Is Samsung Using a Newer Periscope Lens on the Galaxy S26 Ultra Heres What We Know Updated

Samsung has confirmed in a statement to Sammy Guru that the Galaxy S26 Ultra does indeed utilize ALoP tech. Samsung reserved most of the highlight upgrades on the Galaxy S26 series for the Galaxy S26 Ultra including a wider aperture on the primary camera and the 5x telephoto camera. One change that flew under the radar is that the 5x camera is no longer a periscope zoom lens. Instead Samsung has switched to a different lens type for the 5x zoom camera.

A report from GSMArena notes that the new Galaxy S26 Ultra uses a traditional lens design for its 5x optical zoom camera, with the lens elements and the sensor parallel to the phone. In contrast the S25 Ultra uses a periscope lens design for its 5x optical zoom camera in which a prism bends light 90° so the lens elements and the sensor are perpendicular to the phone.

Because of this change the Galaxy S26 Ultra 5x optical zoom camera has a poorer minimum focus distance of 52cm. In contrast the Galaxy S25 Ultra 5x optical zoom camera could focus at 26cm and beyond.For people who love using the telephoto camera for close up shots this is a noticeable downgrade though it important to caveat that most people use the 5x zoom camera for zoom shots on far away subjects.

The report further notes that the different lens assemblies create different bokeh. The Galaxy S25 Ultra produces a more rectangular bokeh for out of focus lights while the Galaxy S26 Ultra produces a more oval circular bokeh.Samsung specifications and marketing for the Galaxy S26 Ultra make no mention of a periscope whereas those for the Galaxy S25 Ultra do. The report alludes to a reason for the lens swap and says its likely not due to the wider aperture but doesnt yet share the exact finding.

There speculation that the Galaxy S26 Ultra uses Samsungs ALoP All Lenses on Prism technology for its zoom lens. In an ALoP solution the sensor sits perpendicular to the phone but the lens elements sit on top of the prism rather than in between the prism and the sensor parallel to the phone.This allows for a smaller camera module while allowing for a faster aperture. This should also explain the circular bokeh since the rectangular prism isnt the first entry point for light in this setup.

However an ALoP setup cannot be considered a traditional lens design as it combines perpendicular and parallel elements so we are curious about GSMArena exact findings on the Galaxy S26 Ultra 5x optical zoom camera since they say it goes back to a traditional lens design.Confusingly while Samsung Semiconductor does not publicly classify ALoP as a periscope zoom camera the use of a prism in the camera module to bend light by 90° does technically make it a periscope zoom camera.

ALoP merely reconfigures the architecture of what is referred to as a conventional folded zoom camera module periscope zoom cameras with the visibly rectangular lens opening.Thus Samsung hesitation in assigning the word periscope to the Galaxy S26 Ultra camera setup remains unexplained. Samsung Mobile division often neglects a deep dive into technical specifications so its not entirely surprising that it doesnt mention either ALoP or periscope zoom in any marketing materials.

We have reached out to Samsung for clarification on the Galaxy S26 Ultra 5x optical zoom camera whether it uses the conventional folded zoom design or the newer ALoP design and whether it is still classified as a periscope zoom camera. We all keep you updated when we hear back from the company.The Galaxy S26 Ultra replaces the conventional periscope 5x zoom with a new design likely using Samsung ALoP All Lenses on Prism technology.

While the new setup allows for a wider aperture and circular bokeh the minimum focus distance has regressed from 26cm to 52cm.Samsung has removed periscope from its official S26 Ultra materials despite the new hardware still using light bending prisms.