If recent rumours are to be believed, the Samsung Galaxy S26 could finally come with the camera upgrade that we’ve been waiting for.
The Samsung Galaxy S range has been stuck with the same Samsung ISOCELL GN3 main camera sensor for several years now. This means that the Samsung Galaxy S25 essentially has the same camera as the Samsung Galaxy S23.
That could be set to change with next year’s Samsung Galaxy S26.
At last, a new camera sensor
According to Dutch website GalaxyClub, the Samsung Galaxy S26 will come with a newer 50MP camera sensor.
It’ll apparently still be from the same ISOCELL GN series, but an updated variety. The lack of a specific name makes sense, given that it might be a brand new component that hasn’t even been announced yet.
That’s it for details on the Samsung Galaxy S26 camera, but even these small signs of progress are welcome. We criticised the (still very good) Samsung Galaxy S25 for being “basically the same as the old one”, and that observation extended to the camera system.
Luke Baker
Our reviewer did still spot “subtle improvements” in the image quality, with more natural and realistic colours and improved skin tones. However, that would have down to the more capable SoC and Samsung’s image processing improvements.
Moving to a new and improved image sensor is likely to bring about a more meaningful improvement to image quality for the Samsung Galaxy S26, which is exciting news.
Other Galaxy S26 specs
We’ve also heard it claimed that the Galaxy S26’s main camera could gain a variable aperture, improving both bright daylight shots and low-light performance.
Other expected Samsung Galaxy S26 specs include a move back to Samsung’s custom Exynos silicon after a blissful year of pure Snapdragon 8 Elite power.
We know this will save Samsung a whole heap of cash, but it’s also likely to mean that our US cousins receive a better, more performant model.
With a February release date likely, we can expect the rumour mill to crank into overdrive throughout the rest of 2025. We’ll keep you posted.
