Camera manufacturers have long sought to increase the megapixels count of their sensors to try and make them seem better to consumers. This has largely stopped - or at least slowed - in the camera sector, but it seems phone makers are still clinging on to this dubious measure of a camera's ability.
In early 2023 Samsung upped the ante by releasing the first 200MP camera phone, but since then the megapixel race seems to have hit a wall. However, while we might not be getting individual camera modules higher than 200MP, word on the street suggests Chinese phone manufacturers could be incorporating more than one 200MP sensor into future handsets. According to renowned tipster Digital Chat Station, the upcoming Xiaomi 18 Pro could have two 200MP cameras - an 'upgrade' over the current Xiaomi 17 Pro that has three 50MP sensors. There have also been rumors to suggest that the forthcoming Oppo Find X9 Ultra, Honor Magic 8 Ultra and Vivo X300 Ultra may also have two 200MP snappers.
Though it'd be easy to write this off as just another superficial marketing stunt, there could actually be some genuine benefit here. If the rumors are true, it's highly likely that the second 200MP sensor in these phones would be for a telephoto module. Samsung has already launched the ISOCELL HP5 - a 200 megapixel, 1/1.56 sensor designed specifically for use in telephoto modules. A higher megapixel count sensor in a telephoto camera means the phone can crop in on a smaller section of an image, enabling lossless zoom without the need for AI interpretation, or a longer lens. This way a longer focal length can be emulated, and when combined with a periscope lens there's potential for zoom ranges up to 10x with no loss of image quality or AI trickery.
Given that Samsung appears to be at the forefront of 200MP telephoto sensors, it's therefore surprising that we've heard no rumors that the Galaxy S26 Ultra will use Samsung's own HP5 200MP telephoto sensor. It's almost as though Samsung is trying to give the Chinese brands an advantage.
