Given Up On Cameras! Samsung Galaxy S26 May Settle With Galaxy S25 Like Cameras

If you were hoping for a major upgrade in camera tech with the next Samsung Galaxy S26 series, then know it might be time to lower your expectations. According to tipster @UniverseIce, Samsung may keep the camera hardware on the Galaxy S26 series mostly unchanged from the S25 lineup.

In short, the tech giant may continue using the same HP2 sensor, possibly until the S27 Ultra. So, if you’re waiting for a big jump in camera performance, it may not happen for at least another year or two. 

Why is Samsung holding back on cameras?

As per the tipster, the main reason appears to be internal pressure within Samsung. Samsung’s mobile division is being weighed down by other departments — especially Samsung Semiconductor, the tipster suggested. What does it mean? 

Samsung Mobile reportedly has to help cover costs related to Exynos chips, slowly improving ISOCELL sensors, and expensive memory and display components. As a result, the mobile division is being cautious with expensive hardware upgrades, especially in cameras.

What to expect from Samsung Galaxy S26? 

Now, instead of working on a new camera tech, Samsung is expected to focus on marketing AI-based features and software enhancements. That means the Galaxy S26 may rely heavily on “AI photography” and editing tools to deliver improvements instead of having “actual” camera hardware upgrades. 

While the camera hardware may not change, the Galaxy S26 is still expected to bring some updates. Leaks suggest the phone will be thinner and lighter than previous models, and AI will take centre stage in both performance and user experience. An earlier report suggests that Samsung is expected to partner with AI startup Perplexity instead of Google, beginning with the next Galaxy S26 series. 

While the flagship Galaxy series brings three key models, however, the Galaxy S26 is expected to kill the Plus variant in favour of the Galaxy S26 Edge, while the standard Galaxy S26 and the top-end Galaxy S26 Ultra are expected to remain the same.