- A big camera upgrade is tipped for the Galaxy S26 Ultra
- It could get a 200MP primary camera with a larger sensor
- The Galaxy S26 series is expected to launch in January 2026
With the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 and Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 launches out of the way, we can turn our attention to the Samsung Galaxy S26 series and what might be arriving in January – and an exciting new Galaxy S26 Ultra camera leak just emerged.
This is from well-known tipster Fixed Focus Digital (via GSMArena), who shares that the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra is in line for a top-end 200MP camera lens from Sony (though there’s a small probability it may be kept until the Galaxy S27 Ultra, the leaker says).
Read through our Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra review and you’ll see the current flagship also comes with a 200MP primary camera – but photo taking isn’t just about megapixels. Apparently the new camera will have a larger sensor size, which should make a considerable difference to picture quality.
No doubt the Ultra model will be the most advanced (and the most expensive) of the Galaxy S26 phones that Samsung launches next year, most probably in January – if it sticks to the same schedule it’s used so far in 2025.
Samsung vs Apple, again
We’ve not heard too much in the way of leaks and rumors around the Samsung Galaxy S26 series yet, but there’s plenty of time to go. Regulatory filings have hinted that the Galaxy S26 Plus may be dropped next year, so there would just be three phones in total.
The super-thin Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge was introduced this year of course, and the thinking is that it may effectively take the place of the Galaxy S26 Plus in the lineup next year – perhaps to make picking a phone easier for consumers.
Apple is rumored to be doing something similar this year too. We think that the iPhone 17 Air (which is also apparently defined by how slim it is, front to back) is going to be the fourth phone in the 2025 iPhone range, replacing the iPhone 16 Plus – though nothing is certain until Apple makes it official.
The iPhone 17 handsets are due to turn up in September, putting a marker down for that Apple has to beat in January – particularly when it comes to the high-end iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max models.
