Galaxy S26 Ultra's periscope camera may have a longer minimum focusing distance

While the Galaxy S26 Ultra uses the same rear camera sensors as the Galaxy S25 Ultra, two of its four rear cameras — the 200MP primary and 50MP periscope telephoto — feature wider apertures, which should theoretically produce brighter images, especially in low-light conditions. However, that’s not the only change.

The periscope telephoto camera features a lens with a circular opening instead of the one with a rectangular opening on the previous model. This design is more compact and better suited for phones with a thinner form factor. That said, this new lens comes with a trade-off: The minimum focusing distance has increased.

On X, Alvin claims that the Galaxy S26 Ultra’s periscope telephoto camera has a longer minimum focusing distance than that of the Galaxy S25 Ultra. In other words, it cannot focus on subjects as close as the periscope telephoto unit on the previous model can. As a result, it will be harder to capture telemacro photos and videos with it. 

A content creator, Sankew, backs Alvin’s claim. That being said, we can’t say anything for sure until we test the scenario on our Galaxy S26 Ultra. Speaking of which, it turns out that the phone, with its upgraded 60W charging speed, can get charged faster than Samsung’s claim. Check out our video below to learn more about the device.