After an early report suggested Samsung might finally upgrade the cameras on the Galaxy S26, it was recently revealed that the company could end up reusing the cameras from the Galaxy S25. However, there’s still a glimmer of hope, at least if this new information is accurate.
Galaxy S26 could use newer camera hardware afterall
Information discovered in the recent firmware file for the Galaxy S26 reveals that Samsung has tested newer camera sensors for its upcoming high-end phone. These include the 50MP ISOCELL GNG sensor for the primary camera, the 50MP ISOCELL JN3 for the ultrawide camera, the 12MP ISOCELL 3LD for the telephoto camera, and the 12MP Sony IMX874 for the front-facing camera.
Wide: 50MP ISOCELL GNG (Unannounced)
Ultrawide: 50MP ISOCELL JN3 (1/2.4-inch)
Telephoto: 12MP ISOCELL 3LD
Front: 12MP Sony IMX874
In comparison, the Galaxy S25 uses the 50MP ISOCELL GN3 sensor for the primary camera, a 12MP Sony IMX564 sensor for the ultrawide camera, a 10MP ISOCELL S5K3K1 sensor for the telephoto camera, and the 12MP Sony IMX874 for the front-facing camera.
The ISOCELL GNG sensor has been announced yet, so there is hope that it might bring better performance compared to the ISOCELL GN3 used in the Galaxy S25 and the Galaxy S25+. The ISOCELL JN3 is a much bigger (1/2.4-inch) sensor compared to the Galaxy S25’s 12MP ultrawide camera, and it is the same ultrawide camera used in the Galaxy S25 Ultra.
The company seems to have tested two sets of camera sensors for the Galaxy S26 and the Galaxy S26+, but it still isn’t clear which set it has decided to go with. So, there is still some hope that it could go with the newer sensors for improved image and video quality.
