Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra may have a huge camera island just like the iPhone 17 Pro

Ever since the Galaxy S22 Ultra, Samsung’s Ultra phones have had the same design for their cameras on the back – individual circle-islands for each sensor. This, however, may change next year.

According to a new report from Samsung’s home of Korea, the upcoming Galaxy S26 Ultra may adopt a monolithic camera island once more, last seen on the Galaxy S21 Ultra from 2021.

Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra

The reason for this change is all about being able to fit better cameras into the body of the phone, apparently. And yet, we can’t help but wonder whether the Korean company is once again being ‘inspired’ by an Apple design – the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max will adopt a huge island themselves, and this has been rumored for many months now.

Perhaps 2026 will be the year when a humongous camera island is used by non-Chinese brands to communicate camera prowess. We say “non-Chinese brands” because big camera islands have been a lot more prevalent in recent years when it comes to Chinese flagships – the Xiaomi Ultra series, vivo’s X series, Oppo’s Find family, and so on.

The Korean report claims the growth of the S26 Ultra’s camera island is actually an inevitability, “due to the performance upgrade of the main camera and telephoto camera” (machine translated from Korean). The S26 Ultra is also expected to sport even rounder corners than its predecessor which for the first time gave up on the right angle for its corners.

The S26 Ultra has previously been rumored to come with a new main camera, using Sony’s upcoming 1/1.1″ type sensor with 200 MP resolution.

Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra

Source (in Korean)

Keep your phone secure and easily accessible in your car with the Miracase Phone Holder for Your Car! This Amazon Best Seller is designed for easy installation and holds your phone firmly in place, ensuring a safe and convenient driving experience.

With a 4.3/5-star rating from 29,710 reviews, it’s a top choice for drivers! Plus, over 10,000 units sold in the past month! Get it now for just $15.99 on Amazon.

Help Power Techcratic’s Future – Scan To Support

If Techcratic’s content and insights have helped you, consider giving back by supporting the platform with crypto. Every contribution makes a difference, whether it’s for high-quality content, server maintenance, or future updates. Techcratic is constantly evolving, and your support helps drive that progress.

As a solo operator who wears all the hats, creating content, managing the tech, and running the site, your support allows me to stay focused on delivering valuable resources. Your support keeps everything running smoothly and enables me to continue creating the content you love. I’m deeply grateful for your support, it truly means the world to me! Thank you!