Galaxy S26 to Reuse Galaxy S25 Cameras for Cost Efficiency

Samsung is expected to launch the Galaxy S26 series next year, and we've heard that cameras could get a decent upgrade. Well, the latest report suggest that Samsung has shelved plans to upgrade the camera hardware, at least on the Galaxy S26, and has opted to reuse the camera module from the Galaxy S25 to keep costs down.

Galaxy S26 will use the same camera hardware as the S22

According to a report from a Korean website, The Elec, Samsung is planning to stick to the same camera hardware that it has been using since the Galaxy S22 all the way till the Galaxy S25. For those unaware, it consists of a 50 MP wide, 12 MP ultrawide and 10 MP telephoto snapper. 

A previous Galaxy S26 camera leak suggested Samsung is finally adding a better Telephoto lens across the Galaxy S26 lineup. While not extravagant, it would've been a jump from the existing 10 MP 1/3.52-inch sensor to a bigger 12 MP 1/2.55-inch unit. Well, now we know that might no longer happen.

The report also suggests that the decision could've been made to keep the pricing in check. Samsung initially decided to increase the price of the Galaxy S26 series, but has apparently pulled the decision with Apple launching the iPhone 17 for the same price as last year. Therefore, to remain competitive without sacrificing margins, Samsung reportedly abandoned its original plan to update the S26's camera.

Another reason could be the decision to use Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 in Galaxy S26 on global Galaxy S26 variants. The standard Galaxy S26 and S26 Plus were initially believed to use Samsung Foundry's latest Exynos 2600 SoC, but the plan has failed due to lower 2 nm yield. Since the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 is expensive, it could be another factor why Samsung may skimp on the camera upgrade this year, too.

With the smartphones expected to launch in Galaxy Unpacked 2026 on January 24, 2026, next year, the Galaxy S26 series is believed to have entered mass production. Despite using older hardware, the series is expected to get a slight price hike, presumably due to rising RAM prices globally.

That said, more information on the price and specifications should bubble up as we inch closer to launch, so stay tuned.