Samsung Galaxy S26 to get a new telephoto lens! Resolution will slightly increase, but it's still not enough to compete

Samsung is finally upgrading its 3× telephoto lens on the Galaxy S26 and S26+. The current 10MPx sensor will be replaced by a 12MPx Samsung ISOCELL S5K3LD. Is it an upgrade? Yes, a small one. But here’s the problem: even in the basic price category around 25 thousand, the Xiaomi 15 offers a much better 50MPx telephoto lens with a larger sensor. And on the basic S26 and S26+, this is the only telephoto lens – if you’re not buying the Ultra, this is your only way to zoom in.

What the firmware revealed

A detailed firmware analysis for the Galaxy S26 and S26+ revealed the final specifications. The main camera gets a new 50MPx Samsung ISOCELL S5KGNG sensor, the telephoto lens is upgraded from 10 to 12 MPx with the new S5K3LD sensor. But the ultrawide camera remains the same as last year – the 12 MPx Sony IMX564, which Samsung has been using for years. Two new cameras, one recycled.

The situation will be different for the Galaxy S26 Ultra – there’s supposed to be an additional 50 MPx 5× periscope there. But for the basic models, this 12 MPx zoom is the only way to shoot at a greater distance. And this is where the problem with the competition begins.

How does the competition fare?

In a similar price category around 25-30 thousand, Samsung holds an interesting position. The iPhone 17 has no basic telephoto lens at all – so it’s worse off. The Google Pixel 10 does have a 5× zoom, but only a 10.8MPx sensor – so Samsung with 12 MPx is slightly better.

But then there’s the Xiaomi 15 with a 50MPx telephoto lens (3.2× zoom) and a large 1/2.76″ sensor. That’s four times the resolution compared to Samsung and a much larger sensor than Samsung’s 1/3.94″, which means more light and better quality. And the Xiaomi 15 starts at a similar price to the Galaxy S.

Samsung originally tested various sensors, including a 50MPx ultrawide camera. Ultimately, it opted for a minimalist approach – a 12MPx telephoto lens and a 12MPx ultrawide.

Samsung is making an upgrade – the 12MPx telephoto lens is better than 10MPx, and the new main camera should improve quality. It’s not stagnation like with the S25. But when you look at Xiaomi (and other brands, like the recently discounted OnePlus 13) with the same price and four times the telephoto resolution plus a larger sensor, Samsung is still cutting corners.

Is Samsung the worst? No – that would be the iPhone without a telephoto lens. Is it better than the Pixel 10? Maybe a little. Samsung has the technology, the know-how, it manufactures its own sensors. But it doesn’t want to use them in its basic models, because that would jeopardize Ultra sales.

Samsung is reportedly announcing the Galaxy S26 series on February 25, 2026. Firmware analysis suggests that the phones are ready for mass production, so these specifications are likely final. It’s a bit of a disappointment – not a fiasco, but still less than what Samsung is capable of. And certainly less than Chinese competition for similar money.

Is 12MPx zoom enough for you?

Source: Smartprix