Two contradictory Samsung Galaxy S26 rumors have emerged concerning a possible under-display camera upgrade.
One leaker, Kro_roe, claims that the S26 Ultra is undergoing testing with an under-display camera, (in line with one of their previous leaks) and is working on improving the image quality. But another, PandaFlashPro, says its unlikely that Samsung will add an under-display camera to a Galaxy S Ultra model for at least another two years due to poor performance.
As of today, the S26 Ultra's UDC is undergoing testing. Work is in progress to improve image quality, with new technology expected to be implemented.February 11, 2025
The current Galaxy S25 series uses punch-hole front cameras across the board, removing a small part of the display to create a window for the sensor to look through.
While Samsung uses an under-display camera on the inside screen of the Galaxy Z Fold 6 and older Z Fold models, it's yet to use one on any other kind of device.
Alert!Rumor is Circulating about the GalaxyS26 Ultra Under-Display Camera.It is Highly Impossible that Samsung will introduce an Under-Display Camera for the "Ultra" model within the next 2-3 years.Due to Poor Results, the UDC Never Performs Better than Normal Camera. pic.twitter.com/tw67hTSTJSFebruary 12, 2025
Under-display cameras allow the sensor to look through a specially-arranged section on pixels on a screen, meaning that part of the display remains usable unless you need to take a photo.
But because of the extra layers in the way of the camera, the photos they tend to take look fuzzy compared to a regular phone camera. Samsung also handicaps the UDC on the Galaxy Z Fold 6 by using a tiny 4MP sensor.
Photo quality vs. cool factor
Samsung still sells the Galaxy S series heavily on its camera quality, even with the recent focus on Galaxy AI features. It therefore feels unlikely to us that Samsung would sacrifice one of its flagship's cameras on the altar of futuristic-looking display tech. That said, it's also entirely possible that Samsung is at least trying this tech out again while still developing its 2026 flagship.
It's probably not worth waiting for the Galaxy S26 Ultra purely for an under-display camera, especially if you're looking to upgrade soon. The Galaxy S25, Galaxy S25 Plus and Galaxy S25 Ultra are all excellent phones, adding hardware refinements like better performance and battery life and the Ultra model's new 50MP ultrawide camera. There are plenty of new software and AI features too, like the Now Brief daily summary or Audio Eraser for clearer-sounding videos.
However, the Galaxy S26 already has other rumored upgrades over the S25, like a higher capacity silicon-carbon battery, a higher-frequency chipset and possibly even a 324MP main camera for the Galaxy S26 Ultra.
More from Tom's Guide
