Cameras have become central to how people use premium smartphones, making yearly upgrades almost expected. However, if a new leak is accurate, Samsung may be opting for stability over big upgrades with the Galaxy S26 Ultra, potentially keeping its selfie camera largely unchanged for yet another generation.
Galaxy S26 Ultra could reuse the same old 12 MP selfie camera
As per details shared by well-known tipster Ice Universe, the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra is tipped to feature a 12 MP Sony selfie camera sensor with a 1/3.2-inch size, 1.12 μm pixel size, an f/2.2 aperture and an 85° field of view.
If accurate, those figures closely resemble the hardware found on the Galaxy S25 Ultra, Galaxy S24 Ultra and even the Galaxy S23 Ultra, making it rather outdated. That could disappoint users hoping for sharper detail, better low-light selfies or more advanced autofocus capabilities in Samsung's 2026 flagship.
Of course, Samsung could still lean on image processing improvements and AI-driven enhancements to deliver better real-world results, even if the underlying sensor remains the same. However, that 12 MP selfie shooter is in dire need of an upgrade, especially since it has been reused for multiple generations at this point.
However, the saving grace is that the Galaxy S26 Ultra rear cameras could feature a wider aperture for better light intake. The 200 MP main camera will switch from f/1.7 to f/1.4, while the 50 MP telephoto will use f/2.9 instead of f/3.4.
Thanks to leaks and reports, we also got some high-quality Galaxy S26 Ultra renders as well, which give us a good look at the design.
Apart from this, we know that the Galaxy S26 Ultra is getting 60W fast charging. Under the hood, it will be powered by the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 processor and flaunt a 6.89-inch 2K 120 Hz AMOLED LTPO display.
Samsung has also confirmed and showcased the Privacy Display feature on the Galaxy S26 lineup, which is designed to keep shoulder surfers from peeping into the screen.
Samsung has scheduled the Galaxy S26 series launch date for February 25, 2026. We're just about a week away from knowing all the details, so stay tuned!
