Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra and S27 Ultra May Stick with Same Telephoto Camera Sensor

Samsung's upcoming Galaxy S26 Ultra and Galaxy S27 Ultra may not bring the camera upgrades you were hoping for. As per new leaks, the phones could reuse the Galaxy S24 Ultra's telephoto sensor for the upcoming Ultras through 2027. 

Well-known tipster Ice Universe took to X to claim that Samsung will be reusing the 50 MP 1/2.52-inch 0.7μm telephoto sensor of the Galaxy S24 Ultra across four generations of its Ultra flagships. 

If the leak is accurate, it would mean that the Galaxy S24 Ultra, Galaxy S25 Ultra, Galaxy S26 Ultra and the Galaxy S27 Ultra all share identical hardware for the main telephoto shooter. That's particularly disappointing since the top-of-the-line Ultra should ideally be refreshed with better camera tech every once in a while.

The disappointment doesn't end there, as the tipster also previously suggested that the Galaxy S26 Ultra could downgrade its 12 MP 3x telephoto camera to shoot at 10 MP. This could potentially affect image quality and versatility in telephoto shots. 

However, this isn't the first time Samsung has reused camera sensors across multiple generations. The 200 MP ISOCELL HP2 primary rear camera and Sony IMX754 telephoto sensor have already been used for several years. Although it's obvious that Samsung will bring forth improvements to AI-powered image processing and software optimisations, there's only so much it can offset. 

Samsung's UItras are known for their cutting-edge cameras and a four-year hardware stretch could be considered stagnation by some.