Big Shock: Samsung's Galaxy S26 Ultra Camera Updates Have a Ton of AI

 

# Big Shock: Samsung's Galaxy S26 Ultra Camera Updates Have a Ton of AI

**Published: February 25, 2026**

You know that moment when you're scrolling through social media and you see a photo that's just... too perfect? The lighting is immaculate, the colors are surreal, and you can't quite put your finger on why, but something feels almost magical about it?

Well, get ready for a lot more of those moments. Because Samsung just dropped the Galaxy S26 Ultra, and honestly? The camera updates are kind of shocking. Not because they changed the hardware dramatically—they didn't, at least not in the way you might expect—but because of what the **AI** is now capable of doing .

At the Galaxy Unpacked event in San Francisco, Samsung unveiled its newest flagship, and the message was clear: this isn't just a smartphone anymore. It's an "AI phone." And nowhere is that more obvious than in the camera department .

Let me walk you through everything that's new, what the AI is actually doing, and whether this is the upgrade you've been waiting for.

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## The Short Version

**What happened:** Samsung officially launched the Galaxy S26 Ultra at Unpacked 2026 on February 25 .

**The big headline:** The camera hardware is mostly the same as last year's S25 Ultra—same 200MP main sensor, same 50MP ultrawide, same 10MP 3x telephoto—but the **apertures have gotten wider** and the **AI processing has gone completely bananas** .

**Key camera upgrades:**

- Main camera: f/1.4 aperture (up from f/1.7) – that's about 50% more light 

- 5x periscope telephoto: f/2.9 aperture (up from f/3.4) – another big jump in low-light zoom 

- Same sensors, better glass, way better software

**The AI stuff that matters:**

- **Photo Assist** – edit photos using natural language ("make it night time," "remove that stain on my shirt") 

- **Creative Studio** – generate stickers, wallpapers, and invitations from text prompts 

- **Super Steady Horizontal Lock** – keeps the horizon steady no matter how much you twist the phone 

- **Document Scan** – AI removes shadows, creases, and fingers from document photos 

- **ProScaler** – AI upscaling for images on your screen 

**Everything else:**

- Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy processor (global) 

- 5,000mAh battery with 60W charging (0-75% in 30 minutes) 

- 6.9-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X with Privacy Display 

- Available March 11, starting at $1,299.99 

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## The Camera Hardware: Same Sensors, Wider Eyes

Let's start with the hardware, because it's actually kind of interesting what Samsung did—and didn't—change.

**Table 1: Galaxy S26 Ultra Camera Specs vs. S25 Ultra**

| **Camera** | **Galaxy S26 Ultra** | **Galaxy S25 Ultra** | **What Changed** |

| :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- |

| Main (Wide) | 200MP, f/1.4, OIS | 200MP, f/1.7, OIS | **Wider aperture (+50% light)** |

| Ultrawide | 50MP, f/1.9, dual-pixel PDAF | 50MP, f/1.9 | Same sensor |

| Telephoto (3x) | 10MP, f/2.4, OIS | 10MP, f/2.4 | Same (but sensor may be smaller)  |

| Periscope (5x) | 50MP, f/2.9, OIS | 50MP, f/3.4, OIS | **Wider aperture (+~50% light)** |

| Front | 12MP, f/2.2 | 12MP, f/2.2 | Same |

*Sources: *

Here's the thing that might surprise you: the megapixel counts didn't budge. You're still getting a 200MP main camera, a 50MP ultrawide, a 10MP 3x telephoto, and a 50MP 5x periscope . On paper, it looks identical to last year.

But the apertures? Those got real upgrades.

The main camera jumps from f/1.7 to **f/1.4**—that's about 50% more light hitting the sensor . The 5x periscope goes from f/3.4 to **f/2.9**, another huge leap for low-light zoom shots .

**Why this matters:** In photography, wider apertures mean better low-light performance, shallower depth of field (that blurry background look), and faster shutter speeds. Samsung is betting that better glass, combined with AI processing, will make these cameras feel dramatically better even though the sensors themselves haven't changed.

**The catch:** That f/1.4 aperture creates some challenges. With such a wide aperture, it's harder to keep everything in focus—great for portraits, tricky for group shots or document scanning. Samsung didn't add a variable aperture like some competitors have, so the camera is locked at f/1.4 . That means you're relying on AI to fix any focus issues.

And there's one more potential downgrade: the 3x telephoto sensor might actually be **smaller** this year, dropping from 1/3.52" to 1/3.94" . That's about a 20% loss in light-gathering capability, which Samsung will have to compensate for with AI processing.

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## The AI Features: This Is Where It Gets Wild

Okay, hardware talk is fine, but let's get to the good stuff. The Galaxy S26 Ultra's camera is basically dripping with AI, and some of these features are genuinely mind-blowing.

### Photo Assist: Edit With Your Voice

Remember when photo editing meant learning Photoshop or struggling with complex mobile apps? Yeah, that's apparently ancient history now.

With **Photo Assist**, you can edit photos just by describing what you want in natural language . Want to change a day scene to night? Just say "make it nighttime." Need to remove a stain from your shirt? Describe it, and the AI handles it. There's even a feature to add objects—like swapping out the jacket you're actually wearing for a different one .

One CNET reporter tried it out by snapping a photo of a hoodie and asking Photo Assist to add it to an image of herself. It worked—the AI seamlessly swapped her denim jacket for the hoodie .

**The practical upshot:** You don't need to be a professional editor anymore. You just need to be able to describe what you want.

### Creative Studio: Your Personal Graphic Designer

**Creative Studio** is another AI tool that lets you generate stickers, wallpapers, or invitations from sketches, photos, or text prompts . It's all built right into the phone, so you don't need to bounce between apps.

### Super Steady Horizontal Lock: For the Unsteady Among Us

This one is genuinely impressive. With **Horizontal Lock** (also called Horizon Lock), you can tilt and twist the phone as much as you want while recording video, and the horizon stays perfectly level .

One reporter tried it by turning and twisting the Ultra in every direction while walking. The resulting video? Almost no movement . For anyone who's ever tried to film a kid's soccer game or a concert while standing, this is a game-changer.

### Document Scan: No More Shadows or Creases

Ever tried to scan a document with your phone and ended up with a photo that looks like it was taken through a funhouse mirror? The new **Document Scan** feature uses AI to remove shadows, creases, and even stray fingers from document photos . It can then export the result as a clean PDF.

### ProScaler: Making Everything Look Sharper

Samsung borrowed a feature from its TVs called **ProScaler**, which uses AI to upscale images on your screen . Basically, it makes lower-resolution content look sharper and more detailed.

### The APV Codec: Pro-Level Video

The S26 Ultra is the first Galaxy phone to support the **APV (Advanced Professional Video)** codec . This format delivers higher-quality footage with smaller file sizes, which is huge for anyone who shoots video professionally—or just wants their vacation videos to look amazing.

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## The Non-Camera AI Stuff: Now Nudge, Now Brief, and More

The AI obsession doesn't stop at the camera. Samsung has baked AI into almost every part of the phone's software experience.

**Now Nudge** is like having a really helpful assistant who never sleeps. It serves up real-time suggestions based on what's on your screen . For example:

- Someone texts you asking for photos from your trip to San Francisco? Now Nudge will pull up relevant images from your Gallery.

- A friend asks if you're free on Saturday? It checks your Calendar and shows you.

This works with Samsung Messages, Google Messages, and WhatsApp .

**Now Brief** gives you a daily rundown of important reminders, reservations, and travel updates, all personalized to your context .

**Call Screening** now uses AI to answer unknown numbers, figure out who's calling and why, and give you a summary so you can decide whether to pick up . There's also **Scam Detection** that warns you if a call seems suspicious .

**Bixby** got a massive upgrade, with better context awareness and natural language understanding . You can now adjust settings just by talking normally—no need to remember exact command phrases.

And Samsung has added **Perplexity** as an AI partner, embedded across Notes, Clock, Gallery, Reminder, and Calendar . So you've got options depending on what you need.

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## The Privacy Display: Finally, No More Shoulder Surfers

One of the most talked-about features on the S26 Ultra isn't AI at all—it's a hardware-level privacy screen.

**Privacy Display** uses a clever combination of two pixel types: "Narrow Pixels" and "Wide Pixels" . When privacy mode is off, both types emit light, giving you wide viewing angles. When you turn it on, the Wide Pixels significantly reduce light output, making the screen basically unreadable from the side—while you can still see it perfectly .

You can set it to activate for specific apps (like banking or messaging), only for notifications, or even just for PIN entry screens . One CNET reporter tested it and was "impressed with how well this functioned in person" .

**Why this matters:** No more strangers reading your messages on the subway or in airport lounges. And unlike those cheap privacy screen protectors, this doesn't dim your display or introduce that annoying grainy texture.

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## The Hardware: Titanium Is Out, Aluminum Is In

In a surprising move, Samsung swapped the titanium frame of the S24 and S25 Ultras for an **Armor Aluminum** frame on the S26 Ultra .

**Why?** Samsung says aluminum offers strong durability and may actually improve heat dissipation . The timing is a bit odd given how much marketing Samsung did around titanium in previous years, but the phone is now slightly slimmer (7.9mm vs. 8.2mm) and lighter (214g vs. 218g) .

The design has more rounded corners, making it more comfortable to hold, and there's a new vertical pill-shaped camera island that houses three of the four rear cameras .

**Available colors:**

- Standard: Black, Cobalt Violet, Sky Blue, White 

- Online-exclusive: Pink Gold, Silver Shadow 

The display is a 6.9-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X with QHD+ resolution, 1-120Hz adaptive refresh rate, and up to 2,600 nits of peak brightness . It's protected by Gorilla Glass Armor 2, which reduces glare and reflections .

---

## The Processor and Battery: Faster and Quicker to Charge

The Galaxy S26 Ultra is powered by the **Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy** processor globally . This customized version features:

- 19% faster CPU

- 24% faster GPU

- 39% faster NPU (neural processing unit, which handles AI tasks) 

The battery stays at 5,000mAh, but charging gets a big boost: **60W wired charging** (up from 45W) can get you from 0% to 75% in 30 minutes . Wireless charging jumps to 25W with Qi2.2 support, though you'll need a Qi2 case to use magnetic accessories since the phone doesn't have built-in magnets .

**Storage and RAM:**

- 12GB RAM + 256GB storage

- 12GB RAM + 512GB storage

- 16GB RAM + 1TB storage 

And it uses **UFS 4.1 storage**, which is faster than the UFS 4.0 in previous models .

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## The Price and Release Date

**Table 2: Galaxy S26 Ultra Pricing**

| **Model** | **US Price** | **India Price** |

| :--- | :--- | :--- |

| 12GB + 256GB | $1,299.99 | Rs. 1,39,999 |

| 12GB + 512GB | $1,499.99 | Rs. 1,59,999 |

| 16GB + 1TB | $1,799.99 | Rs. 1,89,999 |

*Sources: *

**Availability:**

- Pre-orders start: February 25, 2026 

- General sale: March 11, 2026 

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## What This Means for You

### If You're a Photography Enthusiast

The wider apertures on the main and 5x cameras will make a real difference in low light. But the real story is the AI. If you're willing to let software do some heavy lifting, you can get results that would have required professional editing tools just a few years ago.

### If You're Upgrading from an S22 or Older

This will feel like a massive leap. The combination of better hardware, faster processor, and AI features will make everything faster and more capable.

### If You Have an S24 or S25 Ultra

The question is tougher. The camera hardware improvements are incremental, and the AI features might eventually trickle down through software updates. But the Privacy Display, faster charging, and new AI tools like Now Nudge are exclusive to the S26 series.

### If You Care About Privacy

The Privacy Display alone might be worth the upgrade if you're constantly using your phone in public. It's a genuinely useful feature that solves a real problem.

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## Frequently Asked Questions

**Q: Does the S26 Ultra really have a 200MP camera?**

A: Yes, but it's the same 200MP sensor as last year. The improvement comes from the wider f/1.4 aperture, which lets in 50% more light .

**Q: What's the deal with the 3x telephoto downgrade?**

A: According to leaks, the 3x telephoto sensor might be smaller this year, which could mean less light capture. Samsung is relying on AI processing to compensate .

**Q: How does the Privacy Display work?**

A: It uses two types of pixels. When privacy mode is on, the "Wide Pixels" reduce light output, making the screen unreadable from the side while you can still see it clearly .

**Q: Can I edit photos with just my voice?**

A: Yes! Photo Assist lets you use natural language to edit images—things like "make it night time" or "remove that stain" .

**Q: How fast does it charge?**

A: 60W wired charging gets you from 0% to 75% in 30 minutes. Wireless charging is 25W with Qi2.2 .

**Q: Does it still have the S Pen?**

A: Yes, the S26 Ultra still supports the S Pen, though it's not included in the box in some markets.

**Q: What colors are available?**

A: Standard colors: Black, Cobalt Violet, Sky Blue, White. Online-exclusive: Pink Gold, Silver Shadow .

**Q: When can I buy it?**

A: Pre-orders start February 25, with general availability on March 11 .

**Q: How much does it cost?**

A: Starting at $1,299.99 for the 256GB model .

**Q: Is it worth upgrading from the S25 Ultra?**

A: If you're a photography enthusiast who wants better low-light performance and the latest AI editing tools, yes. If you're happy with your current phone, the differences might not be dramatic enough to justify the cost.

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## The Bottom Line

Here's what I keep coming back to.

The Galaxy S26 Ultra is a fascinating phone because it represents a shift in how Samsung thinks about cameras. Instead of chasing higher megapixel counts or adding more lenses, they've focused on **better glass and smarter software**.

The f/1.4 aperture on the main camera is genuinely meaningful. The f/2.9 aperture on the 5x zoom will make a real difference in low light. And the AI features—Photo Assist, Creative Studio, Horizontal Lock—are genuinely useful, not just gimmicks.

But there are trade-offs. The 3x telephoto might actually be worse than last year's. The reliance on AI to fix everything is a bet that might not always pay off. And the switch from titanium to aluminum is... a choice.

Still, if you're the kind of person who takes a lot of photos, who edits them, who cares about capturing moments exactly the way you want them... this might be your phone.

Samsung is betting that AI is the future of mobile photography. And after seeing what the S26 Ultra can do, I'm starting to think they might be right.

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*Got thoughts on the S26 Ultra? Excited about the AI features? Planning to upgrade? Drop a comment and let me know.*