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It might be time to temper your expectations in terms of camera upgrades for the Samsung Galaxy S25, due in 2025, and Galaxy S26, due in 2026: the latest rumor is that these phones will come with the same main camera setup as the current Samsung Galaxy S24.
The rumor in question comes from recognized tipster Ice Universe, who has a strong track record when it comes to Samsung predictions. The main camera sensor in question is a 50-megapixel, 1/1.56-inch sensor.
In fact, Samsung has been using this sensor for the main rear camera since the Samsung Galaxy S22, which launched in 2022. If this rumor is accurate, that would mean no upgrades for the most important camera component for four straight years.
Samsung could well argue that software improvements make up for it, while the secondary cameras (currently a 10-megapixel, 1/3.94-inch telephoto sensor and a 12-megapixel 1/2.55-inch ultrawide sensor) may get upgrades separately – but it would still be a rather underwhelming roadmap for the series.
The upgrade cycle
Sadly, Samsung decided to continue using the same sensor on the S25 and even the S26. Desperate. https://t.co/wYAdxS98W1September 21, 2024
While significant phone camera upgrades year-on-year are something of a rarity now, if this does pan out as predicted, then Samsung risks being left behind on this particular spec. The new Google Pixel 9, for example, comes with a main camera sensor with a 50-megapixel rating and a 1/1.31-inch size.
The larger the sensor, the more light it can pull in, and the better the resulting photos (at least in theory). There's only so much AI trickery and manipulation you can do to improve the look of images beyond the limitations of the hardware.
Back in June, a different source suggested that there wouldn't be much change in the cameras for the Galaxy S25 and Galaxy S25 Plus next year. However, they may be fitted with more RAM to help with artificial intelligence processing.
If you're after better cameras in 2025, you may have to look to the Galaxy S25 Ultra instead. That particular model is rumored to be getting some new significant camera upgrades, albeit upgrades to the secondary rear cameras rather than the primary one.