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Samsung appears to be sticking with largely the same camera hardware for the upcoming Galaxy S26 family, with only a few targeted changes and a greater emphasis on software refinement. Early reports suggest modest swaps between models rather than a wholesale redesign of flagship imaging components.
What the lineup will look like
According to Korean sources, Samsung is trimming model names and shuffling hardware. The standard S26 is expected to be renamed the S26 Pro and will reportedly use the same camera trio we've seen in recent S-series updates: a 50MP main sensor, a 10MP 3x telephoto module, and a 12MP ultrawide lens. That means little in the way of a hardware leap for the base model.
Meanwhile, the model rumored as the S26 Edge will retain a 200MP primary sensor but receive an upgraded ultrawide — moving from 12MP to a 50MP module. This ultrawide appears to be the same component used on this year’s S25 Ultra, where real-world gains were modest in independent testing.
Ultra and telephoto prospects
The S26 Ultra is reportedly not getting a major camera overhaul either. The biggest complaint among reviewers has been the small 10MP sensor used for the 3x telephoto; many hoped Samsung would increase that sensor's resolution or size. For now, upgrades appear limited, so any perceptible improvements may come from processing rather than new optics.
Software and AI will matter more
That isn’t necessarily bad news. Samsung has increasingly leaned on computational photography and AI-driven processing to boost image quality, and the company is likely to tune those systems further. Expect firmware-level enhancements, smarter scene processing, and improved image stacking to squeeze more performance from the existing sensors.
Conclusion
In short, the Galaxy S26 family seems to prioritize iterative refinement over radical camera changes. Hardware shifts will be minor and model-specific, while Samsung's software and AI advances may be the biggest source of visible improvements when the phones launch.
Source: gsmarena
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