The Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra could have major changes to its cameras and design, but one key spec might be lacking

• The Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra could have a camera island
• This is apparently necessary due to upgrades to the main and telephoto cameras
• However its battery capacity might not be increased

The Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra will be a mixed bag of big upgrades and completely unchanged specs, if the latest leaks are anything to go by, but let’s start with the rumored upgrades.

According to South Korean site Newsis (via SamMobile), the Galaxy S26 Ultra will have a camera island. That’s a camera design we haven’t seen on this line of phones since the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra, with subsequent models having lenses that protrude directly out of the back instead.

According to this report, the move to a camera island on the Galaxy S26 Ultra is a necessary change to accommodate upgrades to the phone's main and telephoto cameras.

The source doesn't specify what these upgrades are, mind, but we’ve previously heard multiple times that the Galaxy S26 Ultra’s main camera might have a wider aperture, allowing it to capture more light. The Galaxy S26 Ultra’s telephoto camera might also have a wider aperture, so those could be the upgrades referred to here.

Today’s report also doesn’t detail what shape the camera island will be, so it’s unclear whether this will be a return to the design of the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra or something different. But either way, it should make the phone look very different from the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra from the back.

No battery boost

Now for the less good news – SamMobile has spotted a Chinese certification for a new Samsung battery that the site believes is intended for the Galaxy S26 Ultra, and it has a 5,000mAh capacity, just like the battery in the Galaxy S25 Ultra.

While that isn’t small, it is a lower capacity than many rival handsets, and it’s a capacity that Samsung seems very reluctant to go beyond.

Still, even if this battery does end up in the Galaxy S26 Ultra, the phone might have better battery life anyway thanks to a more efficient chipset, and reports have also suggested it might offer faster 65W charging.

We’re not expecting to see the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra until January, though, so there’s plenty of time for other leaks to emerge and contradict these ones.

You might also like

• The Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra could have a privacy-boosting AI trick built into its screen – here’s how it works
• Two key specs leak for the Galaxy S26 – and we may get a battery upgrade at last
• The Galaxy S26 Edge could be even thinner with a bigger battery, which sounds too good to be true – but I hope it is