The Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra might not get any camera upgrades but that's fine if it means we avoid a price hike

Date:
Mon, 05 Jan 2026 21:35:00 +0000

Description:
It seems that the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra could launch with the same quad-camera system as last years model, but there could be an excellent
reason for the lack of upgrade.

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In a lot of ways, 2026 is going to be a big year. In others? Not so much and based on the latest leaks and rumors it seems like the launch of the Samsung Galaxy S26 family is going to land in the latter category.

Yes, its looking like another year of iterative, software-heavy, visually bland refreshes for Samsungs top of the line smartphones, with no word of big hardware reshuffles in the vein of the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max .

For me, the biggest issue here pertains to the phones cameras, particularly the Samsung Galaxy S26, which has been rumored to sport the exact same triple-camera array as the current-gen Galaxy S25 .

As for the Galaxy S26 Ultra, the latest rumors concern only cosmetic updates to the camera housing . With that said, there have been other rumors suggesting new upgrades for the lineup, but nothing concrete .

Dont get me wrong, the Galaxy S26 Ultra will still probably be one of the
best camera phones , as the Galaxy S25 Ultra is now. But since last years upgrade (a resolution bump for the ultra-wide camera) was already pretty minor, the prospect of not getting a decent spec bump this year is pretty disheartening.

As for the standard Galaxy S26 and Galaxy S26 Plus, forget about it a lack
of camera upgrades would mark four years without a photography spec bump for these base-model units. It's been years since the base-model Samsung Galaxy S handset got any kind of camera upgrade. (Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)

Looks pretty bleak, right? I wouldnt blame even the most ardent Samsung fans for feeling a little uneasy ahead of the Galaxy S26 series likely
announcement in January or February of this year. But with all that considered, there's one potential reason that would make this possible spec stall make a lot more sense.

To get down to business, this ones all about the money.

According to The Bell (via Forbes ), Samsung plans to keep the price of the entire Galaxy S26 series the same as last years Galaxy S25 series meaning starting prices of $799 / 799 / AU$1,399 for the Galaxy S26, $999 / 999 / AU$1,699 for the Galaxy S26 Plus, and $1,299 / 1,249 / AU$2,149 for the
Galaxy S26 Ultra. The Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra (right) is already more expensive than the iPhone 17 Pro (bottom) or Google Pixel 10 Pro (left), so holding off on a price hike is probably a smart move. (Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd)

Now, in a typical year, that wouldnt really be cause for celebration. While inflation pushes phone prices up over time, we normally like to see phone makers hold onto current price points for as long as possible.

However, this is not a typical year.

As anyone whos tried to build a PC over the last few months can attest, component prices are out of control at the moment. Demand for tech hardware particularly RAM has increased wildly due to the surging needs of AI and the data centers that power it. Its very likely that at least some phone makers will increase prices this year in response.

So, while it might not look great from a purely spec-focused perspective, Samsung choosing to skip major camera upgrades with this years Galaxy flagships could ultimately be about protecting customers wallets. In that case, its a thumbs up from me.

This isnt an airtight theory, though. The Forbes report adds that the price
of several A-series handsets thats Samsungs budget-friendly phone range could increase to compensate for a lack of hikes further up the pricing ladder. In this context my thumb shifts to an ambivalent horizontal position Im not sure taxing customers with less money to spend to keep the luxury buyers happy would really be a win. Sure, the Galaxy S-series is the big seller, but Im sure plenty of users rely on the A-series for a reliable smartphone experience at a low cost.

But looking at the Galaxy S26 series on its own, I think Ill be able to forgive a lack of major upgrades if the price stays the same, given the current climate and rising prices elsewhere in Samsung's portfolio (looking
at you, Galaxy Z Fold 7 ).

Of course, if I were to put my sustainability hat on, I could ask why the Galaxy S26 series needs to come out at all if its going to be very similar to the Galaxy S25. It would save plenty of energy and materials to keep using
the same production lines and back stock for another year.

While Im happy to let a lack of upgrades slide, Im also not going to be
lining up to shower praise on a phone that barely changes anything compared
to its predecessor. We really dont need another iPhone 13 to iPhone 14 situation .

But seemingly the market demands a new phone every year from the major
makers, and there is something to be excited about in the form of the Galaxy S26 series new Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chipset. For now, the above is based in rumors, but well be updating our guide to the best Samsung phones as soon as weve had a chance to check out the new models for ourselves.

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Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/phones/samsung-galaxy-phones/the-samsung-galaxy-s26- ultra-might-not-get-any-camera-upgrades-but-thats-fine-if-it-means-we-avoid-a- price-hike


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