Only a few hours ago from now, a report came out about how Samsung is working on Galaxy S26 Ultra camera improvements for next year’s release. Now, code spotted in One UI 8.5 suggests that it’s not just photography that is seeing upgrades on the Galaxy S26 Ultra, but video recording as well.
Galaxy S26 Ultra enhanced Camera Assistant
According to the snippets of code found in One UI 8.5, Camera Assistant will be getting a handful of new features next year, alongside the launch of the Galaxy S26 series. While it’s not confirmed just yet, these new features might actually be exclusive to the Galaxy S26 Ultra, and even the Galaxy S25 Ultra might not get them.
The new features are focused on video recording, but are derived from tools that already exist for photography with the assistance of the Camera Assistant.
New video recording features
Galaxy S26 Ultra will feature a rear camera island unlike its predecessor. | Image credit — PhoneArena
For starters, Camera Assistant will apparently let users choose a level of softness for their video recordings. Much like with photos, you will be able to choose just how sharpened the end result should be. Opting for softer video recording will result in more natural-looking results, albeit at the expense of some clarity. The three options you will be given are:
Recommended For You
Off
Medium
High
Another option spotted for Camera Assistant is the ability to set the speed and sensitivity of your camera’s autofocus for video recording. This will determine how quickly the camera should focus on a different subject that enters or exits the view, and how fast this new focus should be.
Do these Camera Assistant improvements sell the Galaxy S26 Ultra to you?
Yes, these sound very promising
40%
Maybe, I'll have to see it in action first
40%
Nah, it's not worth the upgrade
20%
Moving towards a big upgrade?
Samsung has been criticized for using the same camera for so many generations of its flagship phones, and the company seems to be taking that critique to heart.
The Galaxy S26 Ultra is expected to bring back the rear camera island because it is getting a wider aperture, which will lead to more detailed photography in low light conditions. These Camera Assistant upgrades will also be very welcome, though it will be a shame if these features don’t make it to relatively new Galaxy flagships.
Both these changes also make me wonder if Samsung is finally thinking of upgrading its camera setup for the Ultra phones. Reports about the matter are currently presenting conflicting and ever-changing narratives.
However, even just these new features, as well as the aforementioned camera upgrades, should help Samsung best the iPhone 18 next year. As it stands, the iPhone 17, the iPhone 16, and other Apple phones often encounter odd photography problems, like black boxes, gibberish text due to AI processing, lens flare, and more.
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Abdullah loves smartphones, Virtual Reality, and audio gear. Though he covers a wide range of news his favorite is always when he gets to talk about the newest VR venture or when Apple sets the industry ablaze with another phenomenal release.
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