Galaxy S26 Ultra could mark the comeback of variable aperture cameras on Samsung phones

14 March 2025
It was first introduced by Samsung with the S9 series in 2018.

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DarlingYext, 15 Mar 2025"First, variable aperture? Samsung pioneered that in 2... moreJust a small correction. Samsung didn't pioneer variable aperture in phones. Nokia did, and did it better.

You can check, "Nokia N86 8MP" is the name of the phone, I've used it once.

    DarlingYext, 15 Mar 2025That would be horrible on a small sensor.Their Goal is to cross 600

      All about camera, 15 Mar 2025They were talking about a 500mp one recentlyThat would be horrible on a small sensor.

        yungfishstick, 14 Mar 2025Samsung seems to have a pattern of changing the main sensor... morerecent leaks pointed at a 500mp camera

          DarlingYext, 14 Mar 2025That would finally be an actual camera upgrade, hopefully i... moreThey were talking about a 500mp one recently

            ProMaxUltraAreBricks, 15 Mar 2025First, variable aperture? Samsung pioneered that in 2018 wi... more"First, variable aperture? Samsung pioneered that in 2018 with the S9."

            Being first means nothing when you don't improve on said first gen product, but instead you stop producing it entirely.

            "S Pen without Bluetooth? Very sad! For the three people who actually use it."

            It was already a feature, in previous generations of the Ultra series of phones, and it didn't even take up any extra space, as it was inside the Pen itself, that's still inside the phone anyways. So why take away features? This isn't a cheap phone, they didn't even make it any cheaper, and they replaced the lost feature with absolutely nothing.

              It'd be interesting to see Samsung putting a variable aperture on that massive 200MP camera sensor. Not even Vivo and Xiaomi can do it.

                ProMaxUltraAreBricks, 15 Mar 2025First, variable aperture? Samsung pioneered that in 2018 wi... more"45W charging? 15W wireless? How… pedestrian. Yet, somehow, most people survive."

                Survive, that's cool. You know one could easily survive without a phone, or with a non-smartphone. The thing is tho, if I'm paying close to $1000 or more I'd like to get the best features. You don't want to use faster charging? Then don't, it's that simple, if a phone supports say 80W, or 180W charging you can still choose to charge them with less, however if it only supports 25W-45W then you can't just decide to charge faster.

                "8-bit vs. 10-bit? My apologies, I seem to have misplaced my electron microscope to verify the subtle nuances."

                It's not about seeing the subtle differences, it's about not getting the absolute best display for the price, even though you are paying well over enough money to deserve the best.

                "Sure for PWM, but it's a very small portion of people that are truly sensitive.."

                Small portion of people yeah okay, and? Would it not fit into the price of these S series flagship devices to give better PWM and thus a better experience for more people?

                "Small cameras? Oh, the horror! Clearly, everyone needs sensors the size of dinner plates. "

                On a $1200 Ultra phone, and let's be honest even on the $800 base S series device, those sensors really should be bigger. Does everyone need such big sensors? No. Does everyone need flagship performance, and/or Ultra devices? No. However for the enthusiasts that will buy a flagship, they would deserve more.

                  DarlingYext, 15 Mar 2025I'm not forcing my opinion on anyone. I'm just co... moreFirst, variable aperture? Samsung pioneered that in 2018 with the S9. A moment of silence for innovation lost (or just unnecessary anymore for the time), then maybe found again.

                  > 8-bit vs. 10-bit? My apologies, I seem to have misplaced my electron microscope to verify the subtle nuances. For the average human, it's just a pretty screen. Sure for PWM, but it's a very small portion of people that are truly sensitive, and likewise not all Chinese phone are good for them.

                  > 45W charging? 15W wireless? How… pedestrian. Yet, somehow, most people survive. Perhaps they're not all racing to charge their phones during a pit stop.

                  > Si/C batteries? Yes, a missed opportunity. But somehow, the S25U manages a respectable 10+ hours of battery life, only 45 minutes less to the mighty 1+ 13 (The Tech Chap battery drain test). Is it witchcraft? Or just superior battery efficiency of Samsung?

                  > Small cameras? Oh, the horror! Clearly, everyone needs sensors the size of dinner plates. Except…no, they don’t want huge bumps in their pockets. Most people just want decent pictures, and Samsung’s computational photography delivers. As the MKBHD 2024 blind camera test have shown.

                  > S Pen without Bluetooth? Very sad! For the three people who actually use it.

                  And let's not forget, while we're all debating on of these little 'facts', Samsung is, you know, selling a lot of phones. Because, shockingly, most people don't live on nerdy tech forums. They want a reliable phone, good deals, good ecosystem, good support and worldwide availability from a reputable known brand.

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                    • realme 6 user
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                    • 15 Mar 2025

                    DarlingYext, 15 Mar 2025I'm not forcing my opinion on anyone. I'm just co... moreUnlike the other guy I appreciate your comments and others who are more knowledged and I like to see them more.

                    I used to be a samsung fanboy like 5 years ago. Truth is, I didn't know there were other phones in the market which were actually way better than samsung for the same price. I got realme 6 as a gift and it's still going. No battery degradation, still very smooth. It is a cheap midrange phone and it gives me everything I want. My experience with Samsung has always been noticable battery degradation after 2 years and unusable after 4-5 without connecting to a charger and at that point it's like a pc. Today I see the new realme phones and I would be tempted to buy them but again I see the comments from other smarter people critising the chipset and useless cameras

                    If it wasn't for people opening my mind and criticising these companies, I think I would have wasted alot of money on phones that didn't make me happy with the purchase. My point is - don't be a fanboy. Know exactly what you want in a device and then buy the one that you think is best based on your preferences. If someone points out that a device does not have something like say "IR Blaster" see if that thing is what you would want in a device. If not, enjoy your purchase but don't run away from the critisisms.

                      Anonymous, 15 Mar 2025I don't think that potential buyers will make informed... moreBut someone might point out an important thing, specially to newbies who just hang out on GSMarena once in a while.
                      There are a lot of things not clearly visible on a spec sheet, both good and bad. They must be exposed in discussions without bias.

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                        • Maria
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                        • 15 Mar 2025

                        Whether it happens or no, depends on what Apple do with its next iPhone (i.e 17Pro/Pro Maz).

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                          • nTd
                          • 15 Mar 2025

                          DarlingYext, 15 Mar 2025I'm not forcing my opinion on anyone. I'm just co... moreI laughed the most at "proud Samsung fan". 🤣🤣🤣
                          Is it just me that sounds like "it doesn't matter what shit they spew, I'll buy them nonstop.".
                          I've always thought that you can be a fan of certain products, but a fan of all of them at all times is pure sheep thinking to me. No company is and can't always make the best product all the time. Especially in electronics.

                            Zhang Yi, 15 Mar 2025To Darling Yext Please stop spreading unnecessary hate rig... moreI'm not forcing my opinion on anyone. I'm just commenting, one can believe me, not believe me, dislike me, like my opinion whatever it's on them.

                            However you telling everyone here that Samsung will always be number one according to you, you are forcing your opinion on the community. Are you perhaps not?

                            "The latest Samsung S25 Ultra comes with some of the best features on the market, and next year, the S26 Ultra is already set to introduce groundbreaking camera technology. "

                            Huawei, and Xiaomi already has variable aperture, and they've been using that technology for years, so nothing will be groundbreaking about the S26 Ultra even if this leak is true.

                            Oh, and the S25 Ultra comes with which of those "best features" on the market, can you tell me any?

                            -8 bit panel with terrible PWM dimming
                            -45W "fast" charging, 15W wireless charging
                            -no Si/C battery technology
                            -small ultrawide, and middle telephoto camera
                            -no Bluetooth in the S Pen unlike the S24 Ultra

                            You can try to write this off as hate again, but that's just a defense mechanism, as these are facts anyone can easily find out about these phones.

                              Nice!

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                                • Anonymous
                                • 70d
                                • 15 Mar 2025

                                Sam N8 808 owner, 15 Mar 2025I think its very well known since ages now that Samsung doe... moreI don't think that potential buyers will make informed decisions based on opinions of random Internet users who don't actually use the devices they are interested to buy.

                                  Zhang Yi, 15 Mar 2025To Darling Yext Please stop spreading unnecessary hate rig... moreI think its very well known since ages now that Samsung does repeat a lot of cameras.
                                  S7 camera was good, S8 series got the same one. And this was just the start.
                                  Everything since then was 1 step forward and 2 steps sideward.

                                  Nobody's questioning the Samsung implementation & finesse, which you clearly know and appreciate, but where they lack, they lack. Whatever we're discussing might help the comment reader & phone buyer make an informed decision, so what's so wrong about that?

                                    I think 4 settings are ideal, using the same sliding aperture ring mechanism found in the original S9. No need to complicate things.

                                    f1.5, f1.8, f2.8 and f8 should be enough for all use cases, give or take an f-number here and there.

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                                      • Zhang Yi
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                                      • 15 Mar 2025

                                      DarlingYext, 14 Mar 2025"Are you actually using the S25 Ultra or just filling ... moreTo Darling Yext
                                      Please stop spreading unnecessary hate right now! I've ignored your negativity for too long, but it's getting out of hand. As a proud Samsung fan, I completely disagree with your over-the-top and baseless arguments. If you prefer Vivo, that's your choice, but keep those comparisons within your own circles instead of forcing your opinions on others.

                                      For the record, I own a Samsung phone, even though it's an older model. The latest Samsung S25 Ultra comes with some of the best features on the market, and next year, the S26 Ultra is already set to introduce groundbreaking camera technology. On top of that, Samsung’s battery efficiency is far superior to your Vivo device, providing longer-lasting performance without compromising power.

                                      We firmly believe that Samsung remains committed to delivering top-quality, reliable devices for everyday use. So, there's no need to attack others just because they prefer a different brand.

                                      Samsung will always be No.1!

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                                        • Anonymous
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                                        • 15 Mar 2025

                                        DarlingYext, 14 Mar 2025"..then 5x telephoto on the S24 Ultra, ultra wide on t... moreThe 50 MP 5x telephoto camera is a significant upgrade over the 10 MP 10x telephoto camera. 10x pictures are comparable, and the 50 MP 5x telephoto camera takes better pictures between 5x to 10x such as 6x, 7x, and 8x pictures.

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