Samsung disappointed some fans by keeping largely unchanged camera hardware on the Galaxy S25 Ultra. While the new flagship introduced a 50MP ultrawide lens, the rest of the setup is a duplicate of the S24 Ultra. For those hoping for more substantial changes next year, early rumors might be a letdown — the company is reportedly testing an identical camera setup for the Galaxy S26 Ultra. The silver lining? The device is still in the early stages of development.
Samsung is testing the Galaxy S26 Ultra with an unchanged camera setup
Despite lacking significant hardware upgrades, the Galaxy S25 Ultra offers notable quality enhancements. Early testing revealed substantial improvements in camera performance compared to the S24 Ultra. However, the latest Samsung flagship still lags behind competitors in certain areas. This shows that aging hardware can become a limitation even with major software refinements.
There are rumors about Samsung potentially offering more camera hardware upgrades on the Galaxy S26 Ultra. However, early signs aren’t very promising. According to X leaker @PandaFlashPro, Samsung is currently testing the 2026 Ultra modes with the same cameras featured on the S25 Ultra. The 200MP primary sensor may get a new sensor, but the 50MP ultrawide lens and the dual telephoto cameras (10MP 3x and 50MP 5x) are seemingly unchanged.
Given how competitive mobile photography has become lately — Samsung’s zoom capabilities were once unchallenged but it isn’t even a leader anymore — the Galaxy S26 Ultra featuring an identical camera setup as this year’s model is a bit disappointing. Well, Samsung did upgrade the ultrawide lens this year and might introduce a new 200MP main camera next year. However, the zoom setup appears to remain unchanged.
That said, Samsung’s smartphone development process involves multiple prototypes with varying hardware configurations. We are still optimistic that the next Ultra will bring big camera upgrades. If we are to guess, the current setup being tested could be an early iteration rather than the final product. The same source says the Galaxy S26 Ultra‘s current prototype has a battery size of under 5,500mAh and a charging speed of less than 50W, so no big changes there either. We will keep a close eye on these developments and let you know accordingly.