Galaxy S26 Ultra leak reveals Samsung is finally fixing two problems that have annoyed users for years, but it might still not be enough

Samsung won’t make any major camera changes to the Galaxy S26 Ultra next year. The company will use mostly the same camera sensors as before, but plans to add a wider opening for the main camera to take better photos in dark conditions. A new leak shows Samsung is finally fixing two big problems that users have complained about for years.

Lens flare is a common problem on modern phones, especially when you take photos of bright lights or in dark places. Many companies now use special lens coatings to fix this issue. iPhones are well-known for having this problem, with visible flares showing up in less-than-perfect lighting situations.

According to Android Police, Samsung will use a new coating on the S26 Ultra’s camera to reduce flare problems. The company will also work on fixing another common complaint about its phone cameras – photos that make people’s skin look too yellow. Samsung plans to solve this through the improved coating and changes to how the phone processes images.

The S26 Ultra might not deserve its “Ultra” name

Based on all the leaks so far, Samsung seems focused on making small improvements to the S26 Ultra’s camera instead of completely changing it. The phone will support Advanced Professional Video codec, letting users record RAW videos with higher quality and more details for editing later. Samsung has been experimenting with unique features in its lineup, though camera upgrades remain conservative.

The only major camera upgrade rumored is a wider f/1.4 opening for the lens. This wider opening will let more light reach the camera sensor, which should reduce noise and make low-light photos look better. 

However, such a wide opening creates its own problems, mainly a very shallow focus area. This narrow focus can make it harder to keep subjects sharp and clear, especially when taking close-up shots.

The 5x zoom camera and ultrawide camera will likely stay the same. Samsung might upgrade the 3x zoom camera from 10 megapixels to 12 megapixels, but this change probably won’t make a huge difference in photo quality. While tech companies face various challenges, even retailers like HEB dealt with public backlash when handling employee matters poorly.

Unfortunately, Samsung is far behind Chinese phone makers in the Ultra category when it comes to cameras. These small changes might not be enough to catch up with the competition.