Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra: Potential return of Galaxy S20 Ultra design feature suggests better cameras

Until the Galaxy S21 Ultra, Samsung – like many rivals to this day – always had a clearly defined camera unit that was visually distinct from the chassis. This classic smartphone design was abandoned with the Galaxy S22 Ultra in 2022, and Samsung's design language, more or less still in use nowadays, featured individual camera lenses that protrude directly from the chassis.

The Galaxy S25 Ultra saw a slight alteration of this design with additional camera rings, but this was revised yet again on the Galaxy Z Fold 7. In regard to the Galaxy S26 Ultra, Samsung fans could be in for a somewhat significant design overhaul, as reported by South Korean website Newsis. But this is still based on speculation rather than industry insiders, as is so often the case with South Korean media reports.

Role model: iPhone 17 Pro camera

These rumors spring from the numerous references to changes in the camera design of Apple's iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max flagships, which now have an official launch date. The wider and apparently deeper camera bump is intended to enable major improvements in the camera setup, including a 48 MP telephoto sensor and potentially even a true zoom camera with a variable aperture. Since Samsung may intend to counter this development at Apple with the Galaxy S26 Ultra, the return of a camera bump in the Galaxy S26 series would be only logical, according to rumors.

Thinner but with a camera bump

Indeed, Samsung is likely reach its limits in its trend of making smartphone cases ever thinner while simultaneously improving the cameras. For example, the camera bump in the Honor Magic V5 is larger than its predecessor, even though the foldable body itself has shrunk further. According to previous leaks, the Galaxy S26 Ultra is also rumored to be thinner, so the camera improvements expected at the same time, such as a brighter lens or an improved 3x telephoto sensor, may well force a return of the camera bump, but this is yet to be confirmed.