Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Phones
  3. News

Samsung’s next Ultra phone could go big and variable with main camera to pip the iPhone 18 Pro

Samsung may revive a Galaxy S9 camera trick for a much bigger 200MP Ultra upgrade

By
Add as a preferred source on Google
Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra
Tom Bedford / Digital Trends

Samsung may be preparing a major camera upgrade for the Galaxy S27 Ultra, with a new leak claiming its 200MP main camera could get variable aperture support. The claim comes from Weibo leaker Smart Pikachu (智慧皮卡丘), suggesting that Samsung may be looking at a hardware response to Apple’s own rumored iPhone 18 Pro camera plans.

Why does variable aperture matter?

A variable aperture camera can physically adjust the lens opening to control how much light reaches the sensor. A wider aperture helps with low-light shots and stronger background blur. A narrower aperture can help in bright outdoor scenes and keep more of the frame in focus.

Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra
Tom Bedford / Digital Trends

This flexibility could be useful on a 200MP phone camera, where Samsung already pushes high-resolution imaging but still has to deal with tight smartphone hardware limits. A variable aperture system could help the Galaxy S27 Ultra manage exposure, depth of field, close-up shots, macro photography, and bright-light scenes with more control.

Recommended Videos

Samsung has used variable aperture before on older Galaxy S9 series phones. Bringing it back on a 200MP main camera would make the implementation much more ambitious.

Could Samsung counter Apple’s camera and AI push?

Apple is also expected to make the iPhone 18 Pro a bigger camera upgrade. The 18 Pro lineup is rumored to feature a variable aperture system for the 48MP main camera, along with larger fixed apertures for the ultrawide and telephoto cameras. The front camera may also see a sharper upgrade. The iPhone 18 Pro models are also expected to improve their selfie camera performance with a 24MP square-shaped sensor.

Electronics, Phone, Mobile Phone
Tom Bedford / Digital Trends

Additionally, some key software upgrades are also on the horizon, as Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman recently reported that iOS 27 could bring AI photo tools such as Enhance, Extend, and Reframe inside the Photos app, moving Apple closer to editing features already seen on Google and Samsung phones.

A 200MP variable aperture camera could help Samsung keep the Galaxy Ultra line firmly in the hardware race as Apple pushes ahead with camera control and AI photo editing. Pricing, however, may become a major pressure point for both phones this generation, with the ongoing memory shortage reportedly driving up production costs.

Sudhanshu Kumar Mangalam
Sudhanshu Kumar Mangalam
Contributor
I’ve got about 4 years of experience, mostly covering gaming, PC hardware, and smartphones. In my free time, I like…
Topics
The $1,500 flagship might be closer than you think
Flip phones already broke the $1,500 mark this year, and slab flagships aren't far behind.
iPhone 17 Pro and Google Pixel 10 Pro.

In July, a Google executive broke the silence on the ongoing memory crisis, highlighting a more than fourfold increase in RAM prices between 2025 and 2026, and I haven't stopped thinking about it since. The prices have gone up from $2.80 in 2025 to roughly $12 in 2026, as mentioned in the same report. Run the math for a 16GB memory package, and the cost to the company has apparently gone up from $45 to $192.

That's not a rounding error; it's the floor moving under the entire industry's feet. Google is not alone in speaking about the ongoing memory crisis. We've also seen Nothing's CEO speak about it, and other brands like Motorola, OnePlus, and Xiaomi make price adjustments across their lineup.

Read more
I’ve used the Pixel 10 Pro a year. I hope Google fixes these nagging issues on the Pixel 11 Pro
Electronics, Mobile Phone, Phone

I’ve been using the Google Pixel 10 Pro for almost a year now, which means I’ve had plenty of time to figure out what I love about it and, more importantly, what still gets on my nerves. And with the Pixel 11 Pro launching on August 12, just three days from now, my wishlist for Google has gotten pretty long. There’s a lot the Pixel already gets right. The software is still one of my favorite Android experiences, performance is generally solid, and Google’s Gemini features have become genuinely useful in ways I didn’t expect. Those are all big reasons I’ve stuck with Pixel phones for as long as I have.

But spend enough time with any phone and the little annoyances stop feeling so little. Over the past year, I’ve run into a handful of recurring Pixel problems that I really don’t want to carry over to another generation. Some have frustrated me for months, while others have made me question whether I can completely rely on my Pixel when I need it most. So, with the Pixel 11 Pro almost here, I have a few things I desperately want Google to get right this time.

Read more
Apple is testing Chinese DRAM even after CXMT refused to cut prices
Apple may be testing CXMT memory for iPhones and MacBooks
iPhone 17 Pro Max

Apple’s search for more memory supply has taken another step forward. The company is now testing DRAM from Chinese manufacturer CXMT across several products, including iPhones and MacBooks, according to The Wall Street Journal. Apple has also held early talks with CXMT about supplying memory for some devices sold in China and is seeking support from the US government before moving ahead.

The timing is particularly interesting. Just recently, we learned that a shortage of DRAM could already be holding up production of the A20 Pro chip expected inside the iPhone 18 Pro. TSMC is said to have around $1 billion worth of finished chips waiting for memory before packaging can continue.

Read more