The Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra could have upgraded cameras and a slimmer build – but some things might not be improved

• The Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra could have a wider aperture for two of its cameras
• It might also be thinner and lighter than the S25 Ultra, and have faster charging
• However, the main sensor might not change, and there are disagreements over whether the battery will increase in size

There has been a flurry of Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra rumors in the last day or so, and they’re largely promising – pointing to improved cameras, higher charging speeds, and more, but there are some elements to the tips that sound less positive.

Starting with the cameras, reputable tipster @UniverseIce has claimed that the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra will have a new lens with a wider aperture for its main 200MP camera. This should improve low light photos in particular, but they suggest all kinds of photos taken with this lens will benefit, with this apparently being “the most obvious upgrade since the Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra.”

So that certainly sounds promising, though what’s less promising is that this new lens apparently won’t be paired with a new sensor, with the ISOCELL HP2 supposedly being used again.

The same source has made numerous other claims about the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra over on Chinese social media site Weibo, including that its 50MP 5x telephoto camera will also apparently have a wider aperture than on the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra.

On the same site they’ve also said that the Galaxy S26 Ultra will be under 8mm thick, which is down from 8.2mm for the Galaxy S25 Ultra. It will also apparently be a few grams lighter than the 218g Galaxy S25 Ultra.

Faster charging and a debated capacity

Sadly though, in slimming the phone down Samsung might not be leaving space for a larger battery, with this source also claiming that will once again come in at 5,000mAh. But it will apparently at least charge at a higher 60W – up from 45W on the Galaxy S25 Ultra.

And there is some disagreement on the battery side of things, with leaker @chunvn8888 claiming the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra will actually have a larger 5,500mAh battery and 65W charging.

They also have a solid track record, though given Samsung’s seeming reluctance to go beyond 5,000mAh batteries, we suspect @UniverseIce is right in this instance.

We’ll probably find out for sure in early 2026, as that’s when the entire Samsung Galaxy S26 line is likely to launch.

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