The Galaxy S26 Ultra's potential selfie camera upgrade might come with side effects

This year's Galaxy S-related rumors are extra spicy – to the point of being chaotic and messy, as I've pointed out recently.

Right now, there's a fresh rumor making the rounds that the upcoming Galaxy S26 Ultra will come with a slightly larger punch-hole camera than the one on the S25 Ultra. What's more, that could very well turn out to be the largest punch hole in any Galaxy S Ultra unit so far.

At first, that sounds like a step backward – nobody's exactly cheering for bigger holes in their screens, right? – but the word is that Samsung might be cooking a new lens.

The selfie shooter is still expected to use the same 12MP sensor as before, but the new lens could offer an 85-degree field of view, up from 80 degrees on the current model. On paper, that's not a massive jump, but in photography terms, it's like moving from a roughly 22mm equivalent lens to something closer to 20mm on a full-frame camera. That's wider than "just wide".

But that's just two millimeters, what's the big deal?

Now, if you've never thought about what 20mm vs 22mm in equivalent focal length terms means in real life, imagine the difference between taking a selfie with your phone at arm's length versus pulling it just a few inches closer. The wider lens basically lets you fit more of your surroundings into the frame without stepping back.

It's the kind of change that'll come in handy for group selfies, travel shots, or just trying to include more background in a scene. But it also has a side effect: when you go wider, faces start to look a bit off. You might notice your nose looks slightly larger, or your face feels stretched around the edges. A bit like a balloon.

That's because lenses below around 24mm tend to exaggerate perspective, especially when the subject is close to the camera – and let's face it (pun intended), that's every selfie ever.

So, what are portraits supposed to be like?

In the world of portrait photography, there's something of a golden rule: keep it between 35mm and 85mm for the most natural-looking results. Anything wider can distort proportions; anything longer can make faces look flat and overly compressed. Needless to say, many have broken these "laws" and have come up with great results, but these are the exceptions that prove the rule.

Since we're talking about phone selfies, holding your device out at arm's length is basically like shooting a portrait from less than half a meter away. That's way too close for flattering geometry and perfect results.

On the bright side, Galaxy S26 Ultra users will be able to fit more of themselves and their surroundings in a single frame. Those who tend to take group selfies will probably love it. Although, I wouldn't stand too close to the edge of the frame, since that's where the most distortion occurs.

What about the sensor?

As mentioned above, rumors have it that no upgrades are expected for the 12MP sensor on the front facing snapper. That's a bit underwhelming.

A 12-megapixel front camera is solid – and Samsung's been squeezing a lot of detail and dynamic range out of that resolution – but we're reaching a point where specs are part performance, part marketing. A 50MP selfie sensor, even if it pixel-binned down to 12MP output, would've sounded way more impressive and could give Samsung a clear talking point over Apple and Google.

Speaking of Apple, the iPhone 17 family has already pulled ahead in the selfie department with a completely new camera setup across all models. Thanks to a square sensor, the iPhone can capture landscape selfies even when held vertically. That's both clever and practical.

No fancy 3x telephoto, too

To be fair, the Galaxy S25 Ultra's selfie camera already does a lot right. It's sharp, color-accurate, and reliable across lighting conditions.

That's cool, but it feels like Samsung's playing it extra safe with the S26 Ultra's camera setup. A wider lens could make selfies more versatile, but a fresh sensor would've sent a stronger message that the company's still pushing boundaries.

When we take into account that the 3x telephoto on the back also won't see an update – but could be a bit degraded – things look even worse.

Earlier reports suggested Samsung would upgrade the dedicated 3x 10MP zoom to a 12MP sensor, but reliable sources have dismissed that claim. Instead of a resolution boost, the new sensor will actually be slightly smaller than the current one, shrinking from 1/3.52-inch to 1/3.94-inch.

Not an Ultra move, Samsung.

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