Summary

  • Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold series has had under-display selfie cameras for a few years now, but their performance has been underwhelming.
  • One of the S26 Ultra prototypes also has a hidden selfie camera, suggesting that Samsung is now confident in the technology.
  • The upcoming Galaxy Z Fold 7 could also bring an improved selfie camera if this leak is true.

The Samsung Galaxy S25 series brought one of the most incremental upgrades we’ve seen from the lineup in years. Sure, there is a slight improvement in the performance and the cameras are a little more capable, but at first glance, the differences over its predecessor are minuscule. With the S26 series, Samsung seems to finally be considering something far bolder, by borrowing from the Z Fold series.

In 2021, Samsung gave the Z Fold 3 an under-display selfie camera on the inner screen, creating an unobstructed viewing experience. Since then, every large foldable from Samsung has had one but the resultant images using that camera have been underwhelming. However, a new report suggests that Samsung might have finally figured it out, and is willing to go all in.


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No longer an experiment

A post on X by a Korean leakster Kro states that the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra’s prototypes do not have a visible punch-hole selfie camera (via GSMArena). In a following post, the source added that it will be an under-display camera. While the S26 series is a year away, if this leak is true, this would be the first time a non-foldable, mainstream Samsung phone will have an under-display selfie camera. It needs to be noted that OEMs generally test multiple prototypes with different designs and features before finalizing which one to go ahead with.

The fact that Samsung is considering giving its most popular product the under-display camera treatment suggests that Samsung is finally confident enough to take the plunge. This likely means that it has figured out how to implement them in a way that the photos clicked using the front camera don’t suck.

The Galaxy Z Fold 6 opened on a bench.

The upcoming Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 series should give us a good indication of whether Samsung is actually headed in this direction. Another previous leak claimed that the next Samsung foldables will ship with bigger screens. It would make sense for Samsung to double down on the screen by also making it completely seamless.

Samsung has had a bit of an identity crisis with its smartphones of late, with the S25 Ultra not bringing anything new to the table while also losing some of its iconic features. Another report stated that the S26 lineup will also undergo a rebrand, being called the Samsung Galaxy S26, the S26 Pro, and the S26 Note. Here’s hoping that it’s not just the names that are getting a makeover.


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