A leak claims that Samsung will try to fix some camera issues with the upcoming Galaxy S26 Ultra (Image source: Sam Tech, edited)
The Galaxy S26 Ultra camera probably won’t offer many exciting changes, but it could still be improved in some important areas, at least according to a usually reliable leaker. Based on his claims, Samsung is primarily focused on eliminating issues, especially regarding the optics.
It has become fairly quiet around the successors to the Galaxy S25, Galaxy S25 Plus and Galaxy S25 Ultra (from $1,049 on Amazon), which may also be caused by the fact that it might take significantly longer before Samsung’s flagships will hit the market next year. The latest indications pointed to an unveiling in February and a launch in March 2026, so just over two months from now. Compared to the upgrades of the Xiaomi 17 Ultra, the changes Samsung has in store for the Galaxy S26 Ultra might be rather unspectacular.
The upgraded 3x telephoto camera is equipped with the only new sensor, and even that could disappoint many customers, as Ice Universe has emphasized for months. Nevertheless, Samsung could still make meaningful improvements with the Galaxy S26 Ultra’s quad camera, as a recent Weibo post suggests. According to earlier indications, the significantly brighter optics of the upcoming camera flagship appear to be getting an improved coating to reduce artifacts such as lens flares. Samsung seemingly takes cues from Vivo or Sony, which rely on Zeiss T* coating for this exact purpose.
The camera algorithms could also get revised to correct issues such as overly yellow skin tones in photos. Of course, this doesn’t change the fact that based on the previous leaks, Samsung will probably offer one of the weakest flagship phone cameras of 2026, which will be a year when competition in the high-end smartphone segment is going to stiffen up. Alongside the Xiaomi 17 Ultra, the Vivo X300 Ultra will also be hunting for market share in Europe for the first time, while the Oppo Find X9 Ultra is expected to attract attention globally with an optical 10x zoom and two 200MP sensors.
As a young tech enthusiast with a history involving assembling and overclocking projects, I ended up working as a projectionist with good old 35-mm films before I entered the computer world at a professional level. I assisted customers at an Austrian IT service provider called Iphos IT Solutions for seven years, working as a Windows client and server administrator as well as a project manager. As a freelancer who travels a lot, I have been able to write for Notebookcheck from all corners of the world since 2016. My articles cover brand-new mobile technologies in smartphones, laptops, and gadgets of all kinds.
Translator: Enrico Frahn – Managing Editor Accessory Reviews, Tech Writer – 5989 articles published on Notebookcheck since 2021
My fascination for technology goes back a long way to the Pentium II era. Modding, overclocking and treasuring computer hardware has since become an integral part of my life. As a student, I further developed a keen interest in mobile technologies that can make the stressful college life so much easier. After I fell in love with the creation of digital content while working in a marketing position, I now scour the web to bring you the most exciting topics in the world of tech. Outside the office, I’m particularly passionate about motorsports and mountain biking.