements across the camera array:
- Possible larger sensor size for main camera
- Updated sensor technology for better low-light performance
- Improved image processing with next-gen Exynos or Snapdragon chip
These under-the-hood upgrades could lead to noticeable improvements in image quality, even if they’re less flashy than new zoom capabilities.
Software and AI Enhancements
Camera hardware is only part of the equation. Samsung will almost certainly introduce new software features and AI-powered capabilities with the S26 Ultra:
- Improved night mode and low-light processing
- More advanced portrait mode effects
- AI-powered scene optimization and automatic editing suggestions
These software improvements could work in tandem with hardware upgrades to deliver a significantly improved camera experience.
Balancing Expectations
While these rumored upgrades sound impressive, it’s important to remember that the Galaxy S26 Ultra is still about a year away from launch. Many aspects of the phone’s design and features are likely still in flux. Samsung has been relatively conservative with camera upgrades in recent years, so such a major overhaul would represent a significant shift in strategy.
Some conflicting rumors even suggest Samsung might remove one of the zoom cameras entirely. As development continues, we’ll likely see more concrete information emerge about Samsung’s true plans for the S26 Ultra’s camera system.
The Galaxy S26 Ultra’s camera setup is shaping up to be an exciting evolution of Samsung’s mobile photography capabilities. While it’s too early to say which rumored features will make it to the final product, the leaks point to Samsung’s ambition to retake the smartphone camera crown. As always, we’ll have to wait for official announcements to see what truly materializes.