For a while now, if you’ve been eyeing Samsung’s standard and Plus Galaxy S phones, you might have noticed their main camera hasn’t changed much. The ISOCELL GN3 sensor has been around since the Galaxy S23. While trusty, other brands have been using bigger, more powerful cameras. That said, it looks like the non-Ultra Galaxy S26 models will finally bring a new camera sensor next year.
While it’s still early days for concrete details about the 2026 Galaxy S lineup, some new whispers from our friends at GalaxyClub suggest a positive change. Specifically, the base Galaxy S26 is rumored to feature a different main camera.
Galaxy S26 could get the new camera sensor it deserves
The new sensor is expected to keep a 50MP resolution, just like its predecessor. However, the key takeaway is that the hardware itself appears to be different. This could mean it comes with improved characteristics or better performance, even with the same megapixel count. We don’t have all the technical details yet, but it’s likely to be a brand-new Samsung-made ISOCELL GN series sensor. We could be talking about a brighter aperture, a larger native pixel size, or a larger sensor size.
Historically, the base and Plus Galaxy S models tend to share their main camera specs. So, if the Galaxy S26 gets this new 50MP sensor, it’s a safe bet the Galaxy S26+ would too. Anyway, it’s also possible that a potential Galaxy S26+ will never arrive. Recent reports suggest that Samsung plans to drop the “Plus” model in favor of a “Galaxy S26 Edge.” The sales performance of the current Galaxy S22 Edge will likely be key in the final decision. If that happens, this new 50MP sensor might initially be exclusive to just the standard Galaxy S26, as the current S25 Edge uses a 200MP sensor.
Either way, it looks like Samsung is finally ready to refresh its core Galaxy S camera hardware. If true, fans of the most compact and affordable model in the Galaxy S series could finally get a nice boost in image quality.
