The Galaxy S26 series is just a couple of months away, and some new tea has dropped regarding the camera specifications. The South Korean giant was expected to upgrade the rear camera hardware on the standard Galaxy S26 next year.
It"s now being reported that the rumored upgrade won"t happen, and Samsung will fit camera modules similar to this year"s S25 standard model. One of the motivations behind the rumored move is to cut production costs, according to a new report.
For reference, the standard Galaxy S25 comes with a 50MP Wide-angle, 12MP Ultra Wide, and 10MP Telephoto camera on the back. The standard Galaxy S26 is expected to have a 50 MP Wide, 12 MP Ultra Wide, and 10 MP Telephoto camera, according to The Elec, citing camera module partners and related part suppliers working with Samsung Electronics.
An industry insider told the publication that Samsung"s plan to add a larger rear camera to the S26 standard and subsequently raise the price was halted after Apple froze the price of the standard iPhone 17.
iPhone 17 launched this year with the same $799 price tag as iPhone 16, but doubled the base storage to 256GB and switched to an LTPO display.
Samsung now plans to reuse the camera module from the S25 while replacing some parts, such as the actuator. The image sensor accounts for the largest share of the camera module"s cost. However, if Samsung keeps the pixel configuration the same, it will likely use the same sensor and keep the manufacturing costs low, an insider said.
It"s said that Samsung will delay the production of the standard and "Plus" models of the S26 series until early next year to rework the internals. Meanwhile, S26 Ultra is expected to enter mass production this month.
The South Korean giant is shying away from the "Edge" model after it failed to meet expectations, making way back for the "Plus" model in the S26 lineup, possibly in a new orange color. It was reported that the Galaxy S26 and S26+ will be powered by Snapdragon and Exynos 2600 chips, depending on the region, and Samsung might host its Unpacked event sooner.