TL;DR
A new leak suggests Samsung will refine the Galaxy S26 Ultra's camera rather than redesign it, keeping most sensors but widening the primary lens to f/1.4. The phone reportedly gains a new lens coating to reduce flare, software and coating changes to address yellow skin tones, and support for the APV codec for RAW video.
What happened
Leaks indicate the Galaxy S26 Ultra will focus on incremental camera improvements instead of a hardware overhaul. Reported changes include a wider f/1.4 aperture on the main shooter to capture more light and support for the Advanced Professional Video (APV) codec, which would enable higher-bitrate RAW video capture for post-production flexibility. The leak — credited to account @UniverseIce in coverage of the report — also claims Samsung plans a new lens coating intended to reduce visible lens flare and to help correct the warm/yellow tint that some users see in skin tones. Other optics such as the 5x telephoto and ultrawide are said to remain largely unchanged, although the 3x telephoto might move from a 10MP to a 12MP sensor. The overall picture presented by the leaks is of refinement rather than a radical camera upgrade.
Why it matters
- Reducing lens flare could improve image quality in scenes with bright light sources and make results more consistent across conditions.
- A wider f/1.4 aperture should allow more light to reach the sensor, potentially lowering noise in low-light shots.
- APV codec support would let creators record higher-bitrate RAW video, increasing editing flexibility for professionals.
- Addressing skin-tone yellowing could change color rendering for portraits, a frequent user complaint about past Samsung cameras.
Key facts
- Samsung is expected to keep most camera sensors similar to recent Galaxy models rather than adopt radical new hardware.
- Main camera rumored to move to a wider f/1.4 aperture to improve low-light performance.
- A new lens coating is reportedly planned to reduce lens flaring and help correct yellowish skin tones.
- Support for the Advanced Professional Video (APV) codec is said to be added, enabling higher-bitrate RAW video capture.
- The 5x telephoto and ultrawide lenses are likely to remain unchanged according to leaks.
- The 3x telephoto may be upgraded from a 10MP sensor to a 12MP sensor, though that change is not expected to be transformative.
- Reporting frames these changes as refinements; the leaks suggest Samsung aims to polish the camera experience rather than reinvent it.
- The source in coverage attributes the coating claim to leaker @UniverseIce.
What to watch next
- Effectiveness of the new lens coating at reducing visible flare in real-world shooting — not confirmed in the source
- How the wider f/1.4 aperture affects depth of field and autofocus performance in everyday use — not confirmed in the source
- Whether the potential 12MP 3x telephoto appears in final units and if it materially improves image quality — not confirmed in the source
Quick glossary
- Aperture: The opening in a camera lens that controls how much light reaches the sensor; a lower f-number means a wider aperture and more light.
- Lens coating: A thin optical treatment applied to lens elements to reduce reflections, flare, and improve contrast.
- APV (Advanced Professional Video) codec: A codec mentioned in leaks that is intended to enable higher-bitrate RAW video capture for greater post-production flexibility.
- Telephoto: A camera lens or lens setting that provides optical zoom to capture distant subjects with less distortion than digital zoom.
Reader FAQ
Will the S26 Ultra use completely new camera sensors?
No — the leak says Samsung is likely to keep most sensors similar to recent models, focusing on refinements.
Is the main camera getting a larger aperture?
Yes, leaks point to a wider f/1.4 aperture for the primary shooter.
Does the S26 Ultra eliminate lens flare?
The phone is reported to get a new lens coating to reduce flare, but real-world effectiveness is not confirmed in the source.
Will video capture improve for professional users?
The leak says the S26 Ultra will add APV codec support to enable higher-bitrate RAW video, which could aid post-production.
Galaxy S26 Ultra leak hints at fixes for major camera annoyances By Rajesh Pandey Published 22 minutes ago Rajesh started following the latest happenings in the world of Android around…
Sources
- Galaxy S26 Ultra leak hints at fixes for major camera annoyances
- Galaxy S26 Ultra Could Fix Flare and Skin Tones – FindArticles
- New Galaxy S26 Ultra leak reveals planned color options …
- Galaxy S26 Ultra Leak: Samsung's Punch Hole Grows As …
Related posts
- Netflix publishes ‘Open Content’ page on opencontent.netflix.com
- Show HN: Cover letter generator with Ollama/local LLMs (Open source)
- It’s hard to say no to this 100-inch Google TV for $1,200