Leakers just can't agree if the Galaxy S26 Ultra's cameras are an upgrade or a downgrade

There are two cadres of Android flagships. In the first category, brands such as OnePlus work tirelessly to make each new phone appear radically different from its predecessor. In the other category, brands such as Samsung reiterate a proven formula and introduce a new phone with some internal changes and minimal cosmetic variations. In the case of the Galaxy S26, too, we’re witnessing the same pattern repeated, where only minor optimization-oriented tweaks are, once again, expected to take priority over anything radical.

That also holds for the camera we see on the Galaxy S26 Ultra, which is expected to undergo only minimal variations — or so we thought until yesterday, when a leak hinted at one of the four cameras being upgraded. That may turn out to be untrue, as reputed leaker Ice Universe has strongly opposed these leaks.

In a recent post on X, Ice Universe criticized the recent leak and instead pointed to what they believe are the correct specifications of the Galaxy S26 Ultra’s cameras. Out of these, the primary 200MP, 50MP ultrawide, and the 50MP telephoto with 5x zoom remain unchanged from the Galaxy S25 Ultra.

Meanwhile, Ice Universe claims the 3x telephoto, which was reported to be upgraded to 12MP, may not be upgraded at all. Instead, Samsung is opting for a 10MP sensor, which measures 1/3.94 inches in physical dimensions. That means it not only maintains the exact 10MP resolution as the Galaxy S25 Ultra’s 3x sensor but is also physically smaller than last year’s 1/3.52-inch sensor. Unless Samsung significantly improves the sensor’s electronics, this may result in a downgrade.

Notably, this isn’t new information, and Ice Universe has suggested these specifications for the camera without deviation. Their credibility makes me feel inclined towards this leak, even though they may also be wrong, and we wouldn’t be entirely sure until the launch coming in February.

They add that Samsung’s decision to make the Galaxy S26 Ultra slimmer has prompted this move towards smaller sensors.

To some respite, Samsung may utilize lenses with bigger apertures for the primary and the 5x sensor, which should translate to better low-light photography — on these two cameras, at least. Even without significant hardware upgrades, the camera is rumored to receive enhanced software controls over aspects such as the default photo resolution and improved HDR controls, thanks to an updated Camera Assistant from Samsung.

Apart from these improvements, the Exynos 2600 could also bring significant enhancements to image processing, although the chipset may be limited to the standard and Plus variants of the Galaxy S26.