New chatter about Samsung’s next-gen flagship from two separate sources has seemingly split the leak community into two, with two opposing stories establishing themselves about what to expect in the camera department on the Galaxy S26 Ultra. An Ice Universe leaker—followers tend to follow closely on X—rejected recent discussion of a telephoto upgrade and instead cautioned that we may see this phone’s 3x camera drop down a notch (a bit like what happened with the Note 10 series) in order to get a slimmer build.
Conflicting Telephoto Claims Emerge for the Galaxy S26 Ultra
The controversy revolves around the mid-range telephoto. One rumour has thrown up the suggestion of a 12MP 3x unit, but Ice Universe claims Samsung will keep to a 10MP offering for 3x zoom and, more importantly, shift down in sensor size: around compared with last year’s reported spec of about a 1/3.52‑inch component. All of which is to say: in practical terms, it’s about a 20% reduction in sensor area, which can affect low-light performance and dynamic range unless compensated for by brighter optics or heavier computational processing.
The rest of the array, says the source, is the same: a 200MP sensor as its main event, flanked by a 50MP ultrawide and then another 50MP lens with 5x zoom—just like in the S25 Ultra setup. That route would continue Samsung’s recent approach, with the S24 Ultra substituting a 10x lens for a higher-resolution 5x module in order better to cover the 5x–10x range via crop and computational sharpening.
Why does a 3x lens matter? It is the portrait workhorse. A smaller sensor at 3x might make noise and subject isolation bigger issues in terrestrial low light or indoor use. It could also force the phone to make greater use of in-sensor crop from the 200MP main camera itself for intermediate zoom steps (2x–4x), a strategy many brands embrace but one that largely relies on software tuning and scene detection.
What Could Remain the Same in Samsung’s S26 Ultra Camera
According to Ice Universe, Samsung is concentrating on evolution ahead of revolution. The headline 200MP snapper is due to make a return, alongside a freshly boosted 50MP 5x periscopic hookup that yielded sharper detail last time out. There’s also some speculation of the main and 5x lenses offering wider apertures, a sensible move to recapture lost light resulting from slimmer modules. A brighter aperture would make for better signal-to-noise and autofocus reliability, particularly when using night shots or indoor telephoto portraits.
This is consistent with the wider industry trend. Apple relied on brighter optics and smarter processing to elevate its tetraprism results, while Google has bunged super‑res algorithms at smaller sensors to stretch that bit further. Straight talk: Samsung looks set to offer a mixture of tried and tested hardware but with optical gains targeted where they pay off most obviously.
Why Smartphone Camera Lenses Dislike Ultra‑Slim Phones
Camera hardware fights physics. Larger sensors and longer focal lengths require more z‑height, but that runs counter to the push for ever-thinner bodies and thinner camera bumps. A narrower case can make compromises necessary: smaller sensors, shorter lens stacks, or closer stabilization tolerances. Periscope modules are a big help but still fill volume, especially when paired with optical image stabilization and folded prisms.
If Samsung really is thinning it out, shaving down the 3x module would be a logical compromise. The company could thus rely on having a brighter main lens, better multi‑frame processing, and denoising to cover the penalty at 3x—an equation many vendors are happy with given it’s what allows them to keep thicknesses and weight at bay.
Software and Silicon Updates That Could Rescue Imaging
Even where big hardware changes go unmade, software is still the quiet superpower. Rumours of updates to Samsung’s Camera Assistant crop up, with options for manual HDR tone mapping and processing strength—features enthusiasts have been clamouring for as sensors keep climbing higher in pixel count.
On the chipset side, an image signal processor and NPU with improved performance may significantly raise image quality by enabling faster multi‑frame fusion, enhanced motion effects, and more intelligent texture preservation.
Rumours indicate the Exynos 2600 could offer improved imaging capabilities for certain parts of the series, with the Ultra retaining a top‑of‑the‑range Snapdragon in most regions. Regardless, platform‑level imaging features—semantic segmentation, subject relighting, and refined zoom interpolation—have the potential to close the gap that hardware trade‑offs may introduce.
What to Watch Next as Galaxy S26 Ultra Leaks Continue
Until a few sources concur, the telephoto tale is still unresolved. Keep an eye out for supply chain murmurs from lens and sensor manufacturers, confirmation from testing companies, or firmware leaks that detail changes to zoom algorithms. If the 3x hardware does get smaller, expect Samsung to lean into brighter optics, advanced HDR, and better portrait rendering in order to maintain the Ultra’s camera reputation.
Bottom line: The latest leak pegs the possibility of a conservative camera roadmap, although perhaps with the wrinkle of a possibly smaller 3x unit to enable a thinner design.
For buyers, the relevant question is not merely resolution or sensor size—it’s how the whole stack, from optics to ISP to software, actually operates in real‑world photography.