As we get closer to the rumored February 25th reveal of the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra, we're seeing more tips that suggest Samsung could be planning a range of subtle camera improvements for the S26 Ultra. There's talk of larger lens apertures for the wide and periscope telephoto modules, but according to a new leak from renowned leakster Ice Universe, Samsung might also be adding a 24MP capture option for the camera's Photo and Portrait modes.
By default, the S25 Ultra's primary, wide-angle camera records at 12.5MP, as the 200MP sensor groups 16 adjacent pixels into 4x4 clusters in a process called pixel binning. This enables 16 small pixels to act as one big pixel, increasing light sensitivity and allowing for faster shutter speeds and improved dynamic range. There has also been the option to capture 50MP images (2x2 pixel-binned clusters), or to unleash the full sensor resolution for 200MP images. However, both of these options have resulted in slower capture times and increased file sizes.
Samsung has previously added a 24MP resolution option to existing Galaxy phones, but only when using the Expert RAW app, and it too was not without issues, resulting in over-sharpening and chromatic aberration (at least according to Ice Universe). The Galaxy S26 Ultra's 24MP implementation is said to "feel much more like a daily-use shooting mode", with image quality being "very fine and clean". The new 24MP mode isn't completely without compromise, however. It's said that each image takes around 3 seconds to process (though this does happen in the background), and the mode isn't accessible via the default camera app. To make it visible, you apparently need to toggle it on via Samsung's Camera Assistant app in the Good Lock module.
But, the results are supposedly worth the initial activation effort, and the increased processing time, as they’re said to be "clearly better than 12MP". According to the leak, the new 24MP mode is still in development, so it's possible it might get even smoother. But if you're hoping this upgrade could be added to older Galaxy devices, then prepare to be disappointed: the rumor states that this would be a feature exclusively reserved for S26 phones.
