Samsung Galaxy S26 specs leak hints at major telephoto camera upgrade

Lately, the rumor mill for the Samsung Galaxy S26 lineup has been very active. While expected upgrades like new chipsets and brighter displays are present across the board, the most exciting detail in the latest Samsung Galaxy S26 series specs leak could be a key telephoto camera improvement that Samsung fans have long requested. Even a nice battery upgrade could be on the way for the Ultra model.

Samsung may ditch small sensors for better 3x telephoto zoom on Galaxy S26 devices

The biggest potential jump is found in the 3x telephoto cameras on the standard, Plus, and Ultra Galaxy S26 models. For years, the 3x optical zoom lens on Samsung flagships has relied on a small 1/3.52-inch, 10MP sensor. The new leak suggests Samsung is finally ditching this sensor in favor of a much larger 1/2.55-inch, 12MP camera sensor. It's noteworthy that, for the “Ultra” variant, the leak mentions that the 3x zoom telephoto sensor could be even “bigger” than 1/2.55-inch, but this is not confirmed yet.

This physical sensor increase means better light gathering and significantly cleaner images when zooming in. The change could effectively tackle one of the aspects in which the Galaxy S flagships were lagging far behind their rivals.

Potentially bigger 5,400mAh battery for the Galaxy S26 Ultra

The flagship Galaxy S26 Ultra maintains its massive high-end setup, featuring a 6.9-inch QHD M14 OLED screen and an upgraded 200MP main shooter. Its zoom setup is rumored to include an enhanced 50MP 5x telephoto, just like the current model. The phone will also get a 50MP ultra-wide camera with improvements compared to the S25 Ultra.

One of the most interesting improvements in the leak is a potential battery bump to 5,400mAh. While this would be a greater endurance boost over previous generations, the report notes this is a tentative, last-minute change. Its final implementation likely depends on internal testing and whether Samsung can integrate the larger cell without noticeably increasing the phone's thickness. However, let's keep our fingers crossed.

Uniform upgrades across the lineup

Both the S26+ and the base S26 model will feature QHD M14 OLED displays (6.7 and 6.3 inches, respectively). Regarding cameras, they could get updated 50MP main and ultrawide sensors. The improvement will be especially significant in the ultrawide area, as the current S25 and S25+ use 12MP cameras. This is alongside that already mentioned 3x telephoto camera improvement.

Regarding chips, Samsung will use the Exynos 2600 and Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 Elite depending on the region. The leak mentions that even the "Ultra" variant could be Exynos-powered in some markets, although the decision is not yet final. While recent benchmarks raised some doubts about the Exynos 2600's performance, updated results have helped to calm those concerns.

Lastly, the leak also mentions the recently surfaced "More Slim" Galaxy S26 project, listing it as "Status: Unknown." This particular model would have a 6.6-inch QHD M14 OLED display. Unlike the S25 Edge and the canceled S26 Edge, it would boast a 50MP ultra-wide + telephoto setup, alongside a 50MP main camera sensor. Samsung would exclusively use the Exynos 2600 chip for this variant, as well as a battery of around 4,300mAh.